Speaker: Kent Roach, Law, University of Toronto Topic: “Wrongfully Convicted: Lessons from the Canadian Registry” Abstract: This talk will discuss some of the findings from the Canadian Registry of Wrongful […]
Colloquium, September 19, 2024, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: “How to deal with tensions that have erupted on campuses as a result of the […]
Speaker: Lissa Paul, Professor of English, Brock University Title: “Children’s Literature and Literary History: From Beowulf to Virginia Woolf and from The Big Bad Wolf to Tom Wolfe” Abstract: Not […]
Speaker: Ian Cusson, Composer Title: “Indigeneity in Contemporary Opera: Wolf-men and Vacations to Prague” Abstract: Ian will explore Indigenous representation in contemporary opera through examples from his body of work, […]
October 7, 2024, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet by George Monbiot (2022) Discussion Leader: Sara Shettleworth This book by an award-winning […]
Speaker: Kenneth Bartlett, History and Renaissance Studies, U of T Title: “Raphael and the Mystery of the Frame: Art, Science and History in Search of an Answer” Abstract: A copy […]
Speaker: Nandita Bajaj, Executive Director, Population Balance Title: “Connecting the Dots between Reproductive Autonomy and Environmental Sustainability” Abstract: Human population has doubled in the last 50 years, growing from approximately […]
Colloquium, October 17, 2024, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: “The issues about introducing a universal basic income in Canada. How to pay for it and […]
Speaker: Soren Brothers, Allan and Helaine Shiff Curator of Climate Change, ROM; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, U of T Title: “Climate, Lakes, and Museums: Intersections and Transdisciplinary Opportunities” Abstract: While climate […]
Speaker: Paul Stevens, English Department, University of Toronto Title: “Robinson Crusoe and the Slave Trade: A Treatise against Adventure” Abstract: The break-out of the Muslim slave trade into the Atlantic […]
November 4, 2024, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer (2017) Discussion Leader: […]
Speaker: Mary Nyquist, English/Comparative Literature, U of T Title: “Early Modern Freedom, Tyranny, and the Rhetorical Power of ‘Slave’” Abstract: Why is the word “slave” capable of causing such anguish […]
This event has already taken place. The next Peter Russell Discussion will be held in November, 2026. Champions of Rights: Courts and Legislatures? Thursday, November 7th, University of Toronto […]
Speaker: Yvonne Bombard, IHPME, U of T Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, U of T Title: “Delivering Precision Genomic Medicine: Evidence, Policy and Equity” Genetic testing has become […]
Colloquium, November 14, 2024, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: “The problems of social media” Organized by: Phil Sullivan Lunch before the colloquium The lunch is […]
Speaker: Clifford Orwin, Political Science, U of T Title: “The Double 24-Hour Makeover Election” Abstract: The venerable conservative columnist George Will — a retired professor at the U of T! — […]
Speaker: Franca Iacovetta, History, U of T, and Cynthia Wright, School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, York U Title: “Remembering Emma Goldman in Toronto, 1920s-2020s” Abstract: Emma Goldman – […]
December 2, 2024, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows Culture: The Story of Us from Cave-Art to K Pop by Martin Puchner (2023) Discussion Leader: Meg Fox Harvard literary historian Martin Puchner […]
January 6, 2024, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis (2015) Discussion Leader: Meg Fox André Alexis offers “an utterly compelling and affecting look at the […]
Wednesday Talk: January 8 , 2025, at 2pm. It is in-person and on Zoom Speaker: Elizabeth Clare, Biology, York University Title: “A Chance to Measure Life on Earth: The Potential of Airborne […]
Wednesday Talk: January 15 , 2025, at 2pm. It is in-person and on Zoom Speaker: Gerry Friesen, History, University of Manitoba Title: “The Honourable John Norquay: Indigenous Premier, Canadian Statesman” […]
Colloquium, January 16, 2025, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: “How do we deal with the crisis in aging?” Organized by Marty Klein Lunch before the colloquium […]
