I’ve been present at every Congress for the past 23 years, without fail. I’ve seen first-hand the tremendous impact it has when it comes to building research networks, making personal connections, and disseminating research. I’ve also seen the benefits for students: professionalization, community building, and experiential learning.
For those who may not be familiar with it, Congress is Canada’s largest academic gathering, and one of the largest in the world. Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, it brings together approximately 70 academic associations that represent a rich spectrum of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including literature, history, theatre, film studies, education, music, sociology, geography, political science and many others.
Since 2016, a number of my fellow University of Alberta colleagues and I have been attending Congress with the following thought in mind: what would Congress at the U of A look like? Today we were able to share a glimpse of what that might be, because in 2021, Congress will be coming to the University of Alberta.
Planning for Congress 2021 has been years in the making, first starting with our successful bid back in 2016. Running from May 29 to June 4, 2021, our theme Northern Relations will encourage delegates to explore the connections between peoples, their land, communities, cultures, and ways of knowing, while also listening to those voices that speak directly to some of the most pressing issues in the North: reconciliation, governance, social justice, climate change, reciprocity, language, education and much more.
Congress 2021 is a chance for the University of Alberta to showcase its best. And by that I mean our incredible research success, our talented people, our world class learning environment, the hospitality of our campus, and the beauty and vitality of the City of Edmonton.
It’s also a time for our campus community to make connections not only with our partners in the North and across the country, but also with our neighbours: Indigenous communities, civic leaders, public and private enterprises of all sorts. The University of Alberta will be able to work alongside so many groups in anticipation of hosting a brilliant audience of 8,000 guests.
This is an opportunity to give something back to the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, and as the Convenor of Congress 2021, I’m really looking forward to experiencing the excitement and advantage of Congress with my colleagues here at the University of Alberta.
I’ll be sharing more information about the scholarly, creative, and social programming developed by more than seventy associations, in addition to the university’s own feature events, Career Corner, the Federation’s Big Thinking series, the Expo and Social Zone, as the event draws closer. But for now, I’d like to invite you to save the date. My message to you is simple: Come join us! We’ll be looking for hundreds of volunteers, short term employees, and an engaged campus community ready to take part in all the activities.
