Summit program | Schedule at a glance | Keynotes | Presentation streams | Leading with evidence | Connection and celebration
Summit program
At the Big Thinking Summit: Inflection Point, you’ll take part in roundtable discussions, research presentations, networking opportunities, and keynotes exploring interdisciplinary partnerships, pedagogical innovations, and strategies for navigating disinformation.
Be the first to hear about program announcements.
Want to know what’s in store? Explore the programming streams, as well as the preliminary schedule below (subject to change).
Time | Day 1 (June 9) | Day 2 (June 10) | Day 3 (June 11) |
|---|---|---|---|
9:00 – 10:15
| Registration Opening Ceremony and welcome | Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) | Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) |
| 10:00 – 10:15 – Coffee break | |||
10:30 – 11:45
| Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) | Keynote address | Keynote address |
| 11:45 – 12:45 – Networking lunch | |||
12:45 – 14:00
| Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) | Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) | Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) |
14:00 – 15:00
| Poster session and networking coffee hour | Skill-building workshops | Closing session: collective reflections and call to action |
15:00 – 16:15
| Federation strategic plan: presentation and discussion | Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) | |
| 16:15 – 16:30 – Coffee break | |||
16:30 – 17:45
| Keynote address | Concurrent breakout sessions (9) Networks of change (3), Methods in motion (3), Legitimacy at the edge (3) | |
| 17:45 – 18:00 – Break | |||
| Evening | 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Evening community gathering | 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm Federation 30th anniversary gala at Fairmont MacDonald | |
Presentation streams
Hear from scholars and practitioners from across the HSS as they tackle our three themes: Networks of change, Methods in motion, and Legitimacy at the edge. Sessions will highlight how HSS knowledge is developed and applied across different contexts, with contributions that cross disciplinary and institutional boundaries and speak to real-world questions and challenges. Through these sessions, you’ll experience a varied mix of formats from individual presentations and facilitated discussions to workshops, creative and multimedia work, and hands-on labs designed to encourage exchange, experimentation, and practical learning.
Explore the themes:
How can creative partnerships across disciplines, sectors, and communities result in responsive and impactful research? This theme highlights interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral partnerships that expand the reach and urgency of the HSS.
How are scholars rethinking the ways they teach, research, and share knowledge to expand the horizons of the HSS? This theme explores bold methodological and pedagogical innovations that shape how knowledge is created, disseminated, and valued.
What role can the HSS play in rebuilding trust, navigating mis/disinformation, and strengthening democracy? This theme invites work that addresses historical and contemporary challenges to knowledge, legitimacy, and public discourse.
With over 400 community submissions so far, we’re excited to share the lineup later this spring.
Leading with evidence
Leading with evidence events focus on how HSS knowledge is used to inform decisions and address real-world challenges. Featuring leaders from across the sector, these sessions will share case studies and best practices for moving research into action through institutional initiatives, policy work, and cross-sector collaboration.
Sessions will emphasize practical insight and lived experience, offering participants a clearer view of how impact is built, sustained, and translated beyond the academy.
Connection and celebration
Beyond our structured programming, the Summit creates space to connect and celebrate.
Join us in marking a significant moment for the HSS at the Federation’s 30th Anniversary Gala: At the Inflection Point. This gathering offers an opportunity to come together as a community, reflect on the Federation’s journey, and look ahead to the decades to come, alongside the announcement of this year’s Canada Prizes winners.