Webinar is the fourth in a series on systemic racism from UBC’s Okanagan campus
What: Science and Systemic Racism webinar
Who: Speakers include Ian Foulds, principal’s research chair on Indigenous reconciliation in engineering, UBC Okanagan; Magdalena Skipper, editor-in-chief of Nature; and Alejandro Adem, president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
When: Thursday, November 26, 9 to 11 a.m.
Where: Online event, register at ok.ubc.ca/festival-of-ideas/science-and-systemic-racism
UBC’s Okanagan campus is hosting a series of webinars on science and systemic racism. The webinars begin on November 26 and are part of an ongoing speaker series on systemic racism organized by the university.
The first three events in the series focused on the experiences of anti-Black racism from students and faculty. In this next discussion, a panel of leaders from a top science publication, a major Canadian scientific funding body, and an expert on Indigenous reconciliation will explore the possibility of a more inclusive world of science.
“Our academic community has expressed a desire to hear from institutional leaders about accountability, responsibility and strategies for change,” says Ananya Mukherjee Reed, provost and vice-president academic at UBC Okanagan. “This is a critically important topic and I plan to continue the conversation with more voices in the research and scientific community over the coming months.”
This event is the first of three examining racism in science specifically, with the next two—planned for the new year—featuring the perspectives of Indigenous and Black scientists.
The Science and Systemic Racism webinar will host Ian Foulds, the principal’s research chair in Indigenous reconciliation in engineering at UBC Okanagan; Magdalena Skipper, editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Nature; and Alejandro Adem, president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
The editors of Nature, one of the most prestigious journals in the sciences, have released a statement on racism and NSERC, Canada’s largest supporter of discovery and innovation, has made its own statement on equity, diversity and inclusion. UBC President Santa Ono, who will give opening remarks at the event, made similar commitments over the summer and again in the fall.
“I want to explore how are we doing with the commitments, what we are hearing and how universities and institutions work together for a more inclusive science,” explains Mukherjee Reed.
She also points to the need to foster allyship.
“It is not easy to build allyship, but we cannot stand still,” says Mukherjee Reed, who was recently appointed one of UBC’s co-executive leads for anti-racism. “We must proceed as best we can and be prepared to learn as we move forward.”
The event is free and open to the public but advance registration is required at: ok.ubc.ca/festival-of-ideas/science-and-systemic-racism
