New Trent centre studies Theory, Culture and Politics

The new Trent Centre for the Study of Theory, Culture and Politics in sponsoring a series of visiting speakers on the topic Border and Boundaries this month at Peter Robinson College.

The public has been invited to hear speakers who will look at border and boundaries of knowledge, of human beings in relationship to technology, of genders and sexualities, and of communities in relation to globalization.

The Trent Centre for the Study of Theory, Culture and Politics was established last spring and is an offshoot of the university's methodologies MA program, says Professor Andy Wernick, the Centre's director. The new research facility will emphasize interdisciplinary research into humanities and social sciences with an interest in fundamental and theoretical questions about culture and politics. Faculty associated with the program are from Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Politics, Sociology and English, with participation from other departments as well.

Academic research activities - including writing, conferences, research and speakers - will take place at the Centre, which will also house the graduate program. It will function like the Frost Centre, which is a research centre with a graduate program attached. The Centre will also permit concentrated efforts to obtain external research funding. Minimum core funding has been provided for the past 10 years through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and this funding will continue for the next three years.