Philosophy / en U of T legal scholar honoured for contributions to legal philosophy, defending rule of law /news/u-t-legal-scholar-honoured-contributions-legal-philosophy-defending-rule-law <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T legal scholar honoured for contributions to legal philosophy, defending rule of law</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/PXL_20231114_180514584.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2%20%281%29.jpg?h=a2dd9625&amp;itok=Dzi2nvoq 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-11/PXL_20231114_180514584.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2%20%281%29.jpg?h=a2dd9625&amp;itok=lplHexKu 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-11/PXL_20231114_180514584.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2%20%281%29.jpg?h=a2dd9625&amp;itok=0qqtAC9M 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-11/PXL_20231114_180514584.PORTRAIT.ORIGINAL~2%20%281%29.jpg?h=a2dd9625&amp;itok=Dzi2nvoq" alt="David Dyzenhaus outside the Jackman Law Building"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-11-23T14:45:18-05:00" title="Thursday, November 23, 2023 - 14:45" class="datetime">Thu, 11/23/2023 - 14:45</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>David Dyzenhaus researches the idea of legality in philosophy of law and political thought, constitutionalism, and the modern legal state (photo by Nina Haikara)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/nina-haikara" hreflang="en">Nina Haikara</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sshrc" hreflang="en">SSHRC</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">University Professor David Dyzenhaus was awarded a Gold Medal by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>David Dyzenhaus</strong>’s scholarly interests were shaped during his legal studies at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, at a time when South Africa’s apartheid regime held total sway.</p> <p>“I thought there must be more to law than what a government with a total grip on power enacted, as lawyers were able to find legal resources to resist oppression and discrimination despite the fact that there was no written constitution,” says Dyzenhaus, a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/complete-list-university-professors/">University Professor</a> at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science's department of philosophy.</p> <p>“Lawyers… found legal resources despite all of this to resist what was being visited on the majority of South Africans by law. That made administrative law – a seemingly boring subject – very interesting.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_250_width_/public/2023-11/DavidDyzenhaus.jpg?itok=PUSG2Fcs" width="250" height="251" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-250-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>David Dyzenhaus (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>That feature of legal order led to a career-long fascination with the rule of law and administrative law, the substantive area of law he teaches.</p> <p>Dyzenhaus’s exceptional contributions to his field were recognized with a <a href="https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/impact_awards-prix_impacts-eng.aspx#gold-or">Gold Medal from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)</a>. The medal is the council’s highest honour and is awarded to an individual whose leadership, dedication and originality of thought have inspired students and colleagues.</p> <p>“David is a renowned scholar and teacher, celebrated by peers and students alike,” said University Professor <strong>Jutta Brunnée</strong>, dean of the Faculty of Law. “It signals a lifetime of academic achievement and extraordinary expertise to receive this very special prize from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.”</p> <p>A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and corresponding fellow of the British Academy, Dyzenhaus researches the idea of legality in philosophy of law and political thought, constitutionalism, and the modern legal state.</p> <p>In the department of philosophy, he teaches an introductory course on the philosophy of law as well as undergraduate and graduate courses on political and legal philosophy. He also taught a first-year humanities seminar titled “Trump, the rule of law, and the rise of illiberal democracy”.</p> <p>“Throughout his career, David has produced a body of work of unusual depth and importance.” said Professor <strong>Martin Pickavé</strong>, chair of the department of philosophy. “It is wonderful to see his rich research now recognized with one of the country’s most important national awards.”</p> <p>For Dyzenhaus, who holds the Albert Abel Chair of Law, teaching and research go hand in hand. “I can't do research without talking to students about it, and I can't teach without it engaging directly with my interests,” he said.</p> <p>He says questions in legal philosophy are often posed in an abstract way: What is law? What is legal order? But Dyzenhaus says many countries have “this thing simply known as ‘law’ and the issue for philosophy of law is to try to find an account of the nature of that thing.</p> <p>“When it comes to the more difficult question – what is the rule of law – the simple answer is that one has the rule of law when the state acts in accordance with law,” he says. “So if the state enacts law, and then its officials abide by the law they implement, the real question becomes whether if, in so doing, officials do something that's morally worthwhile.”</p> <p>This spring, Dyzenhaus will take his expertise to the London, U.K.-based <a href="https://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/jd-program/student-exchange-programs/centre-transnational-legal-studies">Centre for Transnational Legal Studies</a> – a joint venture between U of T’s Faculty of Law and 20 other premier law schools – where he will teach courses on the philosophy of judicial review and the politics of legal space. The latter course, which Dyzenhaus will co-teach with his former student <strong>Kirsten Rundle</strong>, a professor at Melbourne University’s law school, will examine the dilemmas human rights lawyers face and how these are shaped by the legal spaces in which they operate.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Such lawyers know that when they're using legal resources to struggle against legalized oppression, they're not going to be able to overturn an oppressive regime and might actually help to legitimate it,” says Dyzenhaus.</p> <p>His next research project will examine the social basis for law through the lens of social theory and sociology, and explore how individuals participate in society’s constitutional foundation.</p> <p>"It’s not what people do in their daily lives, but what happens when they engage a lawyer, and through that lawyer, participate in the legal order,” Dyzenhaus said.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 23 Nov 2023 19:45:18 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 304621 at U of T and France’s national research institution partner on joint research centre /news/u-t-and-france-s-national-research-institution-partner-joint-research-centre <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T and France’s national research institution partner on joint research centre</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/Denis-marc_0.jpeg?h=8bef507a&amp;itok=3Pbh3Pn- 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/Denis-marc_0.jpeg?h=8bef507a&amp;itok=gxoMZfjA 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/Denis-marc_0.jpeg?h=8bef507a&amp;itok=SfzoMOvD 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/Denis-marc_0.jpeg?h=8bef507a&amp;itok=3Pbh3Pn-" alt="Denis Walsh and Marc Johnson"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2023-04-24T09:58:00-04:00" title="Monday, April 24, 2023 - 09:58" class="datetime">Mon, 04/24/2023 - 09:58</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Denis Walsh and Marc Johnson are among the U of T researchers working on joint projects with French researchers through a collaboration with France’s Centre national de la recherche scientifique (supplied images)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tabassum-siddiqui" hreflang="en">Tabassum Siddiqui</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/france" hreflang="en">France</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto and France’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/en">Centre national de la recherche scientifique</a>&nbsp;(CNRS) are developing a joint CNRS International Research Centre (IRC) – expanding a seven-year-old partnership that allows researchers to work across continents and a wide range of fields.</p> <p>When created, the new centre will operate as a hub for U of T-CNRS collaborations, bring in new resources for global collaborations, offer opportunities for network-building and provide strategic guidance for growing projects.</p> <p>U of T President&nbsp;<b>Meric Gertler</b>&nbsp;and Jean-Luc Moullet, CNRS deputy CEO for innovation (signing on behalf of Antoine Petit, CEO and chairman of CNRS), will meet at U of T this week to sign a letter of intent during a visit by Sylvie Retailleau, France’s minister of higher education and research.</p> <p>“CNRS is one of the world’s leading research institutions – they represent and support so many different areas of research and science, and that breadth and depth has been critical to our partnership,” said&nbsp;<b>Alex Mihailidis</b>, associate vice-president for international partnerships.</p> <p>“This IRC will expand that collaboration to further develop existing and promote new areas of research and deepen collaborations between our two countries.”</p> <p>For more than 80 years, CNRS – one of the most renowned public research institutions in the world – has been nurturing interdisciplinary research projects in France, Europe and internationally. Encompassing over 33,000 researchers and more than 1,000 laboratories in partnership with universities and other higher education institutions, CNRS brings together more than 120,00 employees and 200 professions that advance knowledge by exploring the living world, matter, the universe and the functioning of human societies.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/MOU-renewa-cropl_0.jpeg" width="1140" height="760" alt="Antoine Petite, CEO of CNRS, and U of T President Meric Gertler "> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Antoine Petite, CEO of CNRS, and U of T President Meric Gertler renewed an MOU in April of 2022 (supplied image)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>“The CNRS and U of T strategic partnership aims to tackle global challenges of the 21st century. We are thrilled to work together in order to create an international research centre,” said Alain Schuhl, deputy CEO for science at CNRS. “It will further enhance the scientific co-operation by catalyzing new innovative collaborations between researchers and fostering interdisciplinary research to address social challenges.”</p> <p>The existing partnership between U of T and CNRS was first established in 2016, and has resulted in 30 jointly funded PhD student exchanges, 11 joint research projects and a&nbsp;<a href="https://global.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/UofT-CNRS_Twin-Research-Scholars-Call-for-Proposals.pdf">Twin Research Scholars</a>&nbsp;program to date.</p> <p><a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/biology/people/marc-johnson"><b>Marc Johnson</b></a>, a professor of biology at U of T Mississauga and director of the Centre for Urban Environments, has been working on a joint project with CNRS since 2019 that studies adaptation in white clover – a plant species native to Europe but invasive in North America – in four garden sites in Canada, the U.S., France and Sweden.