Principal’s Message
This year’s Massey Lectures have inspired a groundswell of conversation and engagement to sold-out audiences across Canada. These reflect a shared commitment to justice, dignity, and truth. From Mark Kersten’s reflections on persistence and progress, to an interview between Quadrangle Society Member Steve Paikin and Alex Neve that explores the fragility and potential renewal of international institutions, the conversation continues to deepen.
In Canadian Politics and Public Policy, Neve offers a thoughtful and imaginative exercise — drafting a fictional Prime Minister Carney’s address to the United Nations, centered firmly on the renewal of universal human rights. His op-ed in The Globe and Mail reminds us that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains a living promise — one we must continue to both defend and pursue. Meanwhile, initiatives like the BC Human Rights Commissioner’s Book Club bring those same commitments to life in communities across the country.
This evening, Alex Neve will deliver the final lecture in the series to a sold-out audience at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. His message is a clear and urgent call to action — one that has drawn the attention of provincial and federal leaders alike. I encourage you to tune in when the full series airs on CBC Ideas later in November to experience the depth and resonance of his work.
Together, these lectures and conversations remind us that the struggle for human rights is just, right, and good, and that it is far from over. Through reflection, dialogue, and pragmatic action, we can uphold the Universal Declaration’s enduring promise — and ensure that its spirit continues to guide and inspire us today.
With very best wishes,
James
Dr. James Orbinski, OC, MSC, MA, MD, MCFPC
Principal, Massey College
Professor, Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
The World in Glass Cases: The Crystal Palace in Victorian Print Culture
An exhibition at Massey College, curated by Joe Diemer
Between May and October 1851, over six million people traveled to London for the Great Exhibition, where the 990,000-square-foot Crystal Palace transformed Hyde Park into a global showcase. Drawing from the Ruari McLean Collection at the Robertson Davies Library, The World in Glass Cases explores how people, objects, and nations were displayed within the Crystal Palace—and how the Palace itself was represented in Victorian print. Featuring print materials from before, during, and after the event, the exhibition uses the Crystal Palace’s material legacy to question the supposed transparency of display. As you view the vitrines, consider: what cultural values shape these partial representations, and what curatorial choices lie behind the glass barriers that connect some objects while separating others?
The exhibition will be on from October 2025 through March 2026 in the Lower Library.
Joe Diemer, the exhibition curator, is a PhD student in the UofT English Department and a student in the Massey-based BHPC Collaborative program.
Although Junior Fellow Devin De Silva’s miniature exhibition has now concluded, a lasting digital version has been created to preserve and share the work. If you were unable to see it in person, you can explore it here.
Lu Fan Announced as the 2025 Sachedina ∙ CTV News ∙ Fellow
CTV News and Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Omar Sachedina are pleased to announce that journalist Lu Fan has been selected as the recipient of the annual Sachedina ∙ CTV News ∙ Fellowship, in partnership with RTDNF Canada and Massey College.
The Sachedina ∙ CTV News ∙ Fellowship program is designed to support an emerging journalist who will produce a substantial and original piece that will be considered for publication on a CTV News platform, and will explore a subject or theme that is significant to Canada and Canadians. Throughout the reporting process, the Fellow will receive academic mentoring from faculty at Massey College, and from the leading team of journalists at CTV NATIONAL NEWS.
More information on the Sachedina ∙ CTV News ∙ Fellowship is available at CTVNews.ca. Born in China and now based in Halifax, Lu Fan is a journalist and documentary filmmaker with 14 years’ experience working across television and digital platforms. Her work has been recognized internationally, most recently with a nomination at the 2025 New York Festivals for the documentary The Light Within Us. Currently pursuing a Master of Journalism at the University of King’s College, she seeks to uncover in her work unconventional stories of everyday tragedy and triumph.
Please join us in welcoming Lu Fan to Massey!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Love and Resilience on the Ukrainian Frontlines: A Lunchtime Conversation with Alisa Kovalenko and Stéphane Siohan
The Chair in European Intellectual History of the Munk School and Munk Massey Global Scholar, Marci Shore, is pleased to collaborate with Massey College to invite you to a special lunchtime conversation with Alisa Kovalenko and Stéphane Siohan who will share their unique personal experiences from the frontlines of the war in Ukraine.
Stéphane and Alisa worked for ten years in Donbas and on the front lines of Ukraine at war. This conversation will provide a rare opportunity to engage directly with individuals whose lives have been shaped by the full-scale invasion in deeply personal ways. Their willingness to speak candidly will provide invaluable insight into the lived realities of Ukraine behind the headlines. We hope this session will foster meaningful dialogue across disciplines, particularly in the context of gender, power, and resistance.
Please join us for what promises to be an unforgettable and moving discussion.
Light lunch will be provided.
Monday, November 3 | 11:00-1:00pm
Upper Library | RSVP
Please note: this event is held in partnership with the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and is open to students only – please share with your networks.
Engineering with Purpose: Tech Stewardship in Turbulent Times
What does it mean to be a responsible engineer in a world that feels increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous? In this interactive talk, Dr. Janna Rosales invites students, faculty, and professionals in STEM to explore the concept of tech stewardship—a mindset that goes beyond innovation to consider the broader impacts of our work.
