The Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences is not only Canada’s largest academic conference, but it is also one of the largest in the world. This was the first time in 4 years that the event was held in person from May 27, 2023 to June 2, 2023. This was the 92nd iteration of the Congress, with York University being the proud host.
Seventy academic associations from a wide variety of areas in the humanities and social sciences came together to congregate at York University, with Over 9000 attendees came from across Canada, and from around the world.
The event could not have been possible without the efforts of the organizing staff and volunteers, who helped Congress run smoothly. LAPS Voices Blog Editor, Suhel Singh Randhawa, and Volunteer Writer Kimberly De Oliveira share their experiences of their time at the Congress.
Suhel Singh Randhawa
Towards the end of May, I had the opportunity to work as a Volunteer Team Lead at the Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences 2023, which was proudly hosted by York University. The conference had scholars coming in not only to from Canada, but from all over the world the world to talk about various issues surrounding Black and Indigenous knowledges, cultures, and voices.
I was charged with leading a team of over 50 volunteers and organizing speeches, movie screenings, a mural, and artists’ performances across the campus. I had the opportunity to meet many new people, who came from all walks of life and all parts of the world. I met alumni, faculty, and students and learned a lot from all of them about their professions and cultures.
Getting to know the visiting scholars was a delight. They had great insights on the highlighted topic and their specializations, it felt like being in a mini lecture, but at the same time, it felt like talking to a friend.
Seeing everyone get back together after the pandemic was perhaps the best thing about the conference. After years of being behind a computer screen, it was great to see people come together and interact in real life, something very essential to humanity, which we unfortunately lost in the last few years. All in all, I feel that the Congress was an amazing learning experience which helped me grow as a lifelong learner, and as a person.
Kimberly De Oliveira
At the end of May, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences 2023 which was held at York University. Like many of my peers, I first heard about the Congress through announcements around campus calling out for volunteers. After looking into it more online and noting that I would be on campus this summer anyways, I decided to sign-up and just see where this experience would lead me.
It has been about a month now since the Congress was held and I can confidently say that I had a really great experience volunteering. We were supported through training and team leaders who went above and beyond to ensure that the volunteers had everything they needed to excel in their roles. I, for example, was an ‘Info Kiosk Attendant’ which means that I was stationed in one of the many information centers throughout the campus helping attendees and community members. I met many York University students and staff that perhaps I never would have if not through this experience. I also had the chance to support association members in order to contribute to enhancing their experience at the Congress.
Looking back, something that I really appreciated was the positive environment all throughout the conference. Seeing people engage with each other on a variety of different levels was something that I missed after the pandemic. There were also opportunities to explore art and culture which also provided for different ways to enjoy the conference aside from attending panels. I truly believe that this was one of those experiences that do not come by often and I am glad to have contributed to this event’s success!
