Federation president Antonia Maioni's op-ed in The Globe and Mail examines the contemporary, cross-disciplinary BA. Antonia argues that interdisciplinary BAs, often paired with experiential learning, provide students with the critical thinking and creative skills required to succeed in current and future job markets. Jean-Marc Mangin shared his own Reflections on the Changing BA on the Federation blog.

The Federation has prepared an ambitious project to develop metrics for measuring the impact of SSH research beyond the confines of the university. The project is outlined in a working paper titled "The Impacts of Humanities and Social Science Research" that was launched by the Federation's Executive Director Jean-Marc Mangin in French at the "Mobilizing Knowledge for Social Innovation" colloquium at Concordia University on October 6. The colloquium was organized by the Fonds de recherche du Qu�bec, as part of the prestigious Entretiens Jacques Cartier. The Federation hopes that this initiative will galvanize SSH researchers to use the metrics to understand the impact of their research and how research can be used as an engagement tool.

The Congress planning team has met with member associations and University of Ottawa representatives to kick off the Congress 2015 planning cycle. It was great to see so much enthusiasm and support ahead of Congress, which will be set in the nation's capital this year and explore the theme "Capital Ideas." Future attendees can visit our Congress 2015 website for updates and begin planning their trip to Ottawa!

Jim Miller, professor emeritus of history at the University of Saskatchewan, stirred up a thoughtful debate on the deteriorating relations between Canada and First Nations in his September 18 Big Thinking on the Hill lecture. Moderating the question and answer session was University of Alberta professor and Federation Board member Cindy Blackstock. Watch the full lecture here and see event photos here.

 

The Hill Times published Jim Miller's op-ed discussing the transformation of Canada's relationship with First Nations  (subscription only) from one of kinship to one of trustee and ward. Miller advises that the prospect of an improved relationship is poor if Canada does not seek cooperation with First Nations based on renewed kinship.

 

L�o Charbonneau of University Affairs blog Margin Notes covered the lecture in a piece called "We once got along", focusing on Miller's call to "get back to an earlier, healthier type of relationship" between Canada and First Nations.

Our next Big Thinking on the Hill lecture will take place tomorrow morning and is entitled "Bringing Qu�bec Back In." The focus will be on the relationship between Qu�bec and Canada, as presented by Guy Laforest, distinguished author and professor of political science at Universit� Laval. Spots are still available and registration information can be found here.

 

Later this month, our next Big Thinking on the Hill will feature Bartha Knoppers from McGill University, who will speak about the impact of "Big Data" on our healthcare system. Sponsored by Genome Canada, this event will take place on October 30. Registration opens tomorrow.

 

Both of these lectures are part of the 20th anniversary of the Big Thinking lecture series on Parliament Hill. For the anniversary, the series has invited past lecturers to share their perspectives on how policy issues have - or have not - changed since their last talk, and what we can learn going forward.

SSHRC has revealed top finalists in three categories for its annual Impact Awards. The Awards recognize the highest achievements of outstanding researchers, students and research partners in SSH research, research training, knowledge mobilization and scholarship funded partially or completely by SSHRC. The winners in each category, as well as the Gold Medal recipient, will be announced on November 3, 2014.

The Trudeau Foundation has announced the three recipients of the 2014 Trudeau Fellowship: Myriam Denov (McGill University), Evan Fraser (University of Guelph) and Jason Edward Lewis (Concordia University). The fellowship goes out to academics and public intellectuals who have set themselves apart through research, creativity, and commitment to public affairs.

The Royal Society of Canada has announced that 17 Canadian scholars and researchers, representing fields as diverse as history and physics, have been recognized for their outstanding achievements. The winners will be celebrated during the Induction and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 22, 2014 at Fairmont Le Ch�teau Frontenac in Qu�bec City.

Transatlantic Science Week 2014 will be held in Toronto on October 26-29, and will focus on the Arctic. The event aims to bring together Canadian, American and Norwegian, stakeholders and build meaningful collaboration in research, innovation, and higher education. Specifically, the conference goal is to strengthen existing linkages between the research and education domains. Registration for this event is free.

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The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is a national, member-based organization that promotes the value of research and learning for a free and democratic society.

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