</p> <p>“To do this type of work, you need to do it at a large scale – you need to be able to work across continents,” Johnson said. “And this collaboration with CNRS has made all of this possible – we would not have been able to do it without them.”</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/Lucas-Albano-crop_0.jpeg" width="250" height="243" alt="Lucas Albano"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Lucas Albano</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>As part of the project,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/biology/people/lucas-albano"><b>Lucas Albano</b></a>, a PhD student in Johnson’s lab, travelled to Montpellier, France, last year to work with CNRS researchers Cyrille Violle and François Vasseur of the Centre D'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, who are experts in the functional ecology of plants.</p> <p>Albano called the experience “very rewarding,” noting that it came on the heels of nearly three years of remote collaboration due to the pandemic.</p> <p><a href="https://philosophy.utoronto.ca/directory/denis-walsh/"><b>Denis Walsh</b></a>, a professor in the department of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science who focuses on biology, has also been working on a successful research collaboration with CNRS colleagues. Focused on the notion of biological agency, the project involved Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne PhD student Louis Virenque travelling to Toronto and U of T PhD student&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ihpst.utoronto.ca/people/directories/graduate-students/auguste-nahas"><b>Auguste Nahas</b></a>&nbsp;visiting Paris.</p> <p>“It’s been absolutely indispensable to [Nahas’s] research – he has spent quite a bit of time in Paris and there’s a tradition in France of studying the philosophy of science historically,” Walsh said. “So, spending time there exposes him to this really distinctive, very vibrant and productive way of doing the philosophy of science.”</p> <p>The expansion of the partnership between U of T and CNRS will help to grow the scope of future collaborations within more fields of study, Walsh adds.</p> <p>“When meeting with CNRS recipients a while ago, there was fantastic enthusiasm from everybody about the richness of these interactions. So, it’s generally understood that this is a really unique kind of project where we draw connections across cultures, and there are many disciplines that could benefit from this kind of partnership.”</p> <p>The deepening of ties between U of T and CNRS comes as Retailleau visits Ottawa on April 24 to meet with François-Philippe Champagne, the federal minister of innovation, science and industry, to revive the France-Canada Joint Committee on Science and Technology. In each of the next three years, the committee will be identifying areas of bilateral strategic importance to fund joint calls for proposals.</p> <p>“This type of partnership is essential for creating the next generation of leaders – these are the people that are going to be leading science and policy and our economy for decades, and we need to invest in them properly,” Johnson said.</p> <p>“The first round of the CNRS investment showed the benefits of trying to increase the mobility of PhD students – and if we double down on that, I think both of our institutions can become leaders in the innovation economy.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 24 Apr 2023 13:58:00 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301411 at U of T President Meric Gertler calls for cross-sector collaboration at Climate Economy Summit /news/u-t-president-meric-gertler-calls-cross-sector-collaboration-climate-economy-summit <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T President Meric Gertler calls for cross-sector collaboration at Climate Economy Summit</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT90249_2022-11-24-TRBOT-Climate-Summit-%2810%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kq9GunkG 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/UofT90249_2022-11-24-TRBOT-Climate-Summit-%2810%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=YcgaEXVB 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/UofT90249_2022-11-24-TRBOT-Climate-Summit-%2810%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=4WgRa_jn 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/UofT90249_2022-11-24-TRBOT-Climate-Summit-%2810%29-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=kq9GunkG" alt="Meric Gertler at the podium at the Toronto Region Board of Trade Climate Summit in Toronto"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-12-01T14:00:08-05:00" title="Thursday, December 1, 2022 - 14:00" class="datetime">Thu, 12/01/2022 - 14:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">U of T President Meric Gertler delivers remarks at the&nbsp;Climate Economy Summit, which was co-hosted by the university’s Climate Positive Energy initiative and the Toronto Region Board of Trade (photo by Johnny Guatto)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/adina-bresge" hreflang="en">Adina Bresge</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-positive-campus" hreflang="en">Climate Positive Campus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-positive-energy" hreflang="en">Climate Positive Energy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geoexchange" hreflang="en">Geoexchange</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-change" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">Partnerships between the public and private sectors are crucial to help the Toronto region capitalize on its strong cluster of clean energy companies, University of Toronto President <b>Meric Gertler </b>says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">He issued the call for collaboration at the recent <a href="https://bot.com/Events/climate-summit">Climate Economy Summit</a>, co-hosted by U of T’s <a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/">Climate Positive Energy initiative</a> and the Toronto Region Board of Trade, which brought together business leaders and experts to discuss the challenges – and opportunities – of investing in a sustainable future.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Home to Canada’s largest cluster of clean-tech firms, the Toronto region is positioned to become a leading centre of sustainable growth, President Gertler said in his opening remarks.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">But it will take a concerted effort to unlock this potential, he said, urging governments, public institutions, not-for-profits and private firms to work together to find homegrown solutions to the global climate crisis.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“U of T and its partners are collaborating to move the needle quickly,” said President Gertler.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“In the face of barriers to progress at the international level, it's important to be reminded that progress at home is possible.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">For example, the university is set to receive <a href="/news/u-t-partners-canada-infrastructure-bank-boost-climate-positive-efforts">$56 million in&nbsp;financing from the Canadian Infrastructure Bank</a> (CIB) to <a href="https://climatepositive.utoronto.ca/">advance the university’s plan</a> to reduce more emissions than it emits on the St. George campus by 2050. The plan, which includes building <a href="/news/he-d-be-thrilled-see-u-t-s-massive-geoexchange-project-built-pioneering-work-late-prof">Canada’s largest urban geoexchange system</a> under King’s College Circle, is just one of the ways the university prioritizes sustainability initiatives across its three campuses, with ongoing initiatives at <a href="http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/green/home/sustainability-strategic-plan">U of T Mississauga</a> and <a href="http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/sustainability/people-planet-prosperity">U of T Scarborough</a>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In particular, the CIB partnership will support sustainable infrastructure initiatives under Project LEAP, including deep energy retrofits for university buildings and labs, and the installation of energy-storage solutions.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">U of T – recently <a href="/news/u-t-ranked-2nd-world-first-ever-qs-sustainability-ranking">ranked second in the world in the inaugural QS Sustainability Ranking</a> – has leveraged this federal financing to secure an additional $70 million in loans from the private sector on very attractive terms, said President Gertler.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">He said these investments will accelerate the university’s progress towards <a href="https://www.fs.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2019-10-04_LowCarbonActionPlan_V22_Spread_Web.pdf">its climate targets</a> by a decade, with emissions projected to drop by nearly 60 per cent before 2030.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Moreover, he said, U of T will continue to tap into the expertise of its researchers at the Climate Positive Energy Initiative, launched earlier this year. The <a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/#:~:text=The%20Institutional%20Strategic%20Initiatives%20portfolio,industry%2C%20community%20and%20philanthropic%20partners.">institutional strategic initiative</a> brings together researchers from across disciplines to devise clean-energy solutions that are guided by political, human and societal considerations.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Their work could help Canada address competitive pressures that are emerging and being closely watched by the federal government. This month, the Standing Committee on International Trade is studying how the <i>U.S. Inflation Reduction Act</i>, which invests US$369 billion in supporting clean energy, will impact the development of Canada’s clean-tech industry.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Some of the faculty members involved in the Climate Positive Energy initiative shared their insights at the summit, including academic lead <b>David Sinton</b>, a professor of mechanical engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering and Canada Research Chair in microfluidics and energy.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Among the other U of T speakers at the summit were: <b>Ali Hooshyar</b>, an assistant professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering and Canada Research Chair in electric power systems; and <b>Shoshanna Saxe</b>, an associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Infrastructure.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Hooshyar is leading a proposed $20-million grid modernization testing and simulation centre. The proposed centre would be the first of its kind in Canada, convening stakeholders in the electricity sector to accelerate the integration of renewable energy solutions, energy storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure into the grid.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img alt="General view of the conference participants" src="/sites/default/files/UofT90251_2022-11-24-TRBOT-Climate-Summit-%2812%29-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><em>The&nbsp;Climate Economy Summit&nbsp;brought together business leaders and experts to discuss the challenges – and opportunities – of investing in a sustainable future&nbsp;(photo by Johnny Guatto)</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Saxe, for her part, told a panel that the goal of retrofitting buildings toward net-zero emissions is well within reach – but that the greatest impediment North America faces is a “deficit of imagination” about how to develop infrastructure for a sustainable society. “Our emission goals are totally achievable. We just have to be willing to achieve them,” said Saxe. “The tools are waiting there for us to grab them.