Research in Focus is a YFile series that explores the vibrant research landscape of York University’s Organized Research Units (ORUs).
These centres of research excellence serve as dynamic hubs where interdisciplinary experts collaborate with partners to tackle some of the globe’s most pressing challenges. Each edition invites readers to explore the transformative work undertaken at York University through a Q-and-A with ORU directors.
This edition explores the mission and impacts of the Centre for Feminist Research (CFR) and features director Christo El Morr, professor in the Faculty of Health.
Q: What is the mission of your ORU and its core areas of research?
A: The Centre for Feminist Research (CFR) is dedicated to advancing intersectional feminist scholarship, social justice and public engagement. Our mission is to foster interdisciplinary feminist research and dialogue that interrogates power, challenges systemic inequalities and amplifies marginalized voices.
The CFR supports research in areas including gender and sexuality, colonialism and decolonization, racial justice, transnational feminisms, disability justice and feminist approaches to technology and the environment.
Q: How does your ORU foster collaboration and partnerships to enhance research impact?
A: The CFR actively cultivates partnerships within and beyond York University, connecting scholars, activists, artists and community-based organizations. We provide institutional support for feminist faculty and emerging researchers through mentorship, working groups, visiting scholar residencies and collaborative grant development. CFR also partners with local, national and international feminist networks to co-create research that is engaged, accessible and socially relevant.
Q: What real-world challenges is your ORU working to address and how does it align with York’s institutional priorities?
A: CFR researchers are addressing urgent global and local challenges, including gender-based violence, climate justice, colonial legacies, algorithmic bias and reproductive justice. Our work aligns with York’s priorities of social justice, equity, decolonization and knowledge mobilization. By generating research that responds to community needs and global inequities, the CFR advances York’s vision of being a university committed to positive change.
Q: What innovative approaches or methodologies distinguish your ORU’s research?
A: CFR-affiliated scholars use a wide range of interdisciplinary and community-driven methods, including participatory action research, arts-based and performance research, critical policy analysis, decolonial and anti-racist methodologies, and feminist digital humanities. We value research that not only critiques dominant systems of power but also imagines and builds transformative alternatives.
Q: What accomplishments or upcoming projects can you highlight and how do you see your ORU shaping the future?
A: The CFR has a proud history of shaping feminist discourse in Canada and beyond. Recent highlights include the AI and Disability Justice Symposium, which brought together scholars and advocates from across disciplines, and the upcoming Equity and Artificial Intelligence Symposium: Possibilities for Justice and Liberation, scheduled for November 2025.
We are also excited to launch a new micro-certificate course on Feminism and AI, developed in collaboration with CIFAL York, which explores intersectional feminist critiques of artificial intelligence and promotes inclusive digital futures. In addition, we are developing new research clusters on disability justice.
Looking ahead, CFR will continue to be a catalyst for rigorous, creative and justice-oriented scholarship that shapes public debate, policy and the future of academic inquiry.
Learn more about Research & Innovation at York University.