By-invitation gatherings co-created with partners, bringing advocates and changemakers together to tackle timely issues with depth and impact.
About the series | Future-ready graduate education in Canada | Funding | Past events
About the series
The Big Thinking Summit series offers selective, co-designed events that concentrate on a single core issue. Each one- to two-day convening brings 50–100 participants into a setting that prioritizes depth over scale, fostering informed exchange and producing tangible next steps. Positioned at the intersection of research and policy, the series creates strategic spaces where expertise and collaboration drive actionable solutions.
Big Thinking Summit: Future-ready graduate education in Canada
McMaster University, Hamilton - October 15-16, 2025
Graduate education in Canada is navigating a period of significant change, driven by evolving funding models, shifting academic career pathways, and the growing demands of our innovation ecosystems. Ensuring graduate student perspectives are part of these conversations is essential to shaping the future.
To this end, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, and the Canadian Collaborative for Society, Innovation and Policy are convening this Summit to define priorities and strategies for a National Strategy for Graduate Education, grounded in evidence and informed by cross-sector collaboration.
The program will combine plenary discussions with deliberative breakout sessions, a space where your voice, alongside other leaders and partners, can advance shared understanding and build consensus on the policy and practice shifts needed to position Canada’s graduate education system for the future.
Program
| 13:00-13:15 | Welcome and Land Acknowledgement - Knowledge Keeper, Grandmother Kathy | ||
13:15-14:00 Catalyst Roundtable | The State of Graduate Education. Perspectives on Current Disruptions.
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14:15-15:30 Sense-Making | Deliberations 1 | Deliberations 2 | Deliberations 3 |
Julie Dirwimmer, Fonds de recherche du Québec Kusum Bhatta, McMaster Graduate Student Association | Sheila Cote-Meek, Brock University Kathryn Grandfield, McMaster University | Cathy Barr, Imagine Canada Jeff Casello, University of Waterloo | |
| Reception and Keynote. Art Gallery of Hamilton. 123 King St W | |||
| 17:00-18:15 | Reception/ Julie Dirwimmer: "Unclassifiable" | ||
| 18:15-19:45 | Reimagining Graduate Education. Big Ideas for a Changing World Speaker/Moderator: Fahim Quadir, President, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, and Dean of Graduate Studies at Queen’s University Speakers: Jackie Pichette, Director of Skills Policy, RBC Thought Leadership; Jessica Riddell, Founder, Hope Circuits Institute; Mike DeGagné, CEO, Indspire | ||
9:00-9:45 Catalyst Roundtable | Transforming Graduate Education. What Capacity to Effect and Manage Change in Universities?
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10:00-11:15 Sense-Making | Deliberations 1 | Deliberations 2 | Deliberations 3 |
Julie Carrier, Université de Montréal Merli Tamtik, President, Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education | Adam Sarty, Saint Mary’s University Charlene Marion, Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada | Alice MacLachlan, York University Bernard Perley, Canadian Anthropology Society | |
| 11:30-12:15 | Reflection | ||
| Lunch | |||
14:00-15:30 Closing Panel | How Will Canada Build the Graduate Education System It Needs?
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| Next Steps and Farewells |
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Annie Pilote Dean, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Université Laval, past chair of the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences | Barrington Walker Vice-Provost Equity and Inclusion at McMaster University and Chair of the Board of Directors at the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences | Christian Noumi Research and Evaluation Associate, Future Skills Centre | Evelyn Asiedu Former Senior Director of Research and Head of EDI at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research | Fahim Quadir President, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, and Dean of Graduate Studies at Queen’s University |
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Frederic Bouchard Dean of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal | Ian Wereley Executive Director, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies | Jackie Pichette Director of Skills Policy, RBC Thought Leadership | Jarita Greyeyes Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies at McMaster University | Jessica Braimoh Co-Chair of the EDID Committee Impact Training for Social Innovation, and Assistant Professor at York University |
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Jessica Riddell Founder, Hope Circuits Institute | Joshua Lovell Director of Policy, Council of Ontario University | Julie Jonkhans President of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Development Network | Karine Morin President and CEO, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences | Loleen Berdhal Executive Director of the Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan |
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Mike DeGagné CEO, Indspire | Rahina Zarma Director of Policy at Mitacs | Robert Luke CEO of eCampusOntario | Sandra Boisvert Assistant Director, Policy and Research, Universities Canada | Sandra Lapointe Director, Canadian Collaborative for Society Innovation and Policy, and The/La Collaborative |
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Shakid Mahamud Chairperson, National Graduate Caucus | Simone Tetu Vice-Présidente du Comité Intersectoriel Étudiant du Fonds de recherche | Suzanne Curtin Dean of Graduate Studies at Brock University; Past Chair of Ontario Council of Graduate Deans | Tim Wilson Associate Vice-President of Research Programs at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council | Yulian Weng Vice-Chair Membership of the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars |
Funding
The Federation offers two subsidy programs to support attendee participation at the Big Thinking Summit: Future-ready graduate education in Canada.
The 2025 Big Thinking Summit Child and Dependent Care Subsidy is offered to parents and caregivers whose research intersects with the humanities and social sciences. It aims to help cover the costs related to child and dependent care that may hinder their attendance in the Big Thinking Summit.
The 2025 Big Thinking Summit Graduate Participation Grant is available for graduate students whose research intersects with the humanities and social sciences. It aims to help cover the costs that may hinder their attendance in the Big Thinking Summit.
Learn more about both programs and sign up for funding at the following links.
The inaugural Big Thinking Summit, held June 3–4 during Congress 2025 at George Brown College in Toronto, brought together leaders from colleges, institutes, and universities to strengthen connections and advance cross-sector solutions to Canada’s most pressing challenges. Inspired by the theme Reframing togetherness, the two-day forum called on the sector to embrace shared responsibility and collaborative action in an era of rapid change. Through candid dialogue and collective visioning, participants explored how a stronger, unified voice for the humanities and social sciences can help shape Canada’s future.
Speakers:
- Gervan Fearon (George Brown College)
- Jacqueline Ottmann (First Nations University of Canada)
- Pari Johnston (Colleges and Institutes Canada – CICan)
- Gabriel Miller (Universities Canada)
- Karine Morin (Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences)
- Krista Pawley (Wavemakers / Imperative Impact / SingularityU Canada)
- Val Walker (BHER); Taki Sarantakis (Canada School of Public Service)
- Alex Usher (Higher Education Strategy Associates)
Explore a recap of the event:
Stronger together: Post-secondary education in times of upheaval