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Representing the Ontario government at the summit were Energy Minister Todd Smith, who spoke about how the province is championing energy innovation, and Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade, who spoke about how Ontario’s auto sector is shifting to electric vehicles.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">On the eve of the event, <b>Joseph Heath</b>, a professor in U of T’s department of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, made the case for optimism about the potential of innovation to address climate change, suggesting that with the right policy incentives, the next energy revolution could be on the horizon. “A lot of environmental pessimism looks as though it has a grounding in science. Whereas, in fact, what it really is when you scratch the surface is pessimism about human ingenuity,” said Heath.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The Toronto summit came on the heels of the United Nation’s COP27 climate conference in Egypt, where U of T helped co-ordinate a meeting of university networks that collectively represent more than 900 institutions.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><b>Kristy Faccer</b>, director of the <a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/ceccs-home/">President's Committee on the Environment, Climate Change &amp; Sustainability</a>, said this “network of networks” facilitates the exchange of knowledge among academic institutions in order to amplify sustainable innovation on a global scale.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“What we’re really interested in is collective impact,” Faccer told a side panel convened by the U7+ Alliance of World Universities. “You can imagine the kind of scaling opportunity and the influence that these networks can have.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 01 Dec 2022 19:00:08 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 178381 at 'A project of freedom': U of T's William Paris on the wisdom of Africana philosophy /news/project-freedom-u-t-s-william-paris-wisdom-africana-philosophy <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'A project of freedom': U of T's William Paris on the wisdom of Africana philosophy</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/William-Paris-bookshelf-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=wOo8ySPW 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/William-Paris-bookshelf-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6Ll5kWQu 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/William-Paris-bookshelf-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=D4wMthwE 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/William-Paris-bookshelf-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=wOo8ySPW" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-02-28T09:56:07-05:00" title="Monday, February 28, 2022 - 09:56" class="datetime">Mon, 02/28/2022 - 09:56</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">William Paris, an assistant professor of philosophy at U of T, is working on a book that starts with the question: Why is it so hard to complete the project of racial justice in countries, primarily in the West? (photo courtesy of William Paris)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sean-mcneely" hreflang="en">Sean McNeely</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>“You shouldn't try to make yourself into something you're not.”</p> <p>That was the advice&nbsp;<strong>William Paris&nbsp;</strong>was given by his academic supervisor in graduate school. At the time, he was studying European philosophers&nbsp;– but finding his interest waning.</p> <p>“I began realizing these figures couldn't answer the questions I was interested in,” says Paris, a new assistant professor in the University of Toronto’s department of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>“I was asking questions like, ‘What is the relationship between slavery and modern politics now? How is it that racism continues to be a problem, even though it has been thoroughly delegitimated ideologically and scientifically?’ It felt like I was trying to push a square peg into a round hole.”</p> <p>Following his supervisor’s words – and his own passions&nbsp;– Paris became a scholar of Africana philosophy, exploring thinkers from Africa as well as philosophers of the African diaspora who settled in the Caribbean, North America and around the world.</p> <p>“Africana philosophy asks questions around, ‘How does racism reproduce itself? What does national belonging mean?’ It tries to understand the relationship between race, colonialism and empire.”</p> <p>Who are some of these philosophers?</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/W.E.B.-Du-Bois-crop.jpg" alt><em><span style="font-size:12px;">W.E.B. Du Bois</span></em></div> </div> <p>There are several, but Paris wishes more people knew about W.E.B. Du Bois (1868-1963) and Frantz Fanon (1925-1961).</p> <p>An American sociologist, historian, author and activist, Du Bois is regarded as the most important Black protest leader in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. He was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).</p> <p>“Du Bois is essential for asking the questions like ‘what does it mean to say that a society has racial problems or that society is structurally racist?’” says Paris.</p> <p>Considered ahead of his time, Du Bois was an early champion of using social science data to solve social issues for the Black community. His writing, including&nbsp;<em>The Souls of Black Folk</em>, became required reading in African American studies.</p> <p>“He's not just a great lyricist,” says Paris. “He's an incredible philosopher who gives insight into what it means to try to figure out a relationship between philosophy and social science that can lead us to more liberatory forms of life.”</p> <p>Fanon, meanwhile, was a psychiatrist and political philosopher from Martinique who was concerned with the psychosocial repercussions of colonialism on colonized people. His major contributions to de-colonial thinking stemmed from his experiences working at the Blida-Joinville Hospital in Algeria during the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962).</p> <p>He later created a model for community psychology, believing that many mental health patients would fare better if they were integrated into their families and communities, rather than being treated in institutionalized care settings.</p> <p>“For him, it was never about blaming people for their unhealthy behaviors,” says Paris. “It was about reconstructing a society that embraces the human creatures we are so that we can have healthy relationships with one another.</p> <p>“I'm drawn to these Africana thinkers who are also interested in scientific study,” adds Paris. “They weren't just talking about their lived experience. They wanted to develop objective methods that can allow us to grasp what the problem is&nbsp;– and then transform it.”</p> <p>Du Bois and Fanon are sometimes referenced in his course, “Philosophy and Social Criticism,” which focuses on how our notions of justice change over time.</p> <p>“We've finished the first unit which is about critiquing the present – what does it mean to understand the time you're living in?” says Paris.</p> <div class="image-with-caption right"> <div><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Frantz-Fanon-crop.jpg" alt><em><span style="font-size:12px;">Frantz Fanon</span></em></div> </div> <p>The course includes discussions of contemporary philosophers such as Martin Hägglund and his book&nbsp;<em>This Life</em>, in which he argues that spiritual questions of freedom are inseparable from economic and material conditions, and that what matters is how we treat one another in this life and what we do with our time.</p> <p>“Then we read Theodor Adorno and his essay called&nbsp;‘Free Time,’ where he argues that the very fact that we have to call our time ‘free’ means that it’s not actually very free.”</p> <p>The course also addresses philosophy as it relates to climate change and the role of politics.</p> <p>“Often our democracy focuses on how we meet the needs of the existing population, but we're increasingly talking about what world are we handing down to our grandchildren who are not here yet.” says Paris.</p> <p>In addition to teaching, Paris and some academic colleagues host a monthly podcast called&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/leftofphilosophy">“What’s Left for Philosophy”</a>&nbsp;that’s described as, “Four Marxist friends discussing philosophy, politics, and culture.”</p> <p>“We’re trying to make philosophy accessible to those who don't study philosophy – or even to those who do – in an effort to rediscover the joy of thinking,” says Paris.</p> <p>With rotating hosts and guests, there’s no competition to see who knows or understands more. Instead, it’s a relaxed atmosphere where the ideas, theories and discussion flow freely.</p> <p>“We're just here to think together,” says Paris. “It's actually a way for me to decompress.”</p> <p>Paris is also working on a book called&nbsp;<em>Racial Justice and Forms of Life: Towards a Critical Theory of Utopian Epistemology</em>.</p> <p>The book begins with the question: Why is it so hard to complete the project of racial justice in countries, primarily in the West?</p> <p>“The manner in which we arrange our lives makes it so that racial hierarchy and domination are almost inevitable consequences, so we shouldn't be surprised our efforts in modifying problems of racial justice keep being stymied,” says Paris.</p> <p>“I'm arguing that we need to develop new habits and new modes of knowing that can allow us to understand how we can develop a new form of life. It’s important for us to get beyond the pessimism of, ‘All we can do is modify the status quo and accept disappointment,’ and ask the real question of what it would mean to move past disappointment and actually complete a project of freedom.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 28 Feb 2022 14:56:07 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 173116 at 'A story of great resilience': After fleeing Taliban, stranded U of T Mississauga student turns to profs for help /news/story-great-resilience-after-fleeing-taliban-stranded-u-t-mississauga-student-turns-profs-help <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">'A story of great resilience': After fleeing Taliban, stranded U of T Mississauga student turns to profs for help </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/WEB_GettyImages-KabulAirport.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=IIEwT0eZ 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/WEB_GettyImages-KabulAirport.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=KxjTyNcm 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/WEB_GettyImages-KabulAirport.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=Aea6hLzE 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/WEB_GettyImages-KabulAirport.