International Conference - From Targeting in Academia to Promoting Trust and Understanding - June 2024

On June 27 - 28, 2024, ݮƵ hosted over 200 people from the University and beyond at Federation Hall for an international conference entitled, From Targeting in Academia to Promoting Trust and Understanding.

This interdisciplinary conference brought Canadian and international scholars together from a wide variety of fields to discuss experiences of how we engage in cooperative and valuable conversations in the academy, share tools or approaches that are working well, and cultivate critical thinking skills, openness, and freedom of expression.

The Conference wassupported by the Faculty of Arts, Office of Research, and Provost Office. Professor Suzan Ilcan, Special Advisor on Interdisciplinary Research, was the lead conference organizer.

Agenda

Day 1: June 27, 2024

8:00 - 8:55 a.m. REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST
9:00 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:15 - 10:20 a.m.

Keynote Address by Dr. Kalwant Bhopal,Professor, Education and Social Justice, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
10:25 - 11:45 a.m.

Panel 1. Intersectional Views: From Harming and Structural Discrimination to Building Solidarity and Resistance

Panel Chair: Daphne Winland (Anthropology, York University)

Curriculum violence, relationship denial, and resistanceby Yasmine Djerbal (Centre for Teaching and Learning, Queen’s University), Misty Underwood (Indigenous Youth Pathways Initiative, Queen’s University) and RebeccaSweetman (Educational Technologies at the Faculty of Arts and Science, Queen’s University)

Black scholars’ weak agency escalating the prevalence of discrimination in academia byNsama Jonathan Simuziya(PoliticalScience, University of Hradec Králové)

Witnessing and researching traumatic histories and histories of harmby Susan Roy (History, University of ݮƵ)

Building solidarity to challenge politically motivated assaults on critical thoughtbyHonor Brabazon (Sociology and Legal Studies, St. Jerome’s University), Marcia Oliver (Law and Society, Wilfrid Laurier University), and Rashmee Singh (Sociology and Legal Studies, University of ݮƵ)
11:50 a.m. - 12:55p.m. LUNCH
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Panel 2. From Antagonism in Academic, Social and Digital Environments to Fostering Constructive Discourses and Communities of Care

Panel Chair: Kristina Llewellyn(Professor, Social Development Studies and History, University of ݮƵ)

Scholar and student wellness while confronting violence and ignorance: Can we trust our institutions when we are targeted?by Luc S. Cousineau (Recreation and Leisure Studies, Dalhousie University), Amy Mack (Centre for Research on Extremism, University of Oslo) and Ryan Hopkins(Canadian Institute of Far-Right Studies)

Safe spaces for deep dialogue: Connecting small-scale with university-scale efforts at Brock UniversitybyJenniferHolzer (Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University), Julia Baird (Environmental Sustainability Research Centre and Geography, Brock University), and Hannah Marlen Lübker (Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University)

Social stigma and sexological research among social researchers in southeast Nigeria: Probing the shadow of social stigma in a value-free intellectual worldby Samuel O. Okafor(Department of Sociology, Anthropology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka), Onyedikachi Nnamchi (Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka), Samuel Kalu (Social Science Unit, School of General Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka), and Peace C. Adubi (Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka) [Virtual-Nigeria]

Pay for access: On the implications of limiting access to GPT’s data and design in the API economyby Lai-Tze Fan (Sociologyand Legal Studies, University of ݮƵ), TatumWeicker(Sociologyand Legal Studies, University of ݮƵ), Cecilia A.W. Martin (Sociology and Legal Studies, University of ݮƵ), AmandaYu (Systems Design Engineering, University of ݮƵ), and Jin Sol Kim (English, University of ݮƵ)

Unravelling the mindset behind school shootings: A qualitative analysis of manifestos from the Jokela and Umpqua tragediesby Karmvir Padda (Sociology and Legal Studies, University of ݮƵ)
2:35 - 3:50 p.m.

Panel 3. FosteringCritical Pedagogies during Times of Disinformation, Anti-Science Rhetoric, and Global Conflict

Panel Chair: Marcia Oliver (Law and Society, Wilfrid Laurier University)

Reflections on the meaning of/threats to the notion of “academic space”by Daphne Naomi Winland (Anthropology, York University)

Teaching human rights in the context of global conflictbyAndrew Thompson (History and Political Science, Balsillie School of International Affairs)

Teaching evolution and climate change in an increasingly anti-science worldbyKirsten M. Müller (Biology, University of ݮƵ) and Jonathan Witt (Biology, University of ݮƵ)

The challenges of information communication across disciplines, contexts, and worldviewsbyKate Mercer (Systems Design Engineering, University of ݮƵ) and Kari D. Weaver (Learning, Teaching, and Instructional Design, University of ݮƵ)
3:55 - 4:10 p.m.

BREAK
4:15 - 5:45 p.m.