Friday, November 7 | 10:00-11:00am
Upper Library | RSVP
Junior Fellow Lecture Series: Rethinking the Boundaries of Law
What if law is not only statutes and rules, but also the standards, practices, and principles that guide how we live together? Inspired by Professor John Borrows’ expansive view of law, this Junior Fellow Lecture explores how diverse domains—music, Indigenous legal traditions, and health—illuminate law’s deeper dimensions. Evan Tanovich considers how the conventions and norms that make music mutually intelligible echo the structures of legal reasoning. Peter Bo Zhang examines Anishinaabe understandings of animals as legal actors, treaty partners, and kin, reframing personhood and obligation. Noor Pannu will discuss Law & Health. Together, these perspectives reveal law as a living, interdisciplinary practice that exceeds cases and codes, offering new ways of thinking about justice, culture, and community.
Monday, November 10 | 8:00-9:30pm
Upper Library | RSVP
Book Launch: Julian Brave NoiseCat’s We Survived the Night
Join us for the Canadian launch of We Survived the Night, the debut book by writer, journalist and filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat. Opening his box of treasures, NoiseCat will share the stories that shape his work before sitting down with Tanya Talaga for a rare and powerful conversation—an evening of storytelling, reflection, and connection.
Wednesday, November 12 | 6:30-8:00pm
Junior Common Room | RSVP
Artist Lecture with Natia Lemay
Natia Lemay was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and is based in New Haven, CT. Her Interdisciplinary autoethnographic practice reflects her lived experience. Through personal stories, she interrogates the intersections between the mind, the body, and space to understand how these experiences relate to a broader cultural context.
Natia Lemay has exhibited widely throughout North America. The artist was selected for the 2024 Fountainhead residency in Miami and the 2022 Royal Drawing School Residency in Dumfries, Scotland. She was awarded the National Trust Prize at Expo Chicago 2024, with her work acquired by High Museum in Atlanta in addition to being collected by the Art Gallery of Ontario, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Minnesota Museum of American Art, The North Dakota Museum of Art and The Montclair Museum of Art. She received her BFA from Ontario College of Art and Design in 2021 with a minor in Social Sciences and her MFA from Yale School of Art in 2023.
Monday, November 17 | 4:30-6:00pm
Junior Common Room | RSVP
Book Launch & Panel Discussion – Two Presidents respond to What Could A University Be? Revolutionary Ideas for the Future, by Senior Fellow Robert Gibbs
This new book imagines a university where all students in all levels and across all faculties, including professional schools are learning how to do research.
David Naylor, President Emeritus of U of T, and Rhonda MacEwen, President of Victoria University will share their reflections on the future of research universities in relation to this book.
Panel 5:30-6:45pm
Reception 6:45-8:00pm
Tuesday, November 18 | 5:30-8:00pm
Junior Common Room | RSVP
COMMUNITY NEWS
IN MEMORIAM
We regret to announce the passing of Quadrangle Society Member Dr. Paul Bernard Druckman, who died peacefully on September 18, 2024, at the age of 87. His sharp intellect, warm spirit and deep devotion to family touched many; he will be dearly missed.
Our sincere apologies for the lateness of this notice. His full obituary can be found here, and please join us in sending condolences to his family and friends.
AWARDS & APPOINTMENTS
Senior Fellow Sheila Wang has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 Women’s College Hospital Foundation Breakthrough Challenge. More information here.
EVENTS
- On October 31, Visiting Scholar Rita Palacios is presenting at the Denver Museum of Art’s Symposium on Maya Women which is available online, and free for students. Please see the attached poster for more information, and link to register is here.
- On November 9, Violinist and Massey Senior Fellow Mark Fewer stars with percussionist Aiyun Huang in Mystery of Clock at The Fleck at Harbourfront Theatre. RSVP here.
- On November 17, Senior Fellow Lyse Doucet discuss her new book The Finest Hotel in Kabul with Anna Maria Tremonti. RSVP here.
NEWS
- Senior Fellow Dimitry Anastakis is interviewed on CBC’s Front Burner. Listen here
- Senior Fellow Margaret Atwood holds an event for her new book in Edmonton.
- Senior Fellow Sharry Aiken is quoted about encampments in Kingson. Read the piece here.
- Read Senior Fellow Don Drummond‘s latest piece for CD Howe.
- Senior Fellow Royson James talks to the Toronto Star about Jamaica and Hurricane Melissa. Read it here.
- Senior Fellow Bruce Kidd talks about sports gambling – listen here and here
- Senior Fellow Alok Mukherjee is quoted on Peel Policing budgets in the Pointer.
- The lecture that Philippe Sands delivered at the Third Annual Abella Lecture, held at Massey this past October, is featured on CBC Ideas. Listen here.
Massey College at the Opera
On October 15th, a group of Junior Fellows attended the opening night of The Magic Flute, generously hosted by Opera Atelier. The evening featured a captivating performance by an excellent cast and showcased the company’s wonderful, accessible approach to engaging new audiences with opera. Massey College extends its warm thanks to Opera Atelier for welcoming our Junior Fellows through their educational outreach programme, which generously provided complimentary tickets for the performance.