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=IIEwT0eZ" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-01-28T12:06:33-05:00" title="Friday, January 28, 2022 - 12:06" class="datetime">Fri, 01/28/2022 - 12:06</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Passengers are loaded aboard a U.S. Air Force plane at the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 24, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan (photo by Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen/U.S. Air Forces Europe-Africa via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/kate-martin" hreflang="en">Kate Martin</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alexandra-gillespie" hreflang="en">Alexandra Gillespie</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/afghanistan" hreflang="en">Afghanistan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Exam season is&nbsp;a stressful period&nbsp;for many students – but&nbsp;for <strong>Sana Hashim</strong>&nbsp;it was also the moment when her world was turned upside down.</p> <p>Hashim, 20, is currently in Dubai on a short-term visa after fleeing her home in Afghanistan last year.&nbsp;She was living in Kabul with her family when the U.S. military withdrew from the area&nbsp;after two decades at war with the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban.</p> <p>“I went from being a university student with full-time parents to being a sole provider for my siblings,”&nbsp;says Hashim. “Everything came crashing down on us. We’re losing our identity, our home, our country.</p> <p>She adds that, even before the Taliban’s takeover, life had become extremely dangerous.</p> <p>“We had kidnappings in our family and murders in our building, so we didn’t go out often,” she says.&nbsp;“From time to time, there would be bomb blasts that would require us to get out of our house and go somewhere else for the day.”</p> <p>Despite the upheaval, Hashim worked to keep up with her studies at U of T Mississauga, where she is pursuing a major in geographic information systems and a double minor in sustainability and business, science and entrepreneurship.</p> <p>“My studies were the only thing in my life that was normal,” she says. “There was constant chaos. The only thing that shielded me was my studies. When I focus on my studies, I don’t have to focus on people dying or my own life being at risk.”</p> <p>Knowing the exit of U.S. forces would lead to turmoil in Kabul, her family put together an exit strategy without realizing how soon they would need it.</p> <p>“One day we were at home and my father rushes in. He says, ‘Quickly, come with me,’” Hashim recalls.</p> <p>Neighbouring countries were closing borders to fleeing Afghan civilians, so Hashim’s family activated a previously obtained United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa.</p> <p>“My dad booked four tickets for the kids,” she says. “We had a backpack with our clothes, a little bit of food, some money&nbsp;and then we were on a flight to the UAE.</p> <p>“It was terrifying. Everything was so rushed. It was the last time I saw my parents.”</p> <p>Hashim realized she was now the guardian of her siblings, aged 12, 14 and 16.</p> <p>“I’d never been on my own,” she says.&nbsp; “My father said, ‘Sana, I trust you. You have to take on this responsibility and you have to take care of your siblings.’ With my siblings crying, we just had to push through it.”</p> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/WEB_GettyImages-UAEAirport.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>Evacuees from Afghanistan sit in a hall upon their arrival at Al-Maktoum International Airport in the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 19, 2021&nbsp;(photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)</em></p> <p>Shortly after Hashim arrived in Dubai, the Taliban took over Kabul, where her parents remained.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It was our worst nightmare,” she says, explaining they made seven or eight evacuation plans for her parents, but they kept falling through.</p> <p>Unable to contact her parents for fear they would face reprisals from the Taliban, and not knowing what to do, Hashim reached out to one of her professors for help. She had taken Professor&nbsp;<strong>Sergio Tenenbaum</strong>’s&nbsp;introduction to philosophy course remotely during her first year at U of T Mississauga.</p> <p>“I was very impressed that someone was taking my class from Afghanistan under very difficult conditions,” Tenenbaum says, recalling that Hashim regularly dealt with power outages. “I asked her to let me know if there was anything I could do to make things easier.”</p> <p>When he learned about Hashim’s evacuation and separation from her family, Tenenbaum mobilized resources in Canada to try to help. He reached out to contacts who worked for the United Nations or on behalf of refugees. “Then I asked her if it would be OK to put a call out on social media not identifying her.”</p> <p>Through that social call, Tenenbaum connected with a U.S. marine who had worked to bring his translator back along with Afghanis.</p> <p>Hashim’s parents received a pass to go to the airport and board a plane. To get there, however, they had to drive through several Taliban checkpoints.</p> <p>“They were beaten, shot at&nbsp;and forced to return back during their multiple attempts to get into the airport,” says Hashim, who was following their movements with a GPS tracker.</p> <p>Her parents were forced to abandon their vehicle and walk to a back gate of the airport, where they joined the chaotic crowd trying to flee.</p> <p>“My family had to push through thousands of people to reach a ditch where there was sewage in order to get near the gate,” recalls Hashim, who had been relaying her parents’ location to a&nbsp;team contacted by the marine. The marines had photos of her parents so they could enter the U.S.-controlled area of the airport and board a transport to Norway, where they remain.</p> <p>“At that moment I could take a sigh of relief because they were safe,” says Hashim.</p> <p>The family is now pursuing reunification through the&nbsp;Norwegian Directorate of Immigration,&nbsp;but have been told the process will take at least 20 months. Meanwhile, Hashim’s UAE visa will soon expire, meaning she and her siblings could face daily fines or other consequences as they will no longer have legal status.</p> <p>“Going back to Afghanistan could have such serious consequences for her,” says Tenenbaum, who has put Hashim in touch with Canadian immigration lawyers to try to find other options.</p> <p>Meantime,&nbsp;<strong>Alexandra Gillespie</strong>, vice-president and principal of U of T Mississauga<strong>&nbsp;</strong>and the International Education Centre (IEC)&nbsp;have been looking for other ways to assist Hashim.</p> <p>“Sana has been in touch with the IEC’s immigration advisers throughout this experience who have supported her in ensuring she has the documentation she needs to continue to pursue her studies at UTM and, hopefully, join us in person once she completes the reunification process,” says IEC Director&nbsp;<strong>Veronica Vasquez</strong>.</p> <p>Recently, Hashim&nbsp;has joined&nbsp;Gillespie’s international team of researchers in her&nbsp;Old Books New Science lab, who examine global development of early book technologies.</p> <p>&nbsp;“It looked like she was going to be stuck in the UAE for a while, so we thought, ‘How can we help support her?’,” says Gillespie. “Her professors told us she was an outstanding student. It was clear just from talking to her that she is intellectually gifted, curious, passionate about learning. I thought she could help out in the lab remotely, and get credit for her work.”</p> <p>Gillespie’s group is currently examining the use of birch trees in book making. So Hashim and Gillespie reached out to faculty and staff in U of T Mississauga’s department of geography, geomatics and environment to design an independent study course. They want to use existing data – including studies of ancient pollens – to map the distribution of&nbsp;Betula&nbsp;species, specifically ‘paper birches,’ relative to human population and climate.</p> <p>Gillespie says the team has been impressed with Hashim’s dedication despite her difficult circumstances.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We have lab meetings every Friday for a couple of hours, and she’s always there, even though it’s the middle of the night for her,” says Gillespie. “She’s put her siblings to bed and then she’s there participating, while still getting great grades. She’s a story of great resilience.”</p> <p>She praises Hashim as “a hero” who is “doing amazing things with grace and courage.”</p> <p>Hashim’s findings will be presented at a 2022 workshop on birchbark, hosted by U of T Mississauga&nbsp;with support of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. She will present alongside international bookmaking and conservation specialists.</p> <p>“In my dream world, Sana gets status in Norway and then we can work on getting her here in person for the workshop,” says Gillespie.</p> <p>Hashim says she is “so grateful” for the support she has received.</p> <p>“My whole world quite literally turned upside down. During all the chaos and unpredictability, the one thing that remained constant was my studies,” Hashim says. “Even now when pretty much every other aspect of my life is uncertain, I know that I’m extremely lucky because I have the unwavering support of Principal Alex, Professor Sergio, and so many others at UTM.</p> <p>“I can still continue to pursue my education and that gives me hope.”</p> <p><em>With files from Scott Anderson, editor, University of Toronto Magazine</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 28 Jan 2022 17:06:33 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 172373 at U of T accepts all recommendations of Anti-Semitism Working Group /news/u-t-accepts-all-recommendations-anti-semitism-working-group <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T accepts all recommendations of Anti-Semitism Working Group</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/UofT84651_0J5A9863.-cropjpg.jpg?h=0c047466&amp;itok=J6iXGpPL 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/UofT84651_0J5A9863.-cropjpg.jpg?h=0c047466&amp;itok=wlV9B4ch 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/UofT84651_0J5A9863.-cropjpg.jpg?h=0c047466&amp;itok=ooz4dI30 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/UofT84651_0J5A9863.-cropjpg.jpg?h=0c047466&amp;itok=J6iXGpPL" alt="U of T gate signage"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-12-08T11:11:17-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 8, 2021 - 11:11" class="datetime">Wed, 12/08/2021 - 11:11</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>(Photo by David Lee)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/crispin-thorold" hreflang="en">Crispin Thorold</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/anti-semitism" hreflang="en">Anti-Semitism</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/kelly-hannah-moffat" hreflang="en">Kelly Hannah-Moffat</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/provost" hreflang="en">Provost</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto’s Anti-Semitism Working Group has&nbsp;<a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/anti-racism-strategic-tables/anti-semitism-working-group/">delivered its final report</a>&nbsp;and made a series of recommendations to tackle anti-Semitic racism and religious discrimination on campus – all of which have been accepted by the university.</p> <p>The report’s eight recommendations also address definitions of anti-Semitism, the extent and limits of academic freedom in a university setting and the provision of kosher food on campus.