Global Engagement 2021 Summit: Pandemic

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Imagine studying a global phenomenon while being in the midst of its many impacts. That’s what the students, instructors, and Jarislowsky Fellows of this term’s Global Engagement Seminar have been grappling with for the past three months.

The 2021 Global Engagement Seminar interdisciplinary course is now gearing up to share their research and insights on pandemics in their online Summit, April 7.

The six distinguished Jarislowsky Fellows are preparing a panel discussion on the broad pandemic theme, each contributing from their respective areas of expertise, including Indigenous communities, health and medicine, media, history, race and equity. The panel begins at 10:00 a.m. and will be moderated by course instructors, professors Shannon Majowicz, from the School of Public Health in the Faculty of Health, and Shana MacDonald, from the Department of Communication Arts in the Faculty of Arts.

Jarislowsky Fellow, Denise Balkissoon, executive editor at Chatelaine magazine, comments on what she hopes the audience will take away from the event: "I hope the Summit attendees comes away with a sense of just how broadly this pandemic has wormed its way into the smallest corners of our lives, and how broadly we'll need to think if we have any chance of a truly meaningful recovery."

Beginning at 12:30 p.m. the Global Engagement Seminar students will present their projects tackling specific problems and solutions related to the pandemic, including a digital zine, a podcast, a social media campaign connecting students in this isolating time, an infographic and video exploring different countries and their responses to the global pandemic — and many more innovative ideas. The Summit will conclude with closing remarks by professors MacDonald and Majowicz.

The Global Engagement Summit: Pandemic takes place virtually on Wednesday, April 7th, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and is free and open to the university community and the general public. Register online to attend.