Tag: UN SDG 16

Doctoral student named Trudeau Scholar

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By Alexander Huls, deputy editor, YFile

Zoe M. Savitsky, a doctoral candidate at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, was named a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar for work that promises to examine the ways corporations gained the power of expression and how they have expanded and defended that power. The recognition marks not just a professional accomplishment for Savitsky but one reflective of a new chapter in her journey.

Before becoming a PhD student at York U in 2023, Savitsky approached her legal work in an altogether different manner. For over a decade, she had a successful legal career in the United States working in high-impact government and non-profit organization litigation and leadership roles, including at the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

As a Trudeau Scholar, Savitsky will pursue work rooted in experiences from her legal career, notably her time with the Oakland City Attorney’s Office. There, Savitsky collaborated with in-house teams, other local and state governments, non-profits, civil society groups, and the private bar on litigation involving local, national and multinational corporations – such as opioid companies, fossil fuel companies and real estate companies – whose actions harmed Oaklanders. Many of those cases centred on allegations that the corporations in question had engaged in false, deceptive or misleading speech that caused real-world harm.

Zoe M Savitsky
Zoe M. Savitsky

Savitsky found herself considering larger questions around how modern systems of litigation sometimes allow corporations to “get away” with harmful deception. As she noted, it has often taken decades for litigants to win cases about corporate deception, if they ever do, citing as examples cases about how tobacco companies misled the public about the health risks of tobacco; how paint companies continued advertising lead paint despite their knowledge that it was a dangerous neurotoxin; and how the opioid industry understated the risks and harms and oversold the benefits of its products.

“My current project is very much an extension of all of that work,” says Savitsky of the work she will now pursue through her scholarship, which examines how corporations became legal persons with speech or expression rights, and how corporations have expanded and defended those rights in the litigation ecosystems of the United States and Canada.

“I hope to understand how things came to be as they are today in the world of transnational corporate accountability and, in particular, to understand the history and context for how it is often challenging to hold corporations meaningfully accountable for their contributions to some of the most existential problems facing the world today.”

The decision to pursue academic work led Savitsky to Canada, eager to grow as a scholar and learn from people outside the United States who were working on corporate accountability, but it wasn’t easy to move away from a professional and personal support system built over decades. “Leaving that network – which includes people who have become not just colleagues but close friends – for a new country and context was hard,” says Savitsky. “But as my scholarship draws on the issues and themes I had the opportunity to work on in my litigation career, I will continue to get to engage with many of the people I collaborated with and learned from in the past.”

Nonetheless, she saw the move as worthwhile. “Opportunities like the Trudeau Scholarship will allow me to build anew in this new context, in addition to how I’ve already had the chance to start building meaningful new relationships at Osgoode and at York more broadly,” Savitsky says.

The recent recognition from the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation should prove a significant stepping stone in accomplishing that.

The Trudeau Foundation Scholarship is a prestigious, three-year leadership program that provides doctoral candidates with skills to translate their ideas into action, for the betterment of their communities, Canada and the world.

It also provides a strong communal element through fellows and mentors who are leaders in respective disciplines and offer scholars important guidance as they move forward in their careers.

“From the beginning, my interest in the Trudeau program has been because of its people,” says Savitsky. “I appreciate the resources the scholarship provides to PhD candidates, but the people are the fundamental heart, and draw, of the foundation. Of course, I am also thrilled that the Trudeau Foundation’s scientific cycle centres the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is at the core of my doctoral work.”

Savitsky hopes that through her work, now supported by the Trudeau Scholarship, she can make a positive impact in the field of corporate accountability – and beyond. “I also hope the story I plan to tell through my doctorate is informative to people outside of the legal academy, including to those in other academic disciplines, such as political science, and to those actively working – whether for governments, for non-profits and NGOs, in civil society, as community leaders and so on – to make the world a better, safer, healthier place overall,” she says.