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2023-04/arthur-ripstein-crop.jpeg" width="250" height="260" alt="Arthur Ripstein"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Arthur Ripstein</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>“Anti-Semitism is an ancient but still present and problematic form of hatred,” said&nbsp;<b>Arthur Ripstein</b>, chair of the working group and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a>&nbsp;of law and philosophy. “Our aim in drafting this report is to make realistic and actionable recommendations of the ways that the university can move forward in addressing it and to ensure that U of T is a place where Jewish members of the community feel safe and welcome.”Comprising student, staff and faculty representatives, the working group conducted extensive consultations across the three campuses. Its findings draw on nearly 700 survey responses, more than 200 email submissions, six focus groups and several interviews with Jewish student organizations, as well as one with Jewish faith leaders.</p> <p><a href="/news/u-t-launches-working-group-combat-anti-semitism-campus">The Anti-Semitism Working Group was established last December</a>&nbsp;by U of T’s president, provost and vice-president, human resources and equity (now people strategy, equity and culture) to review programming, activities, processes and practices in place at the university, as well as to make recommendations to support the university’s response to anti-Semitism.</p> <p>The review comes at a time when incidents of anti-Semitism are sharply on the rise in broader society. In July, the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/news_centre/ohrc-statement-national-summit-antisemitism">warned that there had been “an alarming increase in antisemitic acts” during the pandemic</a>.</p> <p>Ripstein recounts that the university has a troubling history of anti-Semitism. In the 19th century, Jews were not able to become faculty members, and through to the middle part of the 20th century some faculties had quotas on the number of Jewish students that could be admitted.</p> <p>“The situation for Jewish members of the university has improved considerably since that time,” said Ripstein. “But there are still situations in which they are made to feel unwelcome or harassed. Our aim is to address those issues in ways that are sensitive to the particular position of the university as a place of learning and as a place of academic disagreement.”</p> <p>Each of the working group’s recommendations focuses on ways the university can make itself a more inclusive and equitable place. That includes calling for the university to apply its equity, diversity and inclusion policies consistently, and procedures to ensure that anti-Semitism is treated in the same way as other forms of racism and religious discrimination. Other recommendations include:</p> <ul> <li>The university should focus on problems and issues specific to the distinctive context of the university as a place in which difficult and controversial questions are addressed. In so doing, it should not adopt any of the definitions of anti-Semitism that have recently been proposed because of concerns about their applicability to a university setting.</li> <li>Academic units, administrative units and student organizations in which enrolment is mandatory must not make participation in their activities or access to their resources conditional on taking a particular position on any controversial question.</li> <li>The university should issue regular communications about its approach to controversial events, emphasizing that it will not enforce content-based restrictions on such events but that such events must be held in a respectful, safe and open manner.</li> <li>The university must develop measures for responding to various forms of social exclusion, harassment, micro-aggressions and bullying (including online instances) for all equity-deserving groups and apply these consistently.</li> <li>The university and its divisions and academic units should apply the&nbsp;<a href="https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/system/files/2020-03/religious%20observances%2C%20policy%20on%20scheduling%20of%20classes%20and%20examinations%20and%20other%20accommodations%20for.pdf"><i>Policy on Scheduling Classes and Examinations and Other Accommodations for Religious Observances</i></a><i>&nbsp;</i>consistently<i>,&nbsp;</i>avoiding scheduling mandatory events on significant Jewish holidays and permitting Jewish members of the university to participate fully in a range of accommodations.</li> <li>The university should ensure kosher food is readily available on its campuses.</li> </ul> <p>In response, U of T President&nbsp;<b>Meric Gertler</b>, Acting Vice-President &amp; Provost&nbsp;<b>Trevor Young&nbsp;</b>and Vice-President, People Strategy, Equity and Culture&nbsp;<b>Kelly Hannah-Moffat</b>&nbsp;said they were pleased to accept all the working group’s recommendations.</p> <p>“We are profoundly opposed to anti-Semitism,” the university leaders said in their&nbsp;<a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/memos/response-to-the-report-of-the-anti-semitism-working-group/">official response to the report</a>.&nbsp;“We are determined to ensure that our campuses are places where members of the Jewish community feel that they are safe, included and respected as members and friends of the U of T community.”</p> <p>They also thanked the members of the working group, as well as all those who took part in the consultations. “Through their consultations and deliberations, and through their report, [the working group has] made an extremely valuable contribution to the University on behalf of its Jewish community," they said.</p> <p>The working group report examined the tensions between the essential need for a culture of respect and inclusion and the university’s unique position in society, where, in the words of the&nbsp;<a href="https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/secretariat/policies/institutional-purpose-statement-october-15-1992"><i>Statement of Institutional Purpose</i></a><i><u>,</u></i>&nbsp;“the most crucial of all human rights are the rights of freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of research.”</p> <p>Within this context, the working group recommended that the university not adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. “The reason that we are not recommending the adoption of the IHRA, or other definitions, is that all of them are designed for different purposes,” explained Ripstein. “They are not suitable to the distinctive context of the university. Adoption of them would not integrate with the requirements on us and our other existing policy commitments.”</p> <p>The university’s senior leaders confirmed that a definition of anti-Semitism will not be adopted: “We appreciate that some members of the University community as well as external stakeholders may be disappointed … We also acknowledge and appreciate the working group’s principled and thoughtful reasoning on this point."</p> <p>The working group report noted that free speech and academic freedom requirements mean that unpopular views must not lead to any form of sanctions or exclusion from the university experience. Also, academic units should not pressure or require individuals to endorse or oppose political causes, the report said.</p> <p>The institutional response highlights several ways in which individuals will be reminded of their responsibilities, including through proactive communications and training that address anti-Semitism. There will also be a review of existing policies and guidelines to ensure that they respond to the particular challenge of addressing racism and faith-based hatred that’s found on social media.</p> <p>The university will provide progress updates on the implementation of the report’s recommendations on its&nbsp;<a href="https://people.utoronto.ca/inclusion/anti-racism-strategic-tables/">Anti-Racism Strategic Tables webpage</a>.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 08 Dec 2021 16:11:17 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301249 at U of T prof hosts ‘McLuhanesque’ marathon talk with Margaret Atwood, Mayor John Tory and others /news/u-t-prof-hosts-mcluhanesque-marathon-talk-margaret-atwood-mayor-john-tory-and-others <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T prof hosts ‘McLuhanesque’ marathon talk with Margaret Atwood, Mayor John Tory and others</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_UrkXUns 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=AT5wcEH9 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=cCIBkkL7 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/group-2.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_UrkXUns" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-07-20T09:53:21-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 20, 2021 - 09:53" class="datetime">Tue, 07/20/2021 - 09:53</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Clockwise from top left; John Tory, Riley Yesno, Margaret Atwood, Paolo Granata, Mark Kingwell, Joe Wong, Derrick de Kerckhove and the late U of T professor, philosopher and renowned media theorist Marshall McLuhan.</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/yanan-wang" hreflang="en">Yanan Wang</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/french" hreflang="en">French</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/toronto-rehabilitation-institute" hreflang="en">Toronto Rehabilitation Institute</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/munk-school-global-affairs-public-policy-0" hreflang="en">Munk School of Global Affairs &amp; Public Policy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/school-cities" hreflang="en">School of Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art" hreflang="en">Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/art-history" hreflang="en">Art History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/marshall-mcluhan" hreflang="en">Marshall McLuhan</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-college" hreflang="en">St. Michael's College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trinity-college" hreflang="en">Trinity College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-art-museum" hreflang="en">U of T Art Museum</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-college" hreflang="en">Victoria College</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p style="margin-bottom:11px">In the 1970s, the late University of Toronto professor, philosopher and renowned media theorist <b>Marshall McLuhan</b> regularly hosted gatherings at his home on Monday nights, when an eclectic group of students, fellow faculty and others came together to answer his open-ended question: “What’s on your mind?”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">A lengthy discussion would ensue, with no specific agenda or subject. The purpose of the dialogue was not to draw conclusions, but rather to keep the conversation going.</p> <div class="image-with-caption left"> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/PAOLO%20GRANATA%20-%20ph%20by%20Martyn%20Jones-crop.jpg" alt><em>Paolo Granata<br> (photo by Martyn Jones)</em></p> </div> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In the same spirit of free-flowing inquiry,&nbsp;<b>Paolo Granata</b> will host the second-annual <a href="http://www.mcluhansalons.ca/globalvillageday/">Global Village Day</a> today – a 12-hour online streaming marathon that runs noon until midnight and features speakers from a range of cultures and disciplines.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“Global Village Day is a way to gather an international community of scholars, thinkers and artists to not only celebrate one of the most iconic Canadian philosophers, but also to conceive of Toronto as a global village,” says Granata, an assistant professor of book and media studies at St. Michael’s College, referencing the term famously coined by McLuhan.