Forum
An open door to the conversations shaping our world.
For more information, contact our team at sppcareers@ucalgary.ca.
Forum is a cornerstone of life at the School of Public Policy, an open door to the conversations shaping our world. Each week, students, faculty, alumni, and leaders from across sectors come together over a lunch hour to engage with the ideas and challenges shaping our world. From climate change and governance to innovation, security, and global development, Forum connects you to the people and dynamics shaping change locally and globally, and invites you to be part of the dialogue.
Speaker: Dr. Pablo Policzer, Department of Political Science, University of Calgary.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Downtown Campus, Room 241
International news has been recently focused on Venezuela, and the capture