Schulich ExecEd partnership to empower municipal leaders

Schulich ExecEd/City of Ottawa Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership group
On June 7, the City of Ottawa hosted a Celebration of Learning event recognizing the 50 Schulich ExecEd Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership program participants for their dedication and accomplishments.

The City of Ottawa has long recognized the pivotal role of skilful leadership in achieving its vision of prosperity, sustainability and resilience. For over a decade, York University’s Schulich ExecEd has been a trusted partner, helping to equip Ottawa’s leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the increasingly complex challenges of municipal leadership. This past year, Schulich ExecEd delivered an updated version of its Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership program to 50 City of Ottawa managers.

Customized to meet the diverse needs of both new and seasoned leaders at the City of Ottawa, this 12-day learning program, which unfolded over 12 months, included three modules: Essentials of Municipal Leadership, Strategic Municipal Leadership and – the new addition – Future-proofing Municipalities.

“This program has challenged the participants to think about the type of leader they want to be – someone who encourages and develops people, who listens, who models integrity, who puts others first, and who acts with courage and care as we work together to build a truly great city,” said Wendy Stephanson, city manager. “It has also presented a wonderful opportunity for our leaders to broaden their skills and explore new and innovative ways of thinking.”

The new module epitomizes the City of Ottawa’s forward-looking vision, challenging participants to embrace complexity, leverage data, and lead through change with strategic foresight and digital acumen.

The cohort-based learning experience also provided networking and collaboration opportunities among leaders across different departments, fostering a culture of peer-to-peer learning and building collegial relationships to last beyond the program.

“The content was like a reassuring reality check,” said one participant. “Everyone is facing similar struggles and challenges, but all we have to do is redefine how we look at these and give ourselves some leeway in terms of how we define success.”

Last month, the City of Ottawa hosted a Celebration of Learning event, recognizing the 50 program participants for their dedication and accomplishments. With leaders from both the city and Schulich ExecEd in attendance, the celebration served as a testament to the transformative power of education and collaboration in shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

“In an era of unprecedented uncertainty, the need for skilled and agile leaders in the public sector has never been more apparent,” said Rami Mayer, executive director of Schulich ExecEd. “ExecEd’s Masters Certificate in Municipal Leadership program delves deep into the psychology of leadership, effective communication, cultures of innovation, political acuity and agile decision-making. Those are skills that municipal leaders of our future need to harness today to nurture their leadership strengths, and those of their teams, and deliver on their commitment to provide exceptional service to their communities.”

Through strategic partnerships like this one, municipal professionals are being empowered with the skills and knowledge necessary to continue to shape the future of the communities they serve.

Doctoral graduate wins two national awards

Tossing colorful paper confetti from the hands of young people.

Isaac Garcia-Sitton, a recent PhD graduate from the Faculty of Education, has been honoured with two prestigious national awards for his doctoral dissertation in the field of international higher education.

Isaac Garcia-Sitton
Isaac Garcia-Sitton

Garcia-Sitton received the Michel Laferrière Research Award by the Comparative & International Education Society of Canada and the George Geiss Award by the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education for his dissertation titled “Policy Making in Times of Crisis: The Case of Immigration and International Students in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

Informed through analysis of policy documents and interviews with policy actors, the study examines how immigration policy measures introduced in Canada during the pandemic affected international student recruitment and retention in the nation’s post-secondary education institutions.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive these awards from national academic societies that have significantly contributed to the fields of higher education and international education,” says Garcia-Sitton, who has over 20 years of experience in international relations and business development as a former diplomat and within the higher education sector. He currently serves as the inaugural executive director of international student enrolment, education and inclusion at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Professor Roopa Desai Trilokekar, Garcia-Sitton’s dissertation supervisor whom he credits for her guidance on his work, commended his achievement, noting: “Isaac’s work and its recognition through two national awards is a reflection of the fruits of humility, hard work and dedication.”

