The Global Labour Research Centre - GLRC (LA&PS-based ORU) recently hosted it’s 9th Annual Graduate Student Symposium, Critical Conversations in Work & Labour. More than 50 participants from York University and from other universities across Canada attended the symposium. Spread across 13 panels, conversations interrogated the role of artificial intelligence, care work and reproductive labour, migration, climate action, higher education, social and political struggles, and more. Student presenters were invited to submit their research papers to Workplace: a Journal for Academic Labor.
The symposium also featured a keynote address by Arun Khundnani titled, What is Anti-Racism? And Why It Means Anti-Capitalism, which is now available for viewing. Closing the conference, the organizing committee hosted a professional workshop about key aspects of academic life and career paths beyond academia.
This symposium could not have happened without the tireless efforts of the student organizing committee: Alaa Abdelhamid, Nicole Jokinen-Hurl, Tinu Koithara Mathew and Julie Wilson. A special thanks are also due to conference panels chairs, as well as Abigail Bakan (OISE, University of Toronto), Anne Thomson-Eleen, Paul Bocking (United Steelworkers Humanity Fund), Duygu Gulseren (Human Resource Management, York University), and Kaitlin Peters (College of Early Childhood Educators) for their thoughtful comments and participation.
For further information about GLRC’s events and initiatives (e.g., Spring 2025 Writing Retreat, Book Club, monthly Speaker Series talks , annual Graduate Student Symposia, the annual John Eleen Lecture, and co-sponsored events), research projects run through the GLRC (current, past), and ways in which the GLRC can help you with research grant development and management as well as knowledge mobilization opportunities (e.g., Perspectives, GLRC Snapshots), please visit the GLRC website or contact us at glrc@yorku.ca .