{"id":41964,"date":"2024-12-13T13:57:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T18:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/edu\/?p=41964"},"modified":"2025-12-17T14:44:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T19:44:48","slug":"social-inclusion-crucial-to-economic-opportunity-for-all-says-honorary-degree-recipient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/edu\/2024\/12\/13\/social-inclusion-crucial-to-economic-opportunity-for-all-says-honorary-degree-recipient\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Inclusion crucial to economic opportunity for all, says honorary degree recipient"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Elaine Smith, special contributing writer, Yfile<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faculty of Education\u2019s mission, nascent consultancy reflects these beliefs <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cWhen social justice issues are not addressed, there is a detrimental impact on society,\u201d says Mark Beckles<\/strong>, a 2024 York University honorary degree recipient and the recently retired vice-president of social impact and innovation for the Royal Bank of Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSocieties that understand the importance of social inclusion have more optimal economic outcomes. They understand the benefit of providing opportunities for all and the outcome is shared economic prosperity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Beckles, social justice refers to ensuring opportunities for all by improving conditions that erode social cohesion and prevent economic inclusion. This means addressing myriad social issues such as access to healthcare and education; poverty and inequality; racial equality; and gun violence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen left unattended, these issues have a detrimental impact on society, particularly when those who see themselves inside these issues don\u2019t have a voice or a place at the political tables where these issues are addressed or need to be addressed,\u201d Beckles says. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Mark Beckles<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to level the playing field; you can see that in prosperous societies, more and more people feel enfranchised and have access, regardless of how they look, worship, love or live.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Robert Savage<\/strong>, dean of the Faculty of Education at York University, says he was struck by the way Beckles brought social inclusion and education together in his October convocation speech, because it reflects the Faculty\u2019s ethos that education opens doors to economic prosperity. As a place that educates the educators of the future, he firmly believes that the two constructs are connected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYork and our Faculty add value that changes and inspires lives,\u201d Savage says. \u201cSo many of our students are the first in their families to attend university and they discover that education adds economic value.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStrong economies are those where the quality of life for all meets a high standard, and we can see in them the cascading impacts of education,\u201d Savage adds. \u201cIn a complex world of ideas, education is central to employment and leads to good health and economic prosperity. The economy needs people who can think critically, come up with ideas, are tenacious and have strong interpersonal skills and values to build success for all.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, a new analysis of educational outcomes conducted by Universities United Kingdom makes the connection between education and economic prosperity clear, noting, \u201cAcross England, graduates outperform non-graduates by approximately a third ten years after graduation. Even for those working in sectors which are commonly perceived as not needing degree-level training, such as arts and entertainment, the salary premium is clear, standing at 42 per cent. While the earnings percentages may differ, it\u2019s clear to Savage that the benefit holds true for Canadian graduates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to educating the next generation of teachers and researchers, the Faculty of Education is \u201cbuilding pathways to take education out into the world in all kinds of ways,\u201d Savage notes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The newest is ED Global<\/a>, the Faculty\u2019s newly launched consultancy dedicated to empowering future generations to uncover new possibilities in the advancement of education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve launched this consultancy in part as a way to contribute to the Faculty\u2019s sustainability in the face of the financial crisis facing post-secondary institutions in Ontario,\u201d Savage says. \u201cOffering data analytics that can be used to analyze educational systems or creation of professional development programs for other jurisdictions is just one example of our services.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Savage has begun working with various Canadian trade commissioners whose purview is other parts of the world such as the Middle East and Africa, with aims for the Faculty to bring its expertise to bear elsewhere, improving education \u2013 and as a result, social justice \u2013 there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can work diligently with others and use our collective strength and expertise to impact both education and social justice.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Faculty\u2019s Five-Year Strategic Plan<\/a> lays out guiding principles that echo Savage\u2019s words: <\/p>\n\n\n\n