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">In partnership with the McLuhan Institute and the Marshall McLuhan Estate, the event aims to tackle questions surrounding place, public art and global governance that have arisen from the pandemic. Much like McLuhan’s own gatherings, the discussion aims to be free-flowing and open-ended. The speakers have been placed into groups of three to five, with each group occupying an hour of the marathon. They will address three core questions on lessons from the pandemic and how the global village can be reimagined for a sustainable future.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The event will be highly interactive and participatory, Granata says. The marathon will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube, and audience members are invited to submit comments and questions, which Granata will in turn pose to the guest speakers.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Hailing from 12 different countries, guests will include: world-renowned author <b>Margaret Atwood</b>, a graduate of U of T’s Victoria College; <b>Joe Wong</b>, U of T’s vice-president, international; <b>Mark Kingwell</b>, a writer and professor of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, <b>Riley Yesno</b>, <a href="/news/u-t-grad-riley-yesno-voice-canada-s-reconciliation-generation">an Anishinaabe writer who graduated from Victoria College this year</a>; <strong>Derrick de Kerckhove</strong>,&nbsp;former director of the McLuhan Program in Culture &amp; Technology and a professor emeritus in the department of French;&nbsp;and Roda Muse, secretary-general of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Ontario’s lieutenant governor, and Toronto Mayor <b>John Tory</b>, a graduate of U of T’s Trinity College, will kick off the marathon with remarks. In his greeting, Tory will also introduce <a href="https://www.artworxto.ca/">ArtworxTO: Toronto’s Year of Public Art 2021-2022</a>, a slate of public artworks and related programming set to officially launch this September.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Marshall%20McLuhan%20LAN731090b-027-crop.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>Professor&nbsp;Marshall McLuhan with students and other faculty during one of his famous evening seminars (photo by&nbsp;Robert Lansdale Photography via U of T Archives)&nbsp;</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“I’m sure McLuhan would be struck by the vibrant media arts landscape that Toronto has created,” Tory says in a pre-recorded greeting. “And, of course, we can continue to thank him for teaching us that in a diverse city like this, a global village in a big city, communication is vital to understanding and to mutual support.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">U of T has worked with the city and other partners on a number of projects for ArtworxTO, including upcoming exhibitions and programming at the U of T Art Museum on the St. George campus and at U of T Scarborough, collaborating with the city on the annual Nuit Blanche event, student-led research through U of T’s School of Cities to evaluate the Year of Public Art and a future mural honouring Terry Fox at the <a href="https://www.uhn.ca/TorontoRehab">Toronto Rehabilitation Institute</a>, part of the University Health Network.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">The initiatives emphasize how U of T and the city of Toronto are connected, says <b>Barbara Fischer</b>, executive director of the U of T Art Museum.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“The university is at the heart of the city and vice versa,” Fischer says. “The projects will highlight how much art informs our sense of place and how intertwined the city is with the U of T campus.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/Photogallery%20GV-DAY2020-crop-v2.jpg" alt></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><em>Screenshots from last year’s&nbsp;Global Village Day event, which was held online due to the pandemic.</em></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">One project is already underway at Hart House Green, where an <a href="https://indigenouslandscape.utoronto.ca/">Indigenous Landscape</a> will ultimately &nbsp;be formed on the site. In the meantime, Assistant Professors <b>Maria Hupfield</b> and <b>Mikinaak Migwans</b> are working with Indigenous artists to develop murals celebrating Indigenous relations to the land that will adorn the hoarding currently used to protect existing trees.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">Moreover, U of T Scarborough is working with the city to develop an app that will allow users to take self-guided tours of public art around Toronto. Graduate students are working with the U of T Art Museum to develop the script for the audio tour, which will introduce perspectives and ideas surrounding public art that can be found in various neighbourhoods, parks and streets.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">ArtworxTO is part of a years-long effort connected to Toronto’s designation as a <a href="https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/toronto">UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts</a>, for which Granata was the principal driver in 2017.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“U of T has played an instrumental role in fostering media arts, technology and creativity in the city of Toronto,” Granata says.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/GVD2%20Banner-crop.jpg" alt></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">While the first Global Village Day took place during the early days of the pandemic last summer, this year’s event will highlight the lessons gleaned from a year and a half of upheaval.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“Now is the time to reflect on a fundamental question: what did we learn during this pandemic?” Granata says. “It is time to take account of all the valuable lessons in terms of cultural participation, higher education and all other fields. What really matters to us in a post-pandemic world? If we don’t address these questions, we may go back to the old normal without really growing as a society.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">He added that COVID-19 underscored the need for global governance.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“We need the flexibility of different countries working together and making decisions for the common good.”</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">While this year’s Global Village Day will once again be entirely virtual, participants will show themselves passing around the marathon’s “torch” on their screens: an object of their choosing that they believe represents the idea of the global village in the 21<sup>st</sup> century. At the close of the event at midnight, there will be a toast to McLuhan to mark the 110<sup>th</sup> anniversary of his birth on July 21.</p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px">“As McLuhan said, ‘I don’t explain, I explore,’” Granata says. “So, we will be explorers celebrating his legacy.”</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:53:21 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 169866 at Pilot program embeds ethics into U of T undergraduate technology courses /news/pilot-program-embeds-ethics-u-t-undergraduate-technology-courses <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Pilot program embeds ethics into U of T undergraduate technology courses</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/ethics-program.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ErHZtHP6 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/ethics-program.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=H1l2n2DJ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/ethics-program.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ihQ4jDDj 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/ethics-program.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=ErHZtHP6" alt="Diane Horton and Sheila McIlraith"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-07-05T13:18:27-04:00" title="Monday, July 5, 2021 - 13:18" class="datetime">Mon, 07/05/2021 - 13:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Diane Horton and Sheila McIlraith are co-leading a pilot program to embed ethics into a cross section of undergraduate computer science courses at the university (photos by Ken Jones and Johnny Guatto)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jovana-jankovic" hreflang="en">Jovana Jankovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/schwartz-reisman-institute-technology-and-society" hreflang="en">Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ethics" hreflang="en">Ethics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A new pilot program at the University of Toronto will embed ethics modules into existing undergraduate computer science courses in a bid to ensure future technologies designed and deployed in ways that consider their broader societal impact.</p> <p>From learning about the complex trade-off between data privacy and public benefit to making design decisions that impact marginalized communities, the pilot program&nbsp;– led by the department of computer science, in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science,&nbsp;and the <a href="https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/">Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society</a> (SRI)&nbsp;– will teach computer science students skills to identify potential ethical risks in the technologies they are learning to build.</p> <p>The initiative aims to equip&nbsp;U of T graduates, who may go on to become&nbsp;global tech leaders, to make informed&nbsp;decisions about technology and its wide-ranging effects on justice, health care, education, economies, human rights&nbsp;and beyond.&nbsp;</p> <p>“We want to teach students how to think, not what to think,” says&nbsp;<strong>Sheila McIlraith</strong>, a professor of computer science and a research lead at SRI who is co-leading the initiative, which&nbsp;includes scholars who specialize in ethics from U of T’s department of philosophy.</p> <p>“We’re not proselytizing about ‘right’ or ‘wrong,’ But we want students to identify ethical questions because, when they enter the workforce, they will be on the front lines. They’ll be the ones writing the code, developing the systems, using the data. It’s imperative that ethical considerations are part of fundamental design principles.”</p> <p>McIlraith points to the rapidly changing role technology plays in society as evidence of the urgent need for such a program.</p> <p>“It used to be that technologists would build systems for a particular purpose or industry,” she says. “But now&nbsp;technology is no longer just for individual tasks like completing tax returns or keeping track of company inventory. Technology impacts the way all of us live, work&nbsp;and interact with each other. A lot of the money and investment that fuels our economy is related to technology. And emerging tech companies are often led by young people who have just come out of computer science degrees.”</p> <p>When SRI was founded in 2019, McIlraith was appointed as one of its inaugural research leads. She quickly approached SRI Director <strong>Gillian K. Hadfield</strong> about the need for an embedded ethics initiative in computer science, citing a similar pioneering program already underway at Harvard University. Hadfield immediately saw the alignment with SRI’s mission to explore the dynamics between technology and the human agenda – and to solve problems at the intersection of technology and public good.