Concurrent Panel 4. PromotingSafety, Inclusivity, and Resilience: Creating Cultures of Trust and Spaces of Dialogue

Panel Chair: Lana Gonzalez Balyk (Global Governance, Balsillie School of International Affairs)

Gender studies responses to anti-gender violence and feminist engagements with community-based safetybyCorinne L. Mason (Women’s and Gender Studies, Mount Royal University) and Claire Carter (Gender, Religion and Critical Studies, University of Regina)

Designing and implementing a tripartite policy model aimed at cultivating a sense of open dialogue and promoting a sense of safety among marginalized and underrepresented groups across higher education institutionsbyMunir Moosa Sewani (Education and Global Human Rights, Sindh Madressatul Islam University)

Reflections on over a decade of academic leadership: Promoting kindness in higher educationbyDouglas Gosse (Education, Nipissing University)

Punctuated ethos: Addressing trust, credibility and expertise in times of crisisbyCarolyn Eckert (English, University of ݮƵ)
4:15 - 5:45 p.m.

Concurrent Panel 5. Setting the Stage for Brave, Co-creative, and Effective Dialogues

Panel Chair: Neela Hassan (Sociology and Legal Studies, University of ݮƵ)

Creating brave spaces: Ways to address microaggressions and antagonistic speechbyChristine L. Cho (Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University) andJulie K. Corkett (Schulich School of Education, Nipissing University)

Forming a common platform for discussions and creating inclusive mindsets in students byMayoorey Murugathasan(Biology, York University)

Revealing our unconscious complicity in rape culture and earning trust through collaboration: The making of unconscious curriculum at the University of ݮƵbyAndy Houston (Co-collaborator and co-founder of WOOMcollaborative; Theatre and Performance, University of ݮƵ)andBrooke Barnes (co-collaborator and co-founder of WOOMcollaborative)

Strategies for cultivating an open and safe communication culture in universitiesbySura Ali (Biology, University of ݮƵ)

Integrating multimodal argumentation and emotional resonance in academic discourse: A defence against targeted attacksbyLoris Isabettini (Philosophy, University of Windsor)
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Hosted dinner for conference presenters and coordinating team members

Location: PROOF Restaurant (Delta Hotel)

Day 2: June 28, 2024

8:00 - 8:55 a.m. BREAKFAST
9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks
9:05- 10:10 a.m.

Keynote Address by Dr. Richard Moon, Distinguished University Professor, Law Professor, University of Windsor, Canada
10:15 - 11:45 a.m.

Panel 6. From Self-limiting and Regulatory Practices to Questions of Academic Freedom and Building Understanding

Panel Chair: Andrew Thompson (History and Political Science, Balsillie School of International Affairs)

Academic freedom in theory and practice: The political economy of self-censorshipbyDax D’Orazio (Political Studies, Queen’s University)

Mapping out university’s student codes of conduct and the social organization of student political advocacy workbyElizabeth Brulé(Gender Studies, Queen’s University)

Soft targets: Self-limiting intellectual thought in UK universitiesbyMartin Myers (School of Education, University of Nottingham)

Ethical dilemmas of conducting research among precarious status migrants: research ethics boards and beyond byErika Borrelli (Sociology and Criminology, University of Windsor) and Tanya Basok (Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Windsor)
11:50 a.m. - 12:45p.m. LUNCH
1:00 - 1:45 p.m.

Campus-wide Event

Stand Together: Acknowledging the anniversary of the Hagey Hall attack
2:00- 3:15 p.m.

Panel 7. From Hate Speech and Human Rights Violations to Free Speech and Academic Freedom

Panel Chair: Marcia Oliver (Law and Society, Wilfrid Laurier University)

Academic freedom as an institutional rightbyJeff Noonan (Philosophy, University of Windsor)

A controversial triangle: Hate speech, freedom of expression, and academic freedombyAlev Özeroğlu(Comparative Criminal Law,Özyeğin University) [Virtual-Turkey]

Hate speech on trialbyHouman Mehrabian (English, University Canada West)

Restoring trust and fostering a culture of understanding in academiabyTawsif Dowla (Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of ݮƵ)
3:20- 3:35p.m.

BREAK
3:40- 5:00p.m.

Panel 8: From Politics and Academic Freedom to Building Workplace Democracy and Deeper Coalitions

Panel Chair: Rashmee Singh (Sociology and Legal Studies, University of ݮƵ)

Constitutional quandaries: Examining the interplay of academic freedom and freedom of expression in Canadian universities byMichael Asres(Socio-Legal Studies, York University)

Academic freedom and workplace democracybyMichael Arfken(Psychology, University of Prince Edward Island)

Navigating intergroup mistrust as an equity scholar-practitioner and senior leaderbyArig al Shaibah(Educational Studies, University of British Columbia)

Academics for peace in Turkey: Resilience, solidarity, and resistance under authoritarian neoliberalism byPınar Ensari(Sociology, Koç University)

Solidarity as method: Building stronger research coalitions to counter antagonismbyShana MacDonald(Communications Arts, University of ݮƵ)
5:05p.m.

Closing Remarks