A&S scholars sharing their expertise in the media this week

July 10, 2020 by A&S News

Scholars from a range of disciplines across the Faculty of Arts & Science are sharing their expertise on pressing issues in the media — from solutions to rebuild Canada’s economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision not to travel to the United States to mark the launch of a new North American trade agreement.

Here’s some of what A&S scholars had to say this week.

July 3, 2020

Scholars affiliated with the Innovation Policy Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy wrap up a two-week-long feature series in Policy Options, examining how the pandemic affects innovation and inclusive growth in Canada and the policies, strategies and resources needed to rebuild a stronger and more inclusive innovation economy going forward.

Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies PhD candidate Erick Laming comments in the Toronto Star (paywall) about public trust in oversight of police organizations, and the collection of race -based data during investigations. “You have this accountability to the public to do proper investigations,” Laming says. “This is how you understand if systemic racism is happening.”

July 4, 2020

Erick Laming speaks about the effectiveness of using the phrase ‘Defund the Police’ in the campaign for changes in policing practices, in a CTV News story. “Divest might be a better term — see where we can take some money away and actually reallocate to something that might be beneficial to the community,” Laming says.

July 5, 2020

Department of Art History assistant professor Ulrike Al-Khamis comments in the Toronto Star (paywall) about efforts to capture and preserve the essence of living through the COVID-19 pandemic through art. “People have been turning to art to overcome isolation, to stay sane and healthy,” says Al-Khamis, noting that months of lockdown have made people across the country desperate to reconnect and using art to create conversations can be healing.

July 6, 2020

Janice Stein of the Department of Political Science and the Munk School, and Nelson Wiseman of Political Science and the Canadian Studies program, both comment on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision not to attend a meeting about the CUSMA trade agreement in Washington, D.C. – Stein in the New York Times (paywall) and Wiseman in the Washington Post (paywall).“It would be really awkward for the prime minister to go when, in all likelihood, the border is not going to open, given the escalating cases in the United States,” Stein says.

Scott McKnight, a PhD candidate in Political Science, comments on tensions between Canada and China on CTV News Channel, in the wake of Canada’s suspension of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong and China’s issuing of a travel advisory for its citizens traveling to Canada.

July 7, 2020

Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology assistant professor Megan Frederickson discusses her observations of how the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the ability of women in academia to maintain their research programs. Citing an increase in domestic work and caregiving responsibilities that disproportionately fall to women with children at home, Frederickson tells University Affairs that that female graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and young faculty members whose work has been impacted by COVID-19 could feel the effects throughout their careers.

Nelson Wiseman comments further on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision not to visit the United States to meet with the presidents of the United States and Mexico to mark the start of a new trade agreement between the three countries. In an NPR story, Wiseman says, "Trudeau loses in Canadian public opinion to be seen chumming around with a very unpopular Trump."

July 8, 2020

Erick Laming speaks with CBC News about the relationship between police and Indigenous people across Canada.  "A lot of the [Indigenous] people I've interviewed, they've had one negative experience and it's enough to break that trust and it's really hard to repair it," Laming says.

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