Annual Report

As we approach the fiftieth anniversary of the Calgary Institute for the Humanities, we’ve had occasion to look back at where we’ve come from and what we’ve accomplished. One of highlights of last year was the inauguration of a new endowed lecture, the Egmont Lee Founders’ Lecture, funded by a gift from the Lee family. Dr. Egmont Lee was a driving force behind the foundation of the CIH in 1976, and he served as its second director. The first Lee Lecture was given by Dr. Matt Croombs to a crowded lecture hall that included some of Egmont’s former colleagues, his family, and a good number of film and history students. It was an auspicious beginning to our latest annual lecture. 

2023-2024 marked the tenth year for our Interdisciplinary Working Groups, another significant anniversary. We were delighted to learn about the success of one of our working group convenors, Dr. Daniel Voth, in securing a major partnership grant, which you can read about in these pages. One of the convenors of the Energy In Society working group, Dr. Petra Dolata, had similar success with a project involving the Sahtú Dene in Tłegǫ́hłı̨ (Norman Wells). The two projects demonstrate some of the vital work in Indigenous studies that the CIH continues to foster. 

More than anything, it’s been a year of rich conversations. We are conscious of the legacy of people like Egmont Lee, who worked to create a space where humanistic inquiry and dialogue could flourish. We continue to be inspired by the example of our founders, and we hope you’ll join us in the conversations to come.