Congress programming is open to attendees, academics and non-academic audiences. From theatre research, literature studies and history to education, sociology and communications, Congress represents a unique showcase of scholarly excellence, creativity, and leadership.

Congress 2019 is being hosted by The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. The theme for this year’s Congress is “Circles of Conversation".

With the theme “Circles of Conversation,” Congress 2019 in Vancouver will emphasize the deep, two-way relationships between the university and the communities it serves: local, provincial, national and global. Particular attention will be focused on productive scholarly relations with Indigenous communities.

“Circles of Conversation” will open up much-needed space for dialogue, debate, and dissent, and will showcase creative critical engagements within and across disciplines, with topics as diverse as sustainability, accessibility, global mobility, health, culture, education, and a myriad of other areas of scholarship that make our humanities and social sciences community so distinctly rich. Congress 2019 will foster and encourage circles of conversation among scholars, educators, students, political leaders, activists, and the public at large, so that people can speak with one another, listen and learn together.

This year’s Congress will place an emphasis on innovative engagements with today’s key issues and on art as an important form of engaged scholarship in the humanities and social sciences. The Big Thinking lecture series, for example, will feature an all artist lineup, with speakers from literature, the visual arts and the performing arts. Much of the UBC and Federation programming will also promote creative formats of engaging with different perspectives and knowledges.