Congress 2016

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About the University of Calgary
Congress 2016 theme
Academic Convenor
Associations
Events
Videos
Media releases
Sponsors
Exhibitors

Congress 2016 was hosted by the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta. The theme was “Energizing communities.”

Click here to read about the many highlights from Congress 2016!

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the University of Calgary is making tremendous progress on its journey to become one of Canada's top five research universities, where research and innovative teaching go hand in hand, and where we fully engage the communities we both serve and lead. This strategy is called Eyes High.

As a comprehensive academic and research institution, the University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. Through the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, which opened April 18, 2016, the university will take the lead in educational innovation by researching the most effective methods for engaging students, by supporting faculty to be the best teachers they can be and by providing some of the most innovative learning spaces available anywhere in North America.

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Theme: Energizing communities

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the University of Calgary, the Congress 2016 theme “Energizing communities” reflects the university’s commitment to community engagement at local, regional, national and transnational levels. This commitment is rooted in the belief that knowledge and understanding are created through associations of shared values, grounded in respect for difference and diversity among all peoples, from First Nations to new Canadians.

Universities serve not only their educational communities, but also those that support and drive fundamental questions beyond academia. As part of the host university’s leadership in connectivity, Congress 2016 will be a stimulating forum for scholarly engagement and will energize relationships across communities, leading to new connections, engagements and ultimately new ways of thinking.

Ranked the fifth most livable city in the world by The Economist in 2014, Calgary is the centre of Canada’s energy economy. A city dedicated to sustainability, Calgary has the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America, as well as its second busiest light rail system. Calgarians enjoy easy access to vast areas of protected nature reserves—local, provincial and federal—and to world-class art, architecture and cultural events.

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A message from the Academic Convenor

Bart Beaty As the Academic Convenor of Congress 2016, I am pleased to invite you to join with the University of Calgary as we celebrate our fiftieth anniversary. With “Energizing Communities” as the theme of this year’s Congress we hope to inspire attendees to consider the myriad ways that research in the social sciences and the humanities serves as a spur for social innovation locally, nationally and internationally. We hope that you will avail yourselves of the many cultural activities taking place across campus, around the city, and across the region during Congress. We are planning an event that will celebrate all that we have accomplished in our first five decades, while also keeping our eyes on new scholarly horizons. We look forward to seeing you here in Calgary!

--Bart Beaty

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Associations

The following associations participated in Congress 2016:

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Events

Download the Congress Guide (PDF) for a listing of events that were open to all attendees.

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Videos

Big Thinking

The Big Thinking lecture series is held throughout Congress and is open to all attendees and members of the public. This series brings together leading scholars and public figures who present forward-thinking research, ideas and solutions to the critical questions and issues of our time. The 2016 Big Thinking lecture series was organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences and the University of Calgary.

	The power to change: Leadership, community and resiliency His Worship Naheed Nenshi Mayor, City of Calgary, Alberta Saturday, May 28, 2016 Watch the video
	This changes everything: Capitalism vs. the climate Naomi Klein Award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and New York Times bestselling author Sunday, May 29, 2016 Watch the video
	The rule of law in a multicultural society The Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin P.C., Chief Justice of Canada Monday, May 30, 2016 Watch the video @Photo copyright held by SCC; credit Roy Grogan
	Losing the thread of the conversation: Covering Canadian politics in the social media era Chantal Hébert Journalist, Toronto Star Tuesday, May 31, 2016 Watch the video -- In French
	Big Thinking and rethinking: Blackfoot metaphysics 'waiting in the wings' Leroy Little Bear Educator, academic, author, former chair of the Native American Studies Department, University of Lethbridge, and founding Director of Harvard University’s Native American Program Wednesday, June 1, 2016 Watch the video
	Navigating the global food fight: Trade, food security and the battle for policy space Jennifer Clapp Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability; Professor, Environment and Resource Studies Department, University of Waterloo, and Trudeau Fellow Thursday, June 2, 2016 Watch the video