Exploring the various immigration policy measures introduced in Canada from March 2020 to December 2022 to ensure the continued recruitment and retention of international students, Garcia-Sitton’s dissertation highlights how the pandemic acted as a catalyst for policy change, leading to significant adaptations in travel regulations, study provisions, work-related measures and pathways to permanent residency.

The research illustrates, too, the interplay between federal and provincial jurisdictions and how lack of co-ordination can further complicate policy making in uncertain conditions. By identifying and investigating the role of institutional constraints and the alignment of policy actors in decision-making processes, the dissertation provides insights that can inform high-impact and rapid-response policy changes to support the international education sector in Canada.

Garcia-Sitton’s research identifies key factors that facilitated policy changes during the pandemic and highlights the significance of policy entrepreneurs, clear communication and the widespread collaboration in shaping effective policy responses. In addition, by identifying the interconnectedness between global geopolitical shifts and internal policy decisions, the study illustrates how external factors can shape a country’s attractiveness in the international education arena, and advocates for a more comprehensive and holistic approach in policy analysis.

The forward-looking nature of Garcia-Sitton’s disseration are something both awards singled out.

“Isaac’s dissertation presents a compelling case for the significance of analyzing policy changes during times of crisis,” noted the 2024 committee for the Michel Laferrière Research Award, which recognizes outstanding research in the field of comparative and international education. The committee for the George Geiss Award, which has the same goal as the Michel Laferrière Award, echoed that, noting that Garcia-Sitton’s work provides “a valuable case study to guide future analyses and practices.”

“As an immigrant and a scholar-practitioner, this recognition underscores the importance of my journey and the impact of dedicated research on shaping inclusive and supportive policies for international students,” says Garcia-Sitton.

Model EU brings students from across Canada to York U

Model EU at York U

By Elaine Smith

When political science major Sara Harsini heard York University was hosting a Model European Union (EU) for university students nationwide, she signed up to participate and convinced her third-year classmate, Nawal Alhawari, to join her.

Nawal Alhawari (left) and Sara Harsini (right).

The Model EU, a simulation of the work done by the European governing body, was held this spring and organized by Heather MacRae, an associate professor in York U’s Department of Politics. Sponsored by the Delegation of the European Commission in Canada, it brought 55 students from across the country to the Keele Campus to experience politics and diplomacy in action.

“It was an excellent experiential education exercise,” MacRae said. “The students had to do advance work, both reading and research, and then they put it into action. They learned a lot about how the EU works and a lot about climate change.”

The event was the second of its kind to be held in Canada; last year, it was held in Ottawa. According to MacRae, the goal going forward is to have universities assume the role of hosting.

The Hungarian Consulate hosted the opening reception, an event that brought students and diplomats together to hear an opening speech by EU ambassador Melita Gabrič and to discuss the issues of the day. Many of the conversations centred around the European Green Deal – the EU climate law requiring a 55 per cent reduction of emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050 – since it was the focus of the weekend’s sessions. The students were tasked with creating a resolution, addressing how they would achieve its goals.

Students worked in pairs to represent the governments of the 27 EU nations. Alhawari and Harsini chose to represent Austria, because they wanted to embody a nation that was forward thinking in its environmental policies. After researching green policies and Austria’s contribution to the EU, they were delighted to meet a representative from the Austrian Consulate at the reception.

“It was fantastic to meet him and discuss Austria’s green policies,” said Harsini. “A major part of our success came from his commentary and insights.”

Gabriele Alexandru, head of the political, press and information section at the EU Delegation to Canada, gave the opening talk the following day, before the students got to work on their Green Deal resolutions. The event was entirely student run, with a pair from the University of Victoria acting as Chairs.

“It’s an opportunity to hone so many skills, including negotiation, co-operation, public speaking and research,” MacRae said. “There’s an extra benefit getting to know people interested in similar issues from across the country. We’re building a community of European scholars.”

