CNLH Inaugural Workshop: Reimagining “the Human” in Research Teaching and Innovation

When: August 29-30, 2022
Where: Green College UBC

From August 29th – 30th, 2022, the Canadian Network of Law and Humanities (“CNLH”) hosted its inaugural conference, “Reimagining ‘the Human’ in Research, Teaching, and Innovation.” The conference was held at Green College, an interdisciplinary graduate residential college at the University of British Columbia. The two-day workshop convened CNLH members from across Canada, where participants had the opportunity to engage in thoughtful, multifaceted discussion about the challenges and new frontiers of L&H research and teaching in the context of contemporary Canadian universities. In addition to panels devoted to the question of “the human” in colonial encounters, gender stereotypes, legal pedagogies, and legal and literary artifacts, the workshop featured a keynote address by leading L&H scholar Desmond Manderson of the Australian National University. The two-day gathering concluded with a film screening at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts of “The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel,” directed by CNLH member and UBC Law Professor Joel Bakan. The screening was followed by a roundtable discussion between the film director and members of the Network Julen Etxabe (Allard, UBC), Rebecca Johnson (UVic) and Jennifer Schultz (Manitoba).   

This conference also laid the foundation for the future activities of the CNLH as conveners and members reflected on the purpose and potential of the network, and outlined the next steps towards that vision.