Wednesday Talk: January 22 , 2025, at 2pm. It is in-person and on Zoom Speaker: Anne Urbancic, Italian; Semiotics, Victoria College, U of T Title: “Large Double Double: How Tim […]
Wednesday Talk: January 29 , 2025, at 2pm. It is in-person and on Zoom Speaker: Sharon Vattay, architectural historian, cultural heritage specialist Topic: “Toronto's Massey Music Hall: Conservation in Practice" […]
February 3 2025, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep by Kenneth Miller (2023) Discussion Leader: Daphne Maurer The […]
Speaker: Matthew Light, Centre for European and Eurasian Studies, Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, U of T Title: “Ukraine: The Stakes for Canada” Abstract: As the war in Ukraine […]
Speaker: Tom Keymer, English, U of T Title: “Jane Austen and the Jurassic” ABSTRACT: Ecocritical scholarship on 19th-century literature has explored the impact on Victorian writers of the new geological and […]
Speaker: Patricia Brubaker, Physiology and Medicine, U of T Title: The basic science underlying the beneficial actions of ♪O, O, O, O-zempic♪ Abstract: Drugs based on the intestinal hormone glucagon-like […]
Colloquium, February 20, 2025, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: "Poverty in Canada: causes, effects and solutions. Whose responsibility?" Organized by: Bill Logan and Trevor […]
Speaker: Netami Stuart, Senior Project Manager for Parks, Waterfront Toronto Title: “The Port Lands Flood Protection Infrastructure Project: How to Build a River” Abstract: The Port Lands Flood Protection and […]
Exhibition: Art from Soweto, Out from Storage on Thursday, February, 27, 2025 - in person only - Registration is required for opening day attendance. No exceptions. The Senior College Centre is […]
March 3 2025, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows Homelands: A Personal History of Europe by Timothy Garton Ash (2023) Discussion Leader: David Milne Winner of the 2024 Gelner Prize, […]
Exhibition: Art from Soweto, Out from Storage on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - in person only - Registration is not required The Senior College Centre is delighted to present an […]
Speaker: Madeleine Zurowski, Physics, U of T Title: “Searching in the Dark” Abstract: Dark Matter is a hypothesised new particle thought to make up 85% of the matter in the universe. This talk will […]
Speaker: James Campbell Topic: “Music Inside Out” Abstract: James Campbell has collaborated with many legendary artists, including Glenn Gould, Aaron Copland, Janus Starker, and the Amadeus String Quartet. He will tell stories about […]
Speaker: Mark G. McGowan, St. Michael’s College, U of T Topic: “’Kindred Spirits’ in the North: Indigenous Peoples in British North American and their Donations to the Irish Famine Relief” […]
April 7, 2025, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (1974) Discussion Leader: Molly Wills Successful both as literature and as a thought experiment, […]
"Meet Your Colleagues" Summer Sessions Thursdays 2-4pm on Zoom only - Fellows and External Fellows only May 1, 2025: Lynda Lange Link to register: https://forms.office.com/r/bg1NnmcQQd The deadline to register is the morning […]
May 5, 2025, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows The Odyssey by Homer, in the new poetic translation by Emily Wilson (2017) Discussion Leaders: Linda Hutcheon and Martin Revermann Homer's […]
"Meet Your Colleagues" Summer Sessions Thursdays 2-4pm on Zoom only - Fellows and External Fellows only May 8, 2025: David Milne Link to register: https://forms.office.com/r/bg1NnmcQQd The deadline to register is the morning […]
"Meet Your Colleagues" Summer Sessions Thursdays 2-4pm on Zoom only - Fellows and External Fellows only May 22, 2025: John Dirks Link to register: https://forms.office.com/r/UBazhDrtef The deadline to register is the morning […]
"Meet Your Colleagues" Summer Sessions Thursdays 2-4pm on Zoom only - Fellows and External Fellows only May 29, 2025: Anne Urbancic Link to register: https://forms.office.com/r/tpLXDkJrCh The deadline to register is the morning […]
June 2, 2025, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows The Valley of the Birdtail by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) (2022) Discussion leader: Janet Paterson This book […]
"Meet Your Colleagues" Summer Sessions Thursdays 2-4pm on Zoom only - Fellows and External Fellows only June 5, 2025: Link to register: https://forms.office.com/r/zJAWKScnej The deadline to register is the morning of the […]
