Big Thinking Summit 2026

Big Thinking Summit 2026: Inflection Point

June 9 to 11, Edmonton Convention Centre, Edmonton, Alberta 

The Federation’s Big Thinking Summit: Inflection Point will bring the humanities and social sciences (HSS) to the forefront. Together, we must draw on historical, linguistic, cultural, and practice-based perspectives to open new possibilities for a Canada at the crossroads.

Questions of legitimacy — who produces knowledge, whose voices are amplified, and how authority is recognized — are pressing to the fore.  

As public trust in postsecondary institutions is tested, shifts in cross-sector partnerships must reshape how research connects with policy and community priorities.

Innovations in teaching, inquiry, and knowledge sharing must redefine scholarship and how it circulates across all of society.  

We're calling on academics, community partners, and policymakers from across Canada to forge new collaborations and tackle these critical questions at the Big Thinking Summit: Inflection Point.

HSS, this is our moment to advance the solutions that Canada urgently needs. 

 

Register for the Big Thinking Summit

Planning to attend the Big Thinking Summit 2026?

Registration

Call for proposals

Programming & events

On-site information

Coming soon.

Funding

Coming soon.

Travel & accommodations

Support centre

Coming soon.

The Big Thinking Summit 2026 is made possible thanks to

 

Summit sponsor

 

Logo sshrc-fip-full-color-eng (2).png

Leading sponsors

 

University of Alberta logo        University affairs logo

 

Presenting sponsors

 

logo for the Alberta post Secondary Network        logo for universities canada        

 

 logo for the Athabasca University

Questions?