This was the first time Alhawari and Harsini had participated in a simulation exercise. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience and are considering trying a Model United Nations simulation next.

“We always have a notion that government work takes too long, but this shed light on the fact that every nation’s voice had to be heard,” said Harsini. “Now, I understand why it takes time.”

Added Alhawari, “The actual Green Deal already exists, so we were just adding to it. I realized that if the real EU was able to forge an agreement, so could we.”

MacRae liked the idea of giving students a sponsored opportunity to learn more about the EU.

“There is an EU study tour each summer, which our students can take part in, but it is expensive,” she said. “Since not all students can afford to go to Europe, we bring Europe to them.”

J.J. McMurtry, dean of York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS), believes the exercise was extremely valuable.

“Participating in opportunities such as the Model EU simulation is a vital component of experiential learning and internationalization at LA&PS,” he said. “These experiences enhance students’ understanding of global affairs, cultivate critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills. By actively participating in these activities, our students not only enrich their academic pursuits but also develop the necessary competencies to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.”

By giving students a greater understanding of European governance, MacRae is helping to fulfil the University Academic Plan‘s goal of advancing global engagement and bring its new Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy to life.

Three professors receive SSHRC Partnership Development Grants

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Social sciences and humanities research at York University has received a boost of more than half a million dollars from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), awarding Partnership Development Grants to three researchers in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS).

The latest round of Partnership Development Grant funding supports short-term partnerships (one to three years) between research teams from post-secondary institutions and organizations in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors.

“York University is grateful for SSHRC’s investment in our outstanding faculty and their mission to create positive change through community-engaged research,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “As an institution that excels in social sciences and humanities research, these three York-led projects exemplify our commitment to research excellence driven by impact and rooted in meaningful collaboration with our partners.”

Through their combined efforts, the research teams develop projects in the social sciences and humanities or design and test new partnership approaches for research and related activities, including knowledge mobilization.

The York U recipients include:

Annie Bunting
Annie Bunting

Annie Bunting, a professor in the Law & Society program in LA&PS, for a project titled “Youth-led initiatives for gender justice and peacebuilding,” which received $199,850. The project will bring together researchers, filmmakers, artists and others to study the long-lasting impacts of violence on youth, aged 15 to 29, in places affected by war and conflict. The project looks to gain a deeper understanding of how young people cope in such situations and involves multiple collaborating partners, with groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone and Kenya.

Marcello Musto
Marcello Musto

Marcello Musto, a professor in the Department of Sociology in LA&PS, for a project titled “War and the Left: A Global History,” which received the maximum $200,000. The project will examine how left-wing political forces and theorists have responded to war, deepening understanding of the intellectual and political history of numerous progressive social movements and political parties around the world. It aims to be the most comprehensive study of the topic to date and involves researchers from York University, five archives, six research-focused organizations and two museums, from eleven countries across four continents.

Jose Miguel Gonzalez Perez
Miguel González

Miguel González, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Science in LA&PS, for a project titled “Emancipatory Horizons for Self-determination of Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples in Central America,” which received $199,840. The project will gain insights into the struggles and strategies of these peoples to protect their land, rights and way of life. It will promote the political and legal efforts of civil society organizations to advocate for autonomous self-governance and will involve a dozen Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups in Costa Rica, Panama and the San Andrés archipelago.

The three York-led projects were among 75 projects across Canada to receive the new funding. A full list of the Partnership Development Grant recipients can be found on the SSHRC website.

PhD candidate receives dissertation fellowship in Buddhist studies

Temple and two monks in Yangon, Myanmar, Shutterstock

Htet Min Lwin, a PhD candidate in York University’s Department of Humanities and a graduate associate at the York Centre for Asian Research, has been awarded a 2024 Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowship in Buddhist Studies to advance his dissertation work in Buddhist studies.