July 7, 2025, 2-4pm, - Fellows and External Fellows The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Fei-Fei Li (2023) Discussion Leader: Susan Pfeiffer […]
September 8, 2025, 2-4 pm - Fellows and External Fellows James by Percival Everett (2024) Discussion Leader: Meg Fox “With my pencil, I wrote myself into being,” writes James. The […]
Lorraine York, English and Cultural Studies, McMaster U Tittle “'Yes, I’m a Witch”: Yoko Ono, Paracelebrity as Parasitism, and the Racializing of Fame Hunger” Introducer: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: Yoko Ono’s artistic […]
Susan McCahan, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Provost, Digital Strategies and Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education “The Impact of AI on University Education” Introducer: Susan Pfeiffer Abstract: The existence of, and easy […]
Colloquium, September 18, 2025, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only. In-person only Topic: "What makes a City Livable" Organized by: Giuliana Katz Lunch before the colloquium: The lunch is […]
Liat Margolis, Daniels, U of T; Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag/Flooded Valley Healing Title: “Call to Action #66: A Land-based Indigenous Youth Program” Introducer: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: The Canadian Truth and Reconciliation […]
Larry Moran, Biochemistry, U of T Title: “What’s in Your Genome?” Introducer: Jim Gurd Abstract: Scientists have been studying the human genome for more than 70 years but today there […]
October 6, 2025, 2-4 pm - Fellows and External Fellows Fire Weather by John Vaillant (2023) Discussion Leader: Susan Pfeiffer Rather than just an intellectual exploration, this is about pressing […]
Bob Davidson, Spanish, U of T Title: “Smelling the Humanities” Introducer: Anne Urbancic Abstract: We don’t truly appreciate our sense of smell until it’s temporarily gone. Yet, even still, it […]
Robert Sharpe, Law, U of T Title: “The Persons Case: Equality of Women and the Constitution as a Living Tree” Introducer: Jim Hunter Abstract: The Persons case, the landmark 1928 […]
Colloquium, October 16, 2025, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: "Diversity and Identity in Canada" Organized by: Trevor Lloyd Lunch before the colloquium: The lunch […]
Eric Jennings, History, U of T Title: “A World History of Vanilla” Introducer: Charles Maurer Abstract: Open your fridge or pantry, and you’ll likely find vanilla: perhaps a bottle of […]
Zhang, Di, Music, York U Title: “Exploring Regional Yangqin Music in China” Introducer: Daphne Maurer Abstract: This presentation offers an in-depth exploration of regional yangqin music, focusing on the traditional […]
November 3, 2025, 2-4 pm - Fellows and External Fellows Autocracy Inc: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World by Anne Applebaum (2024) Discussion Leader: David Milne Pulitzer prize-winning […]
Carl Knappett, Art History, U of T Title: “The Coastal World of Minoan Palaikastro” Introducer: Susan Pfeiffer Abstract: Lying on the eastern tip of Crete, Palaikastro was one of the […]
Ian Radforth, History, U of T Title: "Deadly Swindle: An 1890 Murder in Backwoods Ontario That Gripped the World" Introducer: Linda Hutcheon Abstract: This lecture will offer a journey into […]
Colloquium, November 13, 2025, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: "Science and Scientism” Organized by: Phil Sullivan READINGS: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientism 2) https://philosophynow.org/issues/36/What_Can_You_Do_With_Philosophy_Anyway 3) https://scientificandmedical.net/scientism-when-science-becomes-a-religion-by-steve-taylor/ 4) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830725000357 5) SCientific Knowlwdge […]
David Rayside, History Title: “The Biography of an Early Upper Canadian House” Introducer: Jim Gurd Abstract: One of Ontario’s oldest houses faces the St. Lawrence River in the small village […]
Quinya Liu, Earth Sciences, Physics, U of T Title: “Rumbles Beneath Your Feet: Earthquakes, Resource Exploration and Earth’s Tectonic History” Introducer: Bibhu Mohanty occurring on our planet. Widespread devastation can […]
