University of Winnipeg Assistant Professor Michael Holden argues that Canadian higher education needs to take action to create and support scholarly communities. Holden notes that the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences has decided to move its 2026 Congress conference to a virtual format after the planned institutional host stepped down. Holden explains that large in-person scholarly gatherings—like Congress—create a unique space for scholars at all stages of their career to connect and network with one another. In a time when Canadian institutions and the humanities and social sciences fields are both under threat, Holden adds that breaking up the major conference into smaller gatherings “does nothing to strengthen Canadian research.” Holden concludes by emphasizing the importance of working together to create and support major scholarly communities.
