FEDERATION FOR THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
University of Regina welcomes Canada's largest academic conference

For the first time, Canada's largest annual gathering of academics will take place in the Queen City. The University of Regina will host 5,000 distinguished academics, policy-makers, researchers, and practitioners at the 87th Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences from May 26 to June 1.

Nearly 70 academic associations will be represented at Congress 2018, and approximately 4,000 research presentations in the humanities and social sciences will be delivered.

"As our nation positions itself as a global innovation leader, a platform to showcase research in the humanities and social sciences is more important than ever," says University of Regina President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Vianne Timmons. "The University of Regina is honoured to host Canada's thought leaders as they address some of our world's most pressing public policy issues including reconciliation, gender equity, diversity, social justice, politics, and immigration."

Unique to Congress 2018 is the first all-female line-up of speakers for the Big Thinking lecture series. Attendees will hear from inspiring thinkers, including Melina Laboucan-Massimo on Indigenous women and climate change, Margaret MacMillan on the history of war, Marie Wilson on diversity and reconciliation, and Alaa Murabit on leadership and sustainable peace building. The Big Thinking schedule is available at: https://www.congress2018.ca/program/big-thinking. Big Thinking is free and open to the public.

"Congress brings thousands of scholars together to share their best ideas and we are absolutely thrilled to be in Regina this year," said Gabriel Miller, Executive Director of the Federation of the Humanities and Social Sciences. "What happens at Congress over the next seven days will help people from across the country to go home and teach the skills and new ways of thinking Canada needs to thrive in a complex world." 

The theme for Congress 2018, "Gathering diversities," honours the history of the area as a traditional gathering place of the Nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda nations, and the Métis. It celebrates the region's heritage as rich buffalo hunting grounds for a multitude of Plains cultures. Today, the symbol of the buffalo signifies the rise of education as a new buffalo and the way forward for Canada and its diverse citizenry.

More about the rich cultural and community-based programming planned can be found at: https://www.congress2018.ca/program/university.