Htet Min Lwin
Htet Min Lwin

Htet is one of 11 scholars from universities around the world who have been awarded $30,000 each in support of their dissertation fieldwork, archival research and writing. This fellowship program is administered by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) and made possible by a grant from the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global, which aims to promote the understanding and interpretation of Buddhist thought in scholarship and society, strengthen international networks of scholars in the field, and increase the visibility of new knowledge and research on Buddhist traditions.

The award builds upon – and looks to advance – Htet’s doctoral research at York which explores the Myanmar government’s attempts in 1958, 1962 and successfully in 1980 to institutionalize the country’s monastics – people who renounce worldly pursuits to devote themselves fully to spiritual work – under a centralized, state-backed authority.

Arguing against the triumph of the state’s political secularism, his work demonstrates the monks’ Buddhist logic and the sources of power within the tradition that led to them finally accepting this centralized authority. He shows how the state’s attempt to regulate religion resulted not only in the monastics being put under state control but the state ultimately being transformed by religion – creating a more orthodox society and resulting in an authoritarian, nationalist Buddhist state and communities.

“I am extremely delighted and looking forward to the field research,” says Htet, “as my work has potential to provide significant theoretical intervention on how the other-worldly ideal of the Theravada [Buddhist] tradition and protection of Buddhist teaching can get entwined with the ‘political secularism’ of the modern nation-state.”

Research paper on trauma-informed approach to evidence law wins award

Statue of justice

A paper co-authored by York University psychology professor Robert T. Muller from the Faculty of Health has been recognized with the Pierre Janet Award by The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) for its exploration of systematic biases against victims of trauma in the Canadian court system.

Robert T. Muller
Robert T. Muller

Trauma is complicated. It can fundamentally rewire key structures of the brain in ways that can produce emotional reactions and behaviours that aren’t always conducive to “common-sense” understanding.

As science has come to better understand this, society and institutions have been adopting more complicated understandings of trauma victims. However, the paper “Toward a Trauma-Informed Approach to Evidence Law:  Witness Credibility and Reliability” – a joint effort between Muller and professors at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Toronto (U of T) which was published in the Canadian Bar Review – argues that the country’s court system hasn’t.

“When we examine the ways in which the Canadian legal system looks at the question of witness credibility, there are numerous systematic biases against victims of trauma,” says Muller.

The research team, including legal scholars Thor Paulson and Benjamin Perrin from UBC and psychiatrist Robert G. Maunder from U of T, reviewed case law and model jury instructions, documenting trauma victims’ appearances as witnesses, and focusing on the method by which their testimony is evaluated. “We examined the effects of trauma on fragmentation of memory, and how the unique characteristics of traumatized individuals’ memory processes impact the ways in which they may come across as a witness,” says Muller.

In the process, the team found that because Canadian courts are not trauma-informed in how they assess the credibility and reliability of witness testimony, the system suffers from biases that contradict the scientifically proven effects of trauma.

This can have a significant impact on trauma victims wanting to step forward, the paper notes. “Few survivors of interpersonal trauma, particularly individuals in marginalized communities, bring cases forward, in part, due to the understanding that doing so is unlikely to bring about justice.  And their skepticism is warranted,” says Muller.

In addition to laying out the legal system’s lacking understanding of trauma, the paper argues for fundamental changes to the ways in which evidence is evaluated in the justice system and not just in the Canadian justice system, as the fundamental arguments are transferable to U.S. and other jurisdictions.    

“Understanding the impact of trauma on memory and the narration of past events is something we hope can be emphasized in the education of judges and other relevant decision makers,” says Muller.

The paper’s potential impact was already boosted by being published in the Canadian Bar Review, which is the official legal journal of the Canadian Bar Association and is often cited by the Supreme Court of Canada.  

Now the study’s reach promises to go further with its most recent award. The ISSTD, the leading international scientific organization studying the impact of trauma and its treatment, honoured the team with the Pierre Janet Award, which recognizes what the organization considers to be the best clinical, theoretical or research paper in the field within the past year. 