</p> <p>McIlraith and Horton are joined on the team by <strong>Benjamin Wald</strong>, most recently a post-doctoral researcher at SRI and an alumnus of U of T’s department of philosophy; <strong>Maryam Majedi</strong>, a post-doctoral researcher&nbsp;in the department of computer science; and <strong>Emma McClure</strong>, a PhD candidate in the department of philosophy.</p> <p>“Embedding ethical considerations into existing courses helps students see their relevance at the very moment they’re learning the computer science,” says&nbsp;<strong>Diane Horton</strong>, a professor, teaching stream, in the department who is co-leading the pilot program with McIlraith. “The ethics modules are associated very closely with the technical content, so when students are eventually in the workplace, we hope the two will remain very connected in their minds.”</p> <p>Horton, who has been teaching in the department for 25 years,&nbsp;has seen first-hand how eager students are to talk about ethics. She also noted that they bring different perspectives to the conversation.</p> <p>“One student had a very intense appreciation for the vulnerability of the homeless population,” says Horton, “and she brought that from her personal experience. Another student talked about the hospital where he works, and how private medical data is so carefully protected.”</p> <p>“There has been so much curiosity from the students,” adds Majedi of the initiative so far. “They ask a lot of questions and offer interesting and creative ideas. Some get so excited, and they stay long after class to talk with us.”</p> <p>Majedi says her own research into data privacy has highlighted a gap in curricula where ethical training for students is badly needed.</p> <p>“It's critical to teach ethics in computer science,” she says, “because these students will be responsible for many important tasks in the future.”</p> <p>Both Wald and McClure say they are excited&nbsp;to see the enthusiasm among computer science students when it comes to addressing ethical questions.</p> <p>“I think the students really want to have these critical thinking tools, because it’s clear they’ve been considering these issues already,” says McClure.</p> <p>“Sometimes, a computer science student might recognize a potential ethical issue,” says Wald, “but might not know how it’s been discussed by other people, or where to find the right resources to address it. They might think, ‘How do I put the concern I have into words?’ Hopefully we can give them the tools to do that.”</p> <p>The embedded ethics initiative will produce a longitudinal study to inform its future directions. The goal is for every computer science student to encounter ethics modules at several points in their U of T computer science program – and bring those insights to their future careers.</p> <p>“Big tech companies like Apple often employ people in specialized ethics roles, but our program aims to equip people who are actually building the technologies at a company like that,” says McClure. “That way, the ethical behaviour comes from within the design of technologies. It comes from the bottom instead of being imposed from the outside by an ‘ethics specialist.’”</p> <p>McIlraith and Horton both credit Harvard’s Barbara Grosz and Jeff Behrends for supporting&nbsp;the U of T team at the early stages of the pilot program’s conception and development. Grosz is a founder of <a href="https://embeddedethics.seas.harvard.edu/">Harvard’s Embedded EthiCS program</a>, while&nbsp;Behrends is a faculty team leader.</p> <p>The U of T team aims to engage other faculty, instructors&nbsp;and researchers as it grows – in particular, computer science faculty who have already been teaching undergraduate courses in the core curriculum for years.</p> <p>“Longer-term, we aspire to have ethical considerations as a cornerstone of many of our tech-oriented disciplines within the university,” says McIlraith. “One of our goals is to create a winning strategy so that this pilot can transform into something broader.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 05 Jul 2021 17:18:27 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301280 at In fields ranging from math to medicine, U of T researchers awarded 27 Canada Research Chairs /news/fields-ranging-math-medicine-u-t-researchers-awarded-27-canada-research-chairs <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">In fields ranging from math to medicine, U of T researchers awarded 27 Canada Research Chairs</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/IMG_6759_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2dS4hdL- 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2023-04/IMG_6759_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=MTyQvL8o 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2023-04/IMG_6759_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lvAZgwtc 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2023-04/IMG_6759_0.jpeg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=2dS4hdL-" alt="Brenda Andrews"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-06-15T09:29:50-04:00" title="Tuesday, June 15, 2021 - 09:29" class="datetime">Tue, 06/15/2021 - 09:29</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p>Brenda Andrews, a pioneer of functional genomics, is one of 27 U of T researchers to be awarded a new or renewed Canada Research Chair (photo by Michael Schertzberg)</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jovana-drinjakovic" hreflang="en">Jovana Drinjakovic</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sunnybrook-health-sciences" hreflang="en">Sunnybrook Health Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/temerty-faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Temerty Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/donnelly-centre-cellular-biomolecular-research" hreflang="en">Donnelly Centre for Cellular &amp; Biomolecular Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-research-chairs" hreflang="en">Canada Research Chairs</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-addiction-and-mental-health" hreflang="en">Centre for Addiction and Mental Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/dalla-lana-school-public-health" hreflang="en">Dalla Lana School of Public Health</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-art-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Art &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hospital-sick-children" hreflang="en">Hospital for Sick Children</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leslie-dan-faculty-pharmacy" hreflang="en">Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mathematics" hreflang="en">Mathematics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mount-sinai-hospital" hreflang="en">Mount Sinai Hospital</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ontario-institute-studies-education" hreflang="en">Ontario Institute for Studies in Education</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/psychology" hreflang="en">Psychology</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-hospital" hreflang="en">St. Michael's Hospital</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/university-health-network" hreflang="en">University Health Network</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In <b>Brenda Andrews</b>’s lab at the University of Toronto, researchers are working toward understanding why cells with the same errors in their genetic codes don’t always develop the same defects.</p> <p>Known as incomplete penetrance, the phenomenon is familiar to those with a history of genetic disorders, since people with the same disease-causing gene variant can experience different disease symptoms and severity.</p> <p>“We are beginning to appreciate that any kind of genetic perturbation can have a highly variable penetrance and there’s a large cell-to-cell variability,” says Andrews, a <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a> of molecular genetics in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.</p> <p>“That has implications for understanding the mechanisms of disease, and for thinking about potential treatments.”</p> <p>Andrews is one of 27 researchers at U of T <a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-makes-major-investment-in-canadian-science-research-and-engineering-funding-will-support-canadian-researchers-as-they-push-their-big-ideas-discoveries-and-innovations-forward-857057277.html">awarded new or renewed Canada Research Chairs today</a>. The prestigious federal appointment aims to recruit and retain top researchers and scholars in the country.</p> <p>At the same time, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) – in collaboration with the CRC program – announced support for two U of T researchers through its John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), which helps universities pay for laboratories and equipment. They are <b>Kelsie Thu</b> of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, and <b>Daniel Schramek</b> of the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System.</p> <p>Researchers at U of T were also awarded more than $37 million in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s Discovery Grants program and more than $20 million in funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council programs.</p> <p>“I want to personally congratulate all of the researchers at the University of Toronto who were either named new Canada Research Chairs or had their existing chairs renewed – as well as those who received funding through other programs,” says Professor <b>Leah Cowen</b>, U of T’s associate vice-president, research.</p> <p>“Your inspired work in critical fields, ranging from mathematics and medicine to engineering and human development, is expanding knowledge and developing innovative new ideas that will ultimately benefit Canadians and people around the world.”</p> <p>Andrews, for one, is a pioneer of functional genomics and has dedicated her career to studying cells as dynamic systems composed of a multitude of components whose roles need to be co-ordinated to sustain health. Using Baker’s yeast cells as a model, her lab has shown how thousands of genes engage in interactions with each other, and that it’s these webs of interactions that hold the clues to health and disease.</p> <p>Her tier one chair in systems genetics and cell biology includes seven years of funding (renewable once). &nbsp;It is the latest among many honours recognizing her leadership in the field. Andrews is a Companion to the Order of Canada, the highest national honor which can be held by a civilian. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a foreign member of the American National Academy of Sciences, among other honours and appointments.</p> <p>As well as running her lab, Andrews also served as inaugural director of the Donnelly Centre through three successive five-year terms. During that time, the centre became globally renowned for its multidisciplinary research, education and innovation in biomedical science.</p> <p>Now, Andrews’s interdisciplinary team are working to find out how cell-to-cell variability arises and may contribute to severity of a genetic disorder. Co-supervised by Andrews and her long-term collaborator <b>Charles Boone</b>, a professor of molecular genetics and interim director of the Donnelly Centre, they are collecting measurements from millions of individual cells in a mixed population.</p> <p>“By looking at all kinds of different mutant scenarios and by measuring how that affects cellular traits at the single cell level, we can begin to [decipher] the mechanisms behind disease penetrance,” Andrews says.</p> <p>The entire process – from cell culture to image acquisition and data analysis – is automated and took about a decade to develop. It includes some of the first machine-learning tools for computer vision applications in cellular biology.