In This Issue:

Program News

• Early results show another record Big Give – all thanks to you!

Upcoming Events

• “The Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Vote in a More Tolerant Canada”

External Events

• “Post OPT/Practical Training Options Workshop for Students and Exchange Visitors”
• “The Future of Work: Attracting Talent in a Post-Pandemic World”
• “The Future of AI with Dr. Rich Sutton”
• “Monique Wittig: Twenty Years Later / Vingt ans après”
• “Antiquities and the Far Right in Settler Colonies: A View from Canada”
• “A New Horizon of Opportunity: Canada in the Indo-Pacific”

Early Results Show Another Record Big Give – All Thanks to You!

Canadian Studies is pleased to announce that early results show that this year’s Big Give was another big success! With $24,300 already counted, and at least another $12,000 on the way, donors like you gave over $36,300! That’s about 14% of all Big Give donations for UC Berkeley’s entire Research Division!

Canadian Studies is a small unit with an outsized impact, thanks to the strength of our community. Your support sends an unmissable message about the value of Canadian Studies. We’re incredibly grateful for all you do, and look forward to sharing some of the exciting new initiatives your generosity is funding over the next few months!

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Vote in a More Tolerant Canada

Wed., March 15 | 12:30 pm PT | 223 Philosophy | RSVP

Research on the political preferences of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) voters shows that they are more progressive than heterosexuals. However, few studies consider differences between heterosexual, gay/lesbian, and bisexual men and women. Furthermore, little is known about how these preferences have changed as society has become more accepting of diverse sexualities.

This presentation analyzes original research on Canadian LGB voters’ political preferences a decade and a half after same-sex marriage was legalized. Consistent with prior research, gay men, and, to a lesser extent, bisexual men, are more left-wing than heterosexual men. A more novel finding is that bisexual women are the most left-wing group. Lesbian women are only slightly to the left of heterosexual women. While left-wing bisexual women are growing in number, the overall gap between LGB and heterosexual voters has remained stable across generations, because marriage narrows some of the preference gaps.

About the Speakers

Dr. Eric Guntermann is a John A. Sproul Research Fellow in the Canadian Studies Program, and a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Political Science at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on the representation of citizens’ preferences by governments, as well as public attitudes towards political parties and related voting behaviour.

Dr. Edana Beauvais is an assistant professor of political science at Simon Fraser University. Her research explores how inequalities shape communication and action, producing unequal political influence between different social group members.

This event is cosponsored by the Departments of Political Science and Sociology.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Tuesday, March 14 | 4:00 pm | Online | RSVP

Are you a Canadian student at Berkeley planning to work in the U.S. after graduation? Are you wondering what your options may be after finishing your post-completion work authorization? Attend this workshop to understand what other visa options may be available to you as a next step after completing your F-1 OPT or J-1 post-completion Academic Training. This event will be hosted by Bernie Wolfsdorf, California State Bar Certified Immigration Law Specialist and past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. It will include details on the TN-Canada visa.

The Future of Work: Attracting Talent in a Post-Pandemic World

Tuesday, March 14 | 6:30 pm | Palo Alto, CA | RSVP

The Digital Moose Lounge and Trade and Invest British Columbia present a special panel discussing current trends in B.C.’s growing tech industry. As tech firms lay off workers and embrace flexible work-from-home options, they are also re-evaluating plans for job growth and corporate locations. Opportunities persist for B.C. to attract third-country nationals pinched by the U.S.’s restrictive immigration policies, tech workers who’ve recently been laid off (including Canadians who may be considering returning to Canada) and hiring / managing remote workers.

The panelists will consider trends in cross-border business planning and growth; how tech firms are leveraging cross-border opportunities to optimize their talent strategies; and current cross-border tax and immigration policies and considerations.

Panelists include The Honourable Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation for the Province of B.C., and two Canadian Studies board members: immigration attorney Pavan Dhillon, and Dr. Kathrine Richardson, an associate professor of urban and regional planning at San José State University. The panel will be moderated by Canadian Studies board chair David Stewart.

The Future of AI with Dr. Rich Sutton

Thursday, March 16 | 5:30 pm | Palo Alto, CA | RSVP

You are invited to join Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta, and Cam Linke, CEO of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), at a reception to learn about the future of artificial intelligence (AI) being advanced by the University of Alberta. Hear University of Alberta researcher Dr. Rich Sutton, pioneer of the field of Reinforcement Learning, Fellow of the Royal Society, and Amii’s Chief Scientific Advisor speak on the ‘Alberta Plan for AI’ and his upcoming research projects.

March 17-18 | UC Berkeley | RSVP

On Friday 17 and Saturday 18 March, the UC Berkeley Department of French will mark the twentieth anniversary of the passing of the lesbian activist, writer and philosopher Monique Wittig (1935-2003), as well as the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of her Corps lesbien, with a two-part international conference: “Monique Wittig: Twenty Years Later / Monique Wittig : Vingt ans après.”

This workshop convenes an international group of scholars to discuss Wittig’s activism and the lesbian feminist philosophy developed by her circle in France and Quebec. Canadian participants will include Dr. Louis-Thomas Leguerrier and Loïs Crémier (Université de Montréal) and Félix L. Deslauriers (University of Ottawa). View the full roster of speakers and panels here.

This event is cosponsored by the Department of French and the Institute of Gender Studies at the University of Geneva, with support from the Canadian Studies Program. Organizational leadership for the conference was provided by Canadian Studies faculty affiliate Dr. William M. Burton (French).

All events (except the film screenings) are free and open to the public and will be simulcast on Zoom. Questions about the Berkeley side of the conference? Contact Professor Burton at wmb@berkeley.edu.

Tuesday, March 21 | 5:30 pm PT | Online | RSVP

The “Freedom Convoy” protestors who occupied Ottawa and several Canadian locations in the winter 2022 raised millions of dollars via online platforms, most notably GiveSendGo. In mid-February 2022, a list of these donors was leaked to journalists and researchers, providing a glimpse at the motivations of those who give financial support to white nationalism. It also gives us a window into the uses and abuses of ancient-to-modern history by individuals (c)overtly supporting such movements, and, thereby, poses serious questions regarding the political impacts of historical illiteracy.

In this presentation, Dr. Katherine Blouin (associate professor of Ancient History and Classics, University of Toronto) will present the preliminary results of an ongoing research project dedicated to the use of historical references in the Freedom Convoy fundraising campaign.

This event is sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America San Francisco as part of their Ellen And Charles S. La Follette Lecture Series.

A New Horizon of Opportunity: Canada in the Indo-Pacific

Thurs., March 30 | 6:00 pm PT | San Francisco, CA | Buy tickets

The Indo-Pacific is rapidly becoming the global center of economic dynamism and strategic challenge. Encompassing 40 economies, more than 4 billion people and more than one-third of all economic activity worldwide—what happens in the region will play a critical role in shaping the future of the international order.

Join the Consulate General of Canada at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco for a thought-provoking discussion examining the role and significance of Canada’s enhanced engagement in building a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Indo-Pacific region. Consul General Rana Sarkar and Dr. Yves Tiberghien, professor of political science, Konwakai Chair in Japanese Research, and director of the Center for Japanese Research at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, will hold a fireside chat exploring this new horizon of opportunity, as well as the importance of the Bay Area as an international cultural, commercial and financial hub and vital gateway to the Indo-Pacific region. The discussion will be moderated by Ian McCuaig, chair of Asia-Pacific Affairs Forum for the Commonwealth Club of California.

Tickets are available to attend either in person or online.