Co-op Conversations - "Co-ops and Universities: Some More Reflections" featuring Dr. Brett Fairbairn

Over its 40 years as a research centre, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC), its fellows and its co-operative partners have often grappled with a simple but existential question: what is the place of co-operatives in a university environment? In this Co-op Conversation, CCSC fellow and Thompson Rivers University president (and former University of Saskatchewan Provost) Dr. Brett Fairbairn will reflect on and revisit his answer to this question in his 2016 publication, “Co-ops and Universities: Some Reflections.” 

At the time, Dr. Fairbairn argued that co-operatives and universities could enjoy a productive relationship, pointing to the overlap in their respective missions (service to the public) but also cautioning about the importance of each party recognizing and respecting the other’s identity, constraints, and functions. But does the argument still hold?  With some high-profile failures in recent years – Mountain Equipment Co-op and more recently the B.C. Tree Fruit Co-operative – and with Canadian universities struggling under funding and other pressures, should we be thinking about the relationship differently and if so, how?  Join us in person or virtually (details below) to hear Dr. Fairbairn’s updated reflections and to share some of your own in the interactive portion of the event.

Event Details

• Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00 PM (Saskatchewan time)
• Join us either
  • In Person at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre. Register for an In Person Ticket: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bpT0ewf3kYOc6vc
  • Online via Zoom. Register for an Online Ticket: https://uregina.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_24zyosCK3oj9nCK

About our Speaker

Dr. Brett Fairbairn is the President and Vice-Chancellor of Thompson Rivers University. From 1986 to 2018, Brett was a core member of the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC), where he served as director from 2000 – 2004 and again in 2015. He has been researching co-operatives for over 30 years and published over 80 publications in the areas of co-operative history, governance, and leadership, and he continues to serve as a research fellow at the CCSC. 

Click here for details:  https://usaskstudies.coop/news-and-events/talks-and-lectures.php

Questions? Email coop.studies@usask.ca

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