Congress 2025 took place at George Brown College in Toronto from May 30 to June 6. Over 7,000 scholars, graduate students, and practitioners in the humanities and social sciences (HSS) gathered together and shared their research.
The conference supported equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID), and featured virtual components to accommodate participants joining remotely.
Land Acknowledgement
The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is honoured to visit, and learn about, the Indigenous lands across Canada. We acknowledge the diversity of Indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast, and we extend our respects to all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples for their valuable contributions, past and present. George Brown College is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Theme
Reframing togetherness
As the first college to host Congress, George Brown invites researchers, students, educators, policymakers, and the public to reframe what it means to coexist with other humans, the environment, and technology. With an invitation and a challenge, we aim to open a collaborative space that bridges different ways of learning and producing knowledge in order to rethink our roles and responsibilities in these times of climate and humanitarian disasters, ever-evolving technologies, social isolation, dislocation, and increasing polarization.
This milestone Congress challenges all attendees to model togetherness by questioning traditional knowledge hierarchies and by collaborating on fundamental- and applied-research solutions for humanity's historically rooted problems. If communities rally around commonalities, togetherness may offer us a way to build on a foundation of diversity and heterogeneity that helps us reframe our perspectives and generate innovative solutions for enduring issues.
What past, present, or fictional models of togetherness can put these issues into new contexts? How can we further decolonize our worldview and rework our relationships to the environment and technology? Conversely, what are the drawbacks of togetherness? In response to contemporary realities, new pitfalls of interconnection, from mental health impacts to reactionary extremism, emerge continually. Ultimately, how can our collaborative sharing of knowledge and learning enable us to care for a world in trouble in personally, societally, culturally, and politically healthy ways?
Participation
- 7,550 participants
- 48 scholarly associations
- 77 countries represented
- 84 Canadian institutions represented
- 6 - Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (CSBS)
- 8 - Canadian Catholic Historical Association (CCHA)
- 9 - Canadian Society of Church History (CSCH)
- 15 - Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE)
- 16 - Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE)
- 19 - Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English (ACCUTE)
- 25 - Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Science (CSHPS)
- 26 - Canadian Historical Association (CHA)
- 39 - Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Mathematics (CSHPM)
- 42 - Canadian Society for the Study of Names (CSSN)
- 43 - Canadian Association for the Advancement of Netherlandic Studies (CAANS)
- 45 - Canadian Society of Patristic Studies (CSPS)
- 46 - Canadian Peace Research Association (CPRA)
- 47 - Canadian Philosophical Association (CPA)
- 48 - Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA)
- 49 - Canadian Population Society (CPS )
- 50 - Canadian Society for the Study of Religion (CSSR)
- 51 - Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies (CSRS)
- 53 - Canadian Society for the Study of Practical Ethics (CSSPE)
- 59 - Canadian Sociological Association (CSA)
- 65 - Canadian Theological Society (CTS)
- 70 - Canadian Society for the History of Medicine (CSHM)
- 98 - Canadian Association of Learned Journals (CALJ)
- 105 - Canadian Communication Association (CCA)
- 111 - RhetCanada/Canadian Society for the Study of Rhetoric (RhetCanada/CSSR)
- 210 - Hungarian Studies Association of Canada (HSAC)
- 215 - Canadian Association for the Study of Discourse and Writing (CASDW)
- 217 - Canadian Association for the Study of Adult Education (CASAE)
- 225 - Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID)
- 231 - Canadian Society for Aesthetics (CSA)
- 238 - Bibliographical Society of Canada (BSC)
- 239 - Society for Existential and Phenomenological Theory and Culture (EPTC)
- 240 - Canadian Association for Translation Studies (CATS)
- 255 - Canadian Society for Digital Humanities (CSDH)
- 256 - Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics (CAAL)
- 259 - Environmental Studies Association of Canada (ESAC)
- 297 - Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS)
- 300 - Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research (ANSER)
- 303 - Sexuality Studies Association (SSA)
- 304 - Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians (CAPAL)
- 307 - Indigenous Literary Studies Association (ILSA)
- 311 - Canadian Society for the Study of Comics (CSSC)
- 314 - Open Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association (OTESSA)
- 315 - Canadian South Asian Studies Association (CSASA)
- 316 - International Association for the Study of Francophone Literature and Cultures (AIELCEF)
- 318 - Canadian Society for Iranian and Persian Studies (CSIPS)
- 319 - Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE)
- 501 - Canadian Association for Leisure Studies (CALS)
Open programming
Big Thinking at Congress is the key opportunity at the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences for academics, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share ideas and solutions for a more innovative, progressive, and inclusive society.
- Technologies of togetherness
- Heather Krause, Debra Lam (panelists); Ryan Morrison (moderator)
- Environments of togetherness
- Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, Melina Laboucan-Massimo (panelists); Kay-Ann Williams (moderator)
- Care of togetherness
- Billy-Ray Belcourt, Jael Richardson, Kisha Supernant (panelists); Kai Cheng Thom (moderator)
- Pedagogies of togetherness
- Paul Turcotte, Jessica Riddell (panelists); Normand Labrie (moderator)
Career Corner is a professional development workshop series where everyone from graduate students to established faculty members can learn how to publish and market their research, improve their lesson planning and teaching skills and find out about careers outside of academia.
