SSHRC launches Imagining Canada's Future

I was very pleased to attend the launch event last Thursday of SSHRC's Imagining Canada's Future. This initiative is SSHRC's bold move at defining the future challenge areas that humanities and social science researchers have determined are the most pressing for the country. As SSHRC President Chad Gaffield has opined, the future is about people, and a people-centred innovation approach is essential for Canada to compete globally.

Here, from SSHRC's website, are the six future challenge areas:

• What new ways of learning, particularly in higher education, will Canadians need to thrive in an evolving society and labour market?
• What effects will the quest for energy and natural resources have on our society and our position on the world stage?
• How are the experiences and aspirations of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada essential to building a successful shared future?
• What might the implications of global peak population be for Canada?
• How can emerging technologies be leveraged to benefit Canadians?
• What knowledge will Canada need to thrive in an interconnected, evolving global landscape?

Each future challenge area question has sub-questions that will help propel Canadian humanities and social science research well into the 21st century.  As a member of the SSHRC Programs and Quality Committee, I am extremely proud to have been a part of the process of developing this forward looking, provocative, and important work.

SSHRC has produced an excellent video on the Future challenge areas - check it out here.