</p> <p>“This is an exciting time for research thanks to the range of new technologies and endless possibilities they present,” Andrews says. “When you have people collaborating across scientific fields, the potential to do important work is just extraordinary.”</p> <hr> <p><strong>Here are the new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at U of T:</strong></p> <p><em>New Canada Research Chairs</em></p> <ul> <li><strong>Brenda Andrews</strong> of the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, tier one in systems genetics and cell biology</li> <li><strong>Isabelle Boileau</strong> of the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, tier two in endocannabinoid imaging in mental illness</li> <li><strong>Grant Brown</strong> of the department of biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, tier one in genome integrity</li> <li><strong>Yaron Finkelstein</strong> of the department of paediatrics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Hospital for Sick Children, tier one in pediatric drug safety and efficacy</li> <li><strong>Spencer Freeman</strong> of the department of biochemistry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and SickKids Research Institute, the Hospital for Sick Children, tier two in immune surveillance</li> <li><strong>Stephen Girardin</strong> of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, tier one in intestinal inflammation</li> <li><strong>Linda Hiraki</strong> of the department of paediatrics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and SickKids Research Institute, the Hospital for Sick Children, tier two in genetics of rare systemic inflammatory diseases</li> <li><strong>Michael Laflamme</strong> of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, tier one in cardiovascular regenerative medicine</li> <li><a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/news/mathematics-metaphysics-2021-canada-research-chairs-awarded-faculty"><strong>Robert McCann</strong></a> of the department of mathematics in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, tier one in mathematics, economics and physics</li> <li><strong>Padmaja Subbarao</strong> of the department of paediatrics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Hospital for Sick Children, tier one in pediatric asthma and lung health</li> <li><strong>Walter Swardfager </strong>of the department of pharmacology and toxicology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, tier two in clinical pharmacology of cognitive neurovascular disorders</li> <li><strong>Kelsie Thu</strong> of the department of laboratory medicine and pathobiology in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, tier two in lung cancer therapy response</li> </ul> <p><em>Renewed Canada Research Chairs</em></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/renewed-canada-research-chairs-will-power-research-into-green-chemistry-and-environmental-remediation/"><strong>Ya-Huei (Cathy) Chin</strong></a> of the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, tier two in advanced catalysis for sustainable chemistry</li> <li><a href="https://www.law.utoronto.ca/news/professor-yasmin-dawood-renewed-canada-research-chair"><strong>Yasmin Dawood</strong></a> of the Faculty of Law, tier two in democracy, constitutionalism and electoral law</li> <li><strong>Abby Goldstein</strong> of the department of applied psychology and human development in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, tier two in the psychology of emerging adulthood</li> <li><strong>Prabhat Jha</strong> of the division of epidemiology in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Centre for Global Health Research, St. Michael’s Hospital, tier one in global health</li> <li><strong>Gillian King</strong> of the department of occupational science and therapy in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, tier one in optimal care for children with disabilities</li> <li><strong>Loren Martin</strong> of the department of psychology at U of T Mississauga, tier two in translational pain research</li> <li><a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/news/mathematics-metaphysics-2021-canada-research-chairs-awarded-faculty"><strong>Aleksandar Nikolov</strong></a> of the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, tier two in algorithms and private data analysis</li> <li><a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/news/mathematics-metaphysics-2021-canada-research-chairs-awarded-faculty"><strong>Elizabeth Page-Gould</strong></a> of the department of psychology in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, tier two in social psychophysiology</li> <li><strong>Keith Pardee</strong> of the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, tier two in synthetic biology and human health</li> <li><a href="https://news.engineering.utoronto.ca/renewed-canada-research-chairs-will-power-research-into-green-chemistry-and-environmental-remediation/"><strong>Elodie Passeport</strong></a> of the department of civil and mineral engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, tier two in environmental engineering and stable isotopes</li> <li><strong>Tarek Rajji</strong> of the department of psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, tier two in neurostimulation in cognitive disorders</li> <li><strong>John Ratcliffe</strong> of the department of biology at U of T Mississauga, tier two in neuroethology</li> <li><a href="https://www.chemistry.utoronto.ca/news/sophie-rousseaux-renewed-canada-research-chair-organic-chemistry"><strong>Sophie Rousseaux</strong></a> of the department of chemistry in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, tier two in organic chemistry</li> <li><strong>Daniel Schramek</strong> of the department of molecular genetics in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, tier two in functional cancer genomics</li> <li><a href="https://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/news/mathematics-metaphysics-2021-canada-research-chairs-awarded-faculty"><strong>Nicholas Stang</strong></a> of the department of philosophy in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, tier two in metaphysics and its history</li> </ul> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 15 Jun 2021 13:29:50 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 301265 at The Ethics of Architecture: Mark Kingwell launches U of T-Oxford book series /news/ethics-architecture-mark-kingwell-launches-u-t-oxford-book-series <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">The Ethics of Architecture: Mark Kingwell launches U of T-Oxford book series</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-592631402.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lziiEDiO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/GettyImages-592631402.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=UFoIhz1u 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/GettyImages-592631402.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=T42-aMAu 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/GettyImages-592631402.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=lziiEDiO" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2021-04-28T15:09:40-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 28, 2021 - 15:09" class="datetime">Wed, 04/28/2021 - 15:09</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">(Photo by Fred Dufour/AFP via Getty Images)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/petra-dreiser" hreflang="en">Petra Dreiser</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/architecture" hreflang="en">Architecture</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-ethics" hreflang="en">Centre for Ethics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/ethics" hreflang="en">Ethics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-law" hreflang="en">Faculty of Law</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/philosophy" hreflang="en">Philosophy</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Architecture is a part of daily life that often gets overlooked.</p> <p>From a simple doorknob to spectacular feats of engineering, such as the 430-metre Zhangjiajie skywalk bridge in China’s Hunan Province, the built environment reflects and responds to societies’ values.</p> <p>It also raises questions about aesthetics, technology – and ethics.</p> <p>In <i>The Ethics of Architecture</i>, <strong>Mark Kingwell</strong>, a professor of philosophy in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, looks at architecture’s ethical implications and whether building designers should serve the community as well as clients. That includes exploring “the professional obligations of architects,” considerations in the field about the common good and the notion of architecture as a collective undertaking.</p> <p>The book, the first in <a href="https://c4ejournal.net/ethics-in-context/">a series published by University of Oxford Press in partnership with U of T’s Centre for Ethics</a>, comes as the world grapples with a global health crisis. And, as Kingwell writes in the preface, world-historical shifts and disasters, especially those related to public health, have often shaped physical structures in cities and beyond.</p> <p>“There is a long history of architectural innovation driven by human frailty,” Kingwell writes, citing sewage systems, indoor plumbing, heating and vertical density, among other examples.</p> <p>Like others who have wondered whether the pandemic recovery will usher in positive changes, Kingwell also asks what “utopian opportunities” for architecture lie ahead to create more equitable societies.</p> <p>Called “Ethics in Context,”&nbsp;the book series pledges to explore “the ethical dimensions of interesting, provocative, and timely questions” in a way that is both scholarly and accessible.</p> <p><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/UofT16959_0W7A5221.jpg" alt>It is the brainchild of <b>Markus Dubber</b>, a professor of law and criminology in the Faculty of Law and the director of U of T’s Centre for Ethics.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>He says the series – like the centre itself – aims to position itself itself at the intersection of academic research and public discourse.</p> <p>“The inclusive, interdisciplinary vision of ethical inquiry that characterizes the Centre for Ethics lent itself to the establishment of this series,” Dubber says.</p> <p>The second instalment in the series will look at the ethics of racial humour, and is written by Luvell Anderson, an associate professor of philosophy at Syracuse University who specializes in the philosophy of language, race and aesthetics.</p> <p>As for Kingwell, he uses <i>The Ethics of Architecture </i>to address serious scholars of ethics as well as general readers with an interest in the built environment and how cities work – or don’t.</p> <p>His observations are timely given that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, with the number expected to grow to 68 per cent by 2050.</p> <p>Since Kingwell’s book was first in the series, he says it can be seen as a “sort of keynote” that is intended for specialist readers and a lay audience alike.</p> <p>“It feels more like an advanced seminar with smart people from various disciplines, plus some auditors,” Kingwell says.</p> <p>“You can’t take anything for granted, so no exclusionary jargon or inside terminology is allowed,” he says. “But the material has to be meaty enough to reward serious interest.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 28 Apr 2021 19:09:40 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 169211 at