- Ubuntu in practice: Reframing togetherness to promote Black wholeness
- Making the most of graduate talent: Expanding WIL for PhD and master's students
- AI ethics and disruption: Policies shaping the future of work for recent graduates
- HSS Commons Drop-in Session
- "Who You Callin' Black Eh?"
- Well-being in the classroom: What does liberation have to do with that?!
- SSHRC Student and postdoc info session
- Weaving and knowing: Situating Métis research methodologies within Indigenous research
- The Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN): Supporting research for more than 25 years
- Designing emotionally literate learning spaces
- UA workshop: Covering Federal politics in uncertain times
- Uncommon proceedings: Insights and research from the 2024-25 Parliamentary Internship Programme
- Building a career in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): Pathways and possibilities
Featured programming at Congress is a series of high-profile interdisciplinary events hosted in close collaboration with partner organizations. As open events at Congress, all Congress attendees and members of the public registering with a community pass are able to attend.
- Generative AI, LLMs, and Knowledge Structures
- Amanda Lawrence, Geoffrey Rockwell, Lai-Tze Fan, Ray Siemens (panelists)
- Presented by the Federation and Implementing New Knowledge Environments Partnership (INKE)
- Reimagining the self: Poetry, place, and the power of voice in public pedagogy
- Presented by Hamilton You Poets
- Zines 101: Intro to the world of self-publishing
- Presented by Sonali Menezes
- The Canada Prizes: Unwritten histories, unfolding futures
- Charmain Levy (moderator)
- Presented by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
George Brown College hosted an exciting roster of events showcasing the work of thought leaders, faculty, entrepreneurs, researchers, partners, and students.
- Research, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Showcase
- The Bridge Between: Humanities, Skilled Trades, and the Future of Work
- PEN Panel Dicussion: Freedom of Expression in Tumultuous Times
- Community Care Center: A Safe(r) Space
- Animation Nation: The Origin Story of a Starving Artist with Michael Hirsh
- Nourishing Minds through Care, Creativity, and Collaboration
- GBC's Pride Kick Off
- Uncorking Connection: Wine Tasting with GBC's Master Sommelier
- Queer Marronage as a Strategy for Black Liberation
- Black Researchers Chill and Chat
- Flavours of Compassion: Whisking up Wellness
- Mississauga's of the Credit First Nation Live Exhibition
- Pedagogies of Global Togetherness: Student
- Rhythms of Change – Book Talk with Mitchell Cohen and Dr. Gervan Fearon – Reflections on the Regent Park
- EvolvED - Intentionally Evolving Together: Challenges, Inspiration, and Possibilities
Congress coverage
- 8 member associations with Congress media coverage
- 18 institutions with Congress media coverage
- Seen by 670 million + worldwide
LU professor wins 2025 Canada Prize for book documenting Indigenous women's experiences
Candace Brunette-Debassige, Canada Prizes recipient, Laurentian University
Professeur à l’UQTR, Pierre Lavoie remporte un prestigieux prix pour son livre
Pierre Lavoie, Canada Prizes recipient, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Fahimeh Mehrabi, University of Calgary
Canadian Sociological Association (CSA)
Linking through litter: CBU researcher finds that plogging unites mllennials and boomers
Kelsey Harvey, Cape Breton University and Kaneera Uthayakumaran, McMaster University
Canadian Association for Leisure Studies (CALS)
VIU study finds many post secondary students going hungry
Jenna Sportak, Sydney Gallant, and Meagan Sharpe, Vancouver Island University
Canadian Sociological Association (CSA)
University of Waterloo study raises concerns over remote work surveillance
Adam Molnar and Danielle E. Thompson, University of Waterloo
Canadian Sociological Association (CSA)
Economic benefits of supporting farmers’ markets
David Connell, University of Northern B.C.
Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS)
N.S. news: Educator discusses dangers of social media addiction
Paul Bennett, Saint Mary's University
Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE)
AI Tutors Can Be Just as Effective as Humans in Welcoming Newcomers to Canada: Toronto Study
Ji-young Shin and Liz Coulson, University of Toronto Mississauga
Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics (CAAL)
Researchers Urge Action on Black Food Insecurity in Toronto
Julian Hasford and Emmanuel Kyeremeh, Toronto Metropolitan University
Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS)
Toronto Researcher Urges Colleges to Treat Students as Customers in New Study
Blair Smith, George Brown College
Congress Digest is your source for Congress-related highlights, career development tips, and session spotlights.
Funding
- 34 sessions funded through the Open Programming Fund
- 138 Congress Graduate Merit Award recipients
- 25 Mike DeGagné Fund recipients
Acknowledgements
Congress is brought to life by a team of hundreds of individuals, including Federation staff and board members, Program Chairs and Local Arrangement Coordinators, and partners.
Congress would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors:
Partner sponsor
Leading sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Supporting sponsor