Special Events Special End-of-Term Event: The Autumn of Brahms On Wednesday, November 26, following our final morning lecture, join us in the Lounge for a captivating clarinet and piano recital featuring two world-class musicians: James Campbell – internationally […]
December 1, 2025, 2-4 pm - Fellows and External Fellows - Zoom only event Orbital by Samantha Harvey (2023) Discussion Leader: Malcolm Woodland Winner of the 2024 Booker and Hawthornden […]
January 5, 2026, 2-4 pm – Fellows and External Fellows ChatGPT and the Future of AI by Terrence J. Sejnowski (2024) Discussion leader: Daphne Maurer An accessible and timely introduction […]
Speaker: Isaac Bogoch, Infectious Diseases, Medicine, U of T Title: “Emerging Infections and How to Fight Them” Abstract: We will discuss how infectious diseases emerge and ultimately spread around the […]
Speaker: Neil Besner, English, U of Winnipeg Title: Montreal Standard Time, 1944-1950: Mavis Gallant’s Short Stories and Her Early Journalism Abstract: Gallant’s early journalism for The Montreal Standard has […]
Speaker: David Townsend, English and Medieval Studies, U of T. Title: “Imagination, Historical Knowledge, and Public Discourse” Abstract: Guilty pleasure or serious cultural work? Academics have vexed relationships with historical […]
Colloquium, January 22, 2026, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: “What is the purpose of education?” Organized by: Mary Finlay Readings: https://mje.mcgill.ca/article/download/8744/6687/26043 https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/purpose-education https://www.edutopia.org/article/what-education/ John […]
Speaker: Daphne Maurer, Psychology, McMaster U Title: “An Invisible Pandemic” Abstract: In this century, most schoolchildren are becoming nearsighted--80% to 90% of them in Asia--and nearsightedness in school often causes […]
February 2, 2026, 2-4 pm - Fellows and External Fellows The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017 by Rashid Khalidi (2020) Discussion Leaders: […]
Speaker: Jennifer DeSilva, Woodsworth College, U of T Title: "Women's Labour in Renaissance Florence's Streets and Taverns" Abstract: Early modern men writing in Florence depicted their taverns as wonderful and […]
Speaker: Beatrix Dart, Rotman School of Management, U of T Title: “Retired, Not Expired: The Longevity Economy Unveiled” Abstract: As Canada’s population ages, a powerful economic and social shift is […]
Speaker: Laura Hug, Environmental Microbiology, Biology, U of Waterloo Title: “Man's Trash Is a Microbe's Treasure: The Microbiology of Landfills” Abstract: Landfills house our discarded waste, but also support a […]
Colloquium, February 19, 2026, 2-4pm – Fellows & External Fellows Only – in-person only Topic: “How to counter misinformation. Is it possible?” Organizer: Daphne Maurer Suggested background readings: 1. A […]
Speaker: Ira Wells, President, PEN Canada; Victoria College, U of T Title: “On Book Banning: Saving Children from the Harm of Books” Abstract: From the destruction of libraries in ancient […]
March 2, 2026, 2-4 pm – Fellows and External Fellows Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (2017) Discussion Leader: Lisa Steele The “bardo” is a Tibetan Buddhist concept referring […]
Speaker: Stephen Brooke, History, York University Title: "‘Gleaming Obelisks’ and ‘Dilapidated Streets’: London in the 1980s: Abstract: This talk will explore the history of London in the 1980s, examining how […]
Speaker: Carl Knappett, Art History, U of T Title: “The Coastal World of Minoan Palaikastro” Abstract: Lying on the eastern tip of Crete, Palaikastro was one of the largest towns […]
Speaker: Jennifer Bonnell, History, York U Title: “Place and People at the Margins: A History of Toronto’s Don River Valley” Abstract: In this richly illustrated talk, environmental historian Jennifer Bonnell […]
Speaker: Nick Terpstra, History, U of T; Provost, Trinity College. Title: “Moving Targets: Young People in the Early Modern World” Abstract: Where do we find youths in the early modern […]
April 6, 2026, 2-4 pm – Fellows and External Fellows Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times that Made Handel’s “Messiah” by Charles King (2024) Discussion Leaders: Linda Hutcheon […]
May 4, 2026, 2-4 pm – Fellows and External Fellows Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962) Discussion Leader: Sara Shettleworth Published only 64 years ago, Silent Spring already qualifies as […]
