FEDERATION FOR THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
National Humanities and Social Sciences Conference, Big Thinking Summit, Gets Underway in Edmonton June 9-11

Hundreds of humanities and social science enthusiasts from across the country will convene in Edmonton next week to discuss the critical conversations of our time.

The event, the Big Thinking Summit: Inflection Point - a national academic gathering focused on the humanities and social sciences (HSS) - will unveil more than 160 studies and presentations from experts nationally, showcasing how HSS research and practice drive change across disciplines, sectors, and communities, and generate real-world action.

Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Big Thinking Summit: Inflection Point brings together scholars, policymakers, community leaders, and institutional partners to examine the urgent questions shaping Canada's future. Featuring keynote conversations, research presentations, evidence-focused sessions, and networking events, it is designed to advance the role of HSS knowledge in public life.

"We are living in a time when many of Canada's most pressing questions are, at their core, human questions," said Karine Morin, President and CEO of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, organizers of the event. "The Big Thinking Summit brings such questions into a shared space, where humanities and social sciences research can sharpen public understanding and help inform the choices ahead."

WHAT:

Big Thinking Summit: Inflection Point: A national conference on the critical conversations of our time

WHEN:                       

June 9 - 11, 2026

WHERE:                    

Edmonton Convention Centre, 9797 Jasper Avenue NW

PRESENTED BY:     

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, with sponsorship support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, University of Alberta, University Affairs, Alberta Post Secondary Network, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Sage Journals, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Universities Canada and Athabasca University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

KEYNOTE SESSIONS:

To better confront its challenges, what could Canada learn from its minority francophone communities? (June 9, 2:00 p.m. MDT)

Dr. Peter Dorrington, Vice-Rector of Teaching and Research at Université de Saint-Boniface and Board Member of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, will lead this round table discussion on how Canada's francophone minority is renewing itself. A group of participating francophone professors and dynamic young community leaders will demonstrate how, contrary to misconceptions Quebec and anglophone Canada might have, the Canadian francophonie is not fading away.

On the Power of Storytelling (June 9, 4:30 p.m. MDT)

This keynote address by award-winning journalist and author Tanya Talaga will explore the power of storytelling to deepen public understanding and confront injustice. Talaga, a proud member of Fort William First Nation, part of the Robinson-Superior Treaty, is an acclaimed storyteller and the first Anishinaabe woman to deliver the CBC Massey Lectures.

Democratic Resilience (June 10, 10:30 a.m. MDT)

A panel discussion about how scholars can more effectively contribute to a more robust democracy through generating policy ideas and a deeper understanding of the processes that shape how voters and governments engage.

Panelists: Shari Graydon, an award-winning author, speaker, and catalyst behind Informed Opinions, a non-profit initiative that amplifies the voices of women and gender-diverse people; Michael Wernick, author of Governing Canada: A Guide to the Tradecraft of Politics; and Dr. Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey, a McGill University associate professor, historian, humanitarian, and social entrepreneur.

Inclusive AI futures (June 11, 10:30 a.m. MDT)

This panel will explore the social, ethical, and governance implications of AI and how to ensure more just and inclusive technological futures. The panelists will argue that while AI may be widely available today, it's far from equitable, inheriting the biases, values, and histories of the small group of people who built it.

Panelists: Dr. Kem-Laurin Lubin, a researcher in computational rhetoric and AI governance at the University of Waterloo; Bobbie Racette, a queer Cree-Métis entrepreneur, speaker, advocate, and ecosystem leader focused on creating opportunity for underserved founders; and Dr. Geoffrey Martin Rockwell, a professor of philosophy and digital humanities at the University of Alberta and a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) AI Chair.

Moderator: Dr. Jerome Cranston, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan whose work focuses on systemic racism, racial inequality, and equity in education.

Visit www.federationhss.ca/big-thinking-summit-2026 to register and access the program of events.