Muller hopes the paper’s mission, and reception, will help advance a better – and system-changing – understanding of trauma in a still underrepresented field. “There is very little overlap between the scientific study of trauma, legal studies, and legal practice.  Our hope is that this research can bring greater communication between these fields, and apply what we’ve learned over the years,” he says.

Teaching Commons helps navigate difficult classroom conversations

Teacher speaking too students in class

To help instructors navigate sensitive issues and challenging classroom dynamics, the Teaching Commons has launched a new toolkit and series of professional development sessions focused on difficult moments and conversations in the classroom.

Nona Robinson
Nona Robinson

On March 14, the Teaching Commons will host the second of a series of workshops in partnership with Nona Robinson, vice-provost students. Titled “Effective Classroom Facilitation: Managing disruptions, addressing controversial topics and supporting equity-deserving students,” this virtual session will offer concrete tools, strategies and resources for facilitating productive conversations in the classroom.

“I’m always happy to work with faculty members on student support, inclusion, and preventing and managing conflict” says Robinson. “I know this can be a source of stress for many of us, and this is a great opportunity for colleagues to share experiences and helpful ideas.” 

The session accompanies a new Facilitating Dialogue and Challenging Conversations in the Classroom resource site, also referred to as a toolkit, housed on the Teaching Commons website. and led by educational developer Shani Kipang.

“One of the goals has been to help members of the University community revisit commonly used terms like ‘safety’ and ‘comfort,’ and to think critically and collaboratively about what it means and looks like to build accountable spaces,” says Kipang, who has worked with the Teaching Commons over the past year to support initiatives in decolonizing, equity, diversity and inclusion (DEDI).

The toolkit provides a range of resources to support productive dialogue and collaborative learning in the classroom. Included in it are topic-specific resources such as strategies for facilitating discussion, addressing harm and creating community guidelines.

Shani Kipang
Shani Kipang

“Our hope is to help instructors walk into the classroom with clear goals and responsive strategies, so students can be motivated to engage and have the sense that it will be worthwhile,” she explains. “We want to help instructors address unanticipated situations with intention, and to support meaningful and carefully guided opportunities for learners to engage with critical issues in ways that shape how they learn and work and interact in the world.”

Ameera Ali
Ameera Ali

In addition to the March 14 workshop, the Teaching Commons offers a variety of other opportunities to explore strategies for teaching in times of crisis and integrating DEDI-informed pedagogies. Among these are a workshop series on trauma-informed pedagogies and a DEDI community of practice – a space where teachers can come together to learn, share, and question a wide array of topics related to DEDI in teaching and learning.

In partnership with York’s Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion and faculty co-facilitators, these initiatives are led by Ameera Ali, an educational developer in the Teaching Commons with a portfolio focused on equity, diversity and inclusion.

“These offerings invite folks to come together to collectively reflect on and discuss various aspects of trauma, race, disability, gender, wellness, belonging and more,” she says. “And through this work, building understanding in these areas, we can better support meaningful dialogue and connection within the classroom.”

For more information on resources and upcoming sessions, visit the Teaching Commons website or contact them via email at teaching@yorku.ca.

Advancing a community-centric approach to safety through collaboration

Three students walking on York's Keele Campus

This year, York University’s Community Safety Department will be hosting its annual Community Safety Week from March 18 to 21, providing an opportunity to share information about the department’s mission, safety services and offerings while meaningfully engaging with the community about the joint responsibility to ensure safety across York University campuses.

Over the past year, the community safety team has been working to implement the recommendations from the final Security Services Review report. The overarching recommendation, supported by a number of detailed recommended actions, is to transition York away from the current law enforcement model that guides its security services and implement an alternative, community-centric model. To foster greater learning as the University continues this transition, the Community Safety Department is bringing together community leaders and experts for a thoughtful discussion about how to adopt and advance a community-centric approach to safety at a post-secondary institution.  

