Ryan Saxby Hill
Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

This is a big week for the Federation. It all started with the Federation's executive committee last night, continues with a meeting of the board of directors today and culminates in our first annual conference over the weekend. The Federation's board will be dealing with all of the administrative issues needed to keep a national, relevant non-profit organzation running, and then will join our General Assembly and members of the public in a discussion on the health and vitality of the humanities on Saturday.

There are a few ways that you can get involved with us this weekend. Firstly, if you...

The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences was invited to testify copyright committe today on Parliament Hill. Jay Rahn, the Chair of the Federation's Taskforce on Copyright provided insight into how the bill could effect Canadian researchers and scholars. In summary, the Federation is suggesting two main shifts in the bill:

• The phrase "such as" or "including, but not limited to" should be added in the list of fair dealing excpetions to make it suggestive rather ahn exhaustive
• The language concerning technological protection measures (TPMs) should be amended so it is not an offence to circumvent a TPM for actions that are otherwise non-infringing

The Federation is supportive of copyright reform and is working hard to ensure that the final form of bill C-32 reflects the reality of research, teaching and learning in the digital age. You can find a copy of Jay's testimony to the committee...

What is the role of social scientists and humanists within the broader context of research, development and innovation? The Federation outlined the centrality of these disciplines in the recent submission to the Expert Panel for the Review of Federal Support to Research and Development. The panel, tasked with examining federal support to business R&D, put out a call for submissions in early January. Shortly thereafter, the Federation created a Blue Ribbon Panel of distinguished scholars from across Canada. The Federation's panel answered the questions posed by the federal expert panel, setting out the importance of research that explores the ways we learn about innovation, change and the application of new knowledge. Going beyond the latest technological advances and scientific discoveries, R&D must include forays into human systems and the impact of new technologies on citizens,...

Yesterday's Globe and Mail contained an op-ed by David Naylor (President, University of Toronto) and Stephen Toope (President, University of British Columbia). Outlining seven "innovation nostrums," they argue that Canada's productivity gap can't be fixed by quick solutions. Rather, creating a national culture of innovation requires sustained investments and thorough planning. They highlight the role the social sciences and humanities can play, articulating how graduates from all disciplines can foster creativity and innovation.

In a letter sent to the editor, CFHSS President Noreen Golfman concurs with their conclusions:

It is refreshing to see our senior academic leaders challenging tired mantras. University of Toronto President David Naylor and University of British Columbia President Stephen Toope (Don’t swallow...