By Elizabeth Murphy
From Internet monopolies to trade agreements and criminal justice reform, the 2019 FPA Research Month, held Feb. 24 to Mar. 24, offers a plethora of thought-provoking research into the most pressing issues of our time. The sixth annual four-week research celebration from the Faculty of Public Affairs (FPA) will hold 20 events across 12 academic units and will offer an estimated 2,500 Carleton community attendees a fascinating series of lectures, panels, symposiums and workshops.
“We invite the community to join us as our faculty and students explore and engage with research on a broad range of societal issues,” says André Plourde, dean of FPA. “This is a month to celebrate faculty and student contributions to broadening knowledge and developing solutions to critical challenges in our society.”
The month kicks off on Feb. 25 with the Digital Governance Lecture Series, The Internet Trap: How the Digital Economy Builds Monopolies and Undermines Democracy, presented by Prof. Matthew Hindman of George Washington University.
Kesterton Lecture Features Award-Winning Journalist Tanya Talaga
On Feb. 26, the School of Journalism and Communication will host its 20th annual Kesterton Lecture featuring award-winning journalist and celebrated author, Tanya Talaga, as she presents Seeing/Saying: Journalism, Indigeneity and Hard Truths. Talaga will discuss the chasm between seeing and saying through her research into the tragic deaths of seven Indigenous students in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Laura Macdonald, professor in the Department of Political Science, will host the FPA Research Excellence Award Symposium: Trading on New Terms: Civil Society and North American Free Trade on Feb. 28. Activism by civil society groups has a prominent role in the history of free trade in North America.
“The NAFTA talks galvanized a wave of domestic and transnational activism across a diverse range of groups,” explains Macdonald. “It included labour unions, environmentalists, women, faith-based organizations and human rights activists . . . who challenged the trajectory of North American integration for over a decade.”
The symposium will bring together scholars and civil society organizations to discuss the effects of the new North American free trade agreement, the role of civil society organizations in trade negotiations and the impact of the Liberal government’s progressive trade agenda.
Student-Focused Conferences and Events
Several student-focused conferences and events are also scheduled throughout the month. From Mar. 4 to Mar. 5, the FPA Graduate Conference Emerging Perspectives will offer presentations from students, professional development opportunities and a keynote address by Carleton Chancellor Yaprak Baltacıoğlu, an FPA alumna. On Mar. 13, the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) research communication contest will feature fascinating work from Carleton graduate students in presentations of no more than three minutes.
Audiences will no doubt look forward to the 2019 Bell Lecture What Should Canadians Know—and What Can They Do—About Criminal and Justice Reforms During This Election Year? presented by Senator Kim Pate, former executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies. On Mar. 18, the Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs will host Pate, a renowned advocate for imprisoned Canadians, as she addresses the urgent challenges facing our criminal justice system in light of the upcoming federal election.
A full list of the many FPA month events, conferences, panels and presentations can be found online.
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 in Faculty of Public Affairs
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