York University President Mamdouh Shoukri recently released his 2008 Report to the Community outlining accomplishments made during his first year as President. Reflecting on York’s University Academic Plan President Shoukri states that the UAP “sets the intensification and expansion of research as the paramount objective”. Included in the intensification of the research enterprise is Knowledge Mobilization. President Shoukri used York’s KM Unit as an example of “showcasing collaboration between York University and York Region partners through the Knowledge Mobilization Expo”. On January 9-10, 2008 York’s KM Unit welcomed York Region and Ontario Public Service partners, York faculty and graduate students and special guests, Gisèle Yasmeen (VP SSHRC), Sharon Manson Singer (President & CEO, Canadian Policy Research Networks) and Budd Hall (Director, Office of Community Based Research, University of Victoria). The KM Expo was a chance to provide a retrospective of 2007 and a look forward to 2008.
Be sure to join York University and our local KM partners for KM Expo 2009 on February 6, 2009. It’s About Partnerships – while a simple and possibly obvious theme, we will be unpacking this easy concept, looking at barriers and success factors and imagining a new way of doing business between universities and research stakeholders from community and government. Check www.researchimpact.ca for announcements about the upcoming KM Expo 2009.