FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, Ontario - October 20, 2009 - How can research in the humanities and social sciences inform national conversations on issues critical to Canadians? What big ideas and creative solutions can researchers in these disciplines offer for today's complex issues?

The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is launching a new Big Thinking lecture series committed to bringing big Ideas in the humanities and social sciences to new audiences - creating opportunities for researchers to challenge and inspire policy makers, citizens, academics, students and community members on the critical questions of our time.

"Researchers in the social sciences and humanities are creating the knowledge and bringing forward the ideas that innovators, thinkers and policy makers can leverage to tackle today's complex challenges" said Dr. Noreen Golfman, president of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. "Through the Big Thinking series, we are connecting leading researchers with the audiences that can best benefit from their expertise, inspiration and creativity."

Afghanistan: Canada's Vietnam? the inaugural Big Thinking lecture will feature Memorial University's Reeta Chowdhari Tremblay, a leading expert on South Asian politics. Dr. Chowdhari Tremblay will sketch a roadmap to stability - if not peace - in Afghanistan by examining Canada's engagement from tribal and regional perspectives, while considering recent developments in Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Canada's Vietnam?
Reeta Chowdhari Tremblay
Parliamentary Restaurant, 6^th Floor, Centre Block
Thursday, November 5^th 2009
7:45 - 9:00am  

Reservations are necessary
online: www.fedcan.ca/bigthinking
by phone: (613) 238-6112 ext 310

Big Thinking will extend to the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences - one of the world's largest and most influential academic conferences. Organized in partnership with Concordia University, speakers at Congress 2010 will include best-selling author Lawrence Hill, campaign insider Donna Brazile, political theorist Mark Kingwell and director of the University Library at Harvard and technophile Robert Darnton.

About the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Representing more than 50,000 researchers and graduate students in 69 scholarly associations, 75 universities and colleges, and seven affiliates, the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is the national voice of the research community in these disciplines.