Over the past six months, the ISSP has published multiple member blogs providing concrete advice to decision-makers about the myriad impacts and dimensions of COVID-19 – everything from science advice and government responses, to data collection and modelling to the cultural dimensions of superspreader events, the future of air travel, and the impacts on human rights. This volume compiles the contributions to date. We will be continuing the series in the months ahead.
As we turn to evaluating government performance during the pandemic, we need to consider not just the choices made by elected leaders but also the role of the CMOH and whether changes are necessary for the next time this happens. Because there will be a next time.
This summer on the first day of the workshop reading of my latest play, veteran Ottawa actor Paul Rainville asked me: How do I play a robot? He was referring to his character, Adam, the husband and father in The Anniversary. It’s a near-future tale about three adult children who return to the family home to celebrate their parent’s thirtieth anniversary. Key detail: Adam’s a robot.
With the 4th conference of the International Network of Government Science Advisors (INGSA) currently taking place in Montreal, it is worth recalling the earlier work of such structured, global science advisory gatherings.
To various extents, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the deterioration of the mental health of many people in Canada. However, certain groups have incurred more damage than others. Among them, refugees new to or in Canada have faced unique challenges during this time, according to existing research. Although certain resources exist to address the mental health needs of refugees, they face many barriers in accessing those services.
On Thursday, October 14, at 12:00 PM, the Institute for Science, Society and Policy will host a panel to discuss the successes and failures of COVID governance and what they mean for trust in expertise and public sector decision-making over the longer term.
The Chief Scientist of Québec, Rémi Quirion, and the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Mona Nemer, will have the pleasure of hosting the 4th International Conference on Science Advice to Governments, INGSA2021 — Build Back Wiser: Knowledge, Policy and Publics in Dialogue, from August 30 to September 2, 2021. This free event took place in a hybrid format from the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, Canada. The ISSP was a diffusion partner of the event.
On Thursday, July 22nd 2021, at 11 AM, the Science and Policy Exchange, the Institute for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP), National Research Council (NRC) and the International Institute for Applied System Analysis (IIASA) hosted a science diplomacy event to introduce early-career scientists to real global science-policy issues and to guide them through various evidence-informed policy scenarios.
From Monday, May 31 to Thursday, June 3, 2021, Positive Energy hosted a virtual conference exploring the roles and responsibilities between and among public authorities making decisions about Canada's energy future in an age of climate change. The conference convened senior leaders from business, government, Indigenous communities, civil society and the academy for a series of online, interactive, 1-hour sessions.
On Thursday, May 27, at 12:00 PM, the Institute for Science, Society and Policy hosted Prof. Handan Tezel, Faculty Affiliate, ISSP and Full Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Enginnering, Faculty of Enginnering, uOttawa, to discuss how we can capture carbon dioxide from combustion gases or from air and recycle it back to make fuels and other useful chemicals, instead of releasing it into the atmosphere.
On Tuesday, May 11, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, the ISSP and the RCIS hosted an expert panel discussion on AI and machine learning.
Will AI and machine learning augment or replace human creativity? How do we teach creativity to the next generation in a world of AI and machine learning? And how do we ensure teaching creativity and innovation in this world remains inclusive?
Professor Monica Gattinger, Chair and Dr. Patricia Larkin, Senior Research Associate, Positive Energy, presented a research study on regulatory innovation to the 2021 CAMPUT Annual General Meeting and Conference.
