To mark the conclusion Saturday of York’s highly successful hosting of the eight-day, 8,000-delegate Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, John Lennox (right), the University’s academic convenor for the event, issued a letter of thanks to the York community. Here is the letter:
To all members of the York community:
In my role as academic convenor of Congress 2006, I want to convey enormous gratitude for your unprecedented goodwill and hard work. They have made the just-concluded Congress a superb experience for delegates and for York. Right across the University – and from beginning to end — stellar co-operation and effort have been matched by a collective esprit de corps that has been truly remarkable.
York has never hosted an academic event of the magnitude and duration of Congress. Nor can I remember an occasion at York that has been marked by such a public demonstration through word and deed of our esteem for this institution. Congress has served to underscore and reconfirm York University’s strengths and standing to the Canadian academic community in general and directly to thousands of Canadian academics who have been present on our campus for the meetings of their associations. What a marvelous way to proclaim the eve of York’s 50th birthday.
As we said right from the start, this event belongs to all of us. In the spirit of Congress – merci pour votre précieuse collaboration. In the spirit of York – we’ve redefined our possible. I am very honoured to have been part of Congress at York.