Join the department for a panel discussion, Building Bridges: Advancing a community-centric approach to safety, on Thursday, March 21 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

The panel will feature:  

  • David Mitchell, former assistant deputy minister, Youth Justice Division of the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services;
  • Devon Jones, founding director of the Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education; 
  • Louis March, founder of the Zero Gun Violence Movement; and
  • Yukimi Henry, executive director of Community Support & Services at York.

Register to join the informative and engaging discussion. Additional information about activities planned for Community Safety Week will be available in YFile on Monday, March 18.

York hosts conference examining impact of AI on law

Update: New information after publication of this article indicates the March 13 conference will now be held online only.

Leading legal thinkers from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and beyond will gather to assess the seismic impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the law during a special conference on March 13 sponsored by the Osgoode-based Jack & Mae Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime & Security.

All York community members are welcome to attend the hybrid event, titled Artificial Intelligence and the Law: New Challenges and Possibilities for Fundamental Human Rights and Security, which will take place both online and in person in 014 Helliwell Centre on York’s Keele Campus from noon to 6:15 p.m.

Trevor Farrow
Trevor Farrow

“I am delighted that this incredibly important discussion is being hosted at Osgoode Hall Law School,” said Osgoode Dean Trevor Farrow.

“Academics, lawyers, policymakers and the public are already heavily influenced by and reliant upon AI,” he added. “Osgoode very much sees itself at the centre of these discussions and innovations.”

By bringing together researchers with AI expertise across various fields of practice, conference speakers and attendees can engage with larger questions about law’s role in the regulation of emerging technologies, legal neutrality, ethics and professional responsibility, said Carys Craig, associate dean of research and institutional relations, who will speak on AI and copyright.

Carys Craig
Carys Craig

“I’m very excited about this conference,” she said. “Osgoode is known for its thought leadership and critical, interdisciplinary thinking, which is exactly what is needed as Canada grapples with the rapid acceleration of AI across almost every facet of society.”

The featured speakers will also include Professor Barnali Choudhury, director of the Nathanson Centre.

“Although AI offers numerous opportunities to society, it also poses risks, particularly in relation to human rights and security,” Choudhury noted. “Lawyers should be well versed in these risks to ensure that AI use aligns with legal standards.”

Barnali Choudhury
Barnali Choudhury

The conference’s comprehensive examination of artificial intelligence will include the growing use of generative AI, which powers tools like ChatGPT, said Professor Valerio De Stefano, a co-organizer of the event and a panellist who will address today’s challenging issues around AI and work. 

“The law will have to react to a lot of the challenges that arise from artificial intelligence in order for society to thrive on the opportunities that AI offers,” he noted.

De Stefano said that almost no area of the law will be left untouched, including criminal, copyright, labour and tax law. Conference speakers will also dig into the implications of AI for legal ethics, practice and education.

Valerio De Stefano
Valerio De Stefano

“It’s extremely important that lawyers, both academics and practitioners, start discussing how to react to all these new things that are coming out of the AI landscape – and this is the opportunity to do that,” he added. “There’s a lot of people at Osgoode that do top-notch, groundbreaking research on law and technology.”

Other speakers will include Professor Jonathon Penney, who will examine whether AI safety standards are really safe, and Professor Allan Hutchinson, who will discuss AI and law’s multiplicity. Rounding out the list of Osgoode experts are Professor Sean Rehaag, PhD student Alexandra Scott and Osgoode PhD alumnus Jake Okechukwu Effoduh, now a law professor at Toronto Metropolitan University.

In the afternoon, De Stefano will chair a roundtable discussion on AI, due process and legal ethics. Panellists will include: Dean Farrow; Professor Patricia McMahon; Professor Richard Haigh; Glenn Stuart, the executive director of professional regulation for the Law Society of Ontario; and Professor Amy Salyzyn of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.

Registration is required. For more information about the event, email nathansoncentre@osgoode.yorku.ca and copy vdestefano@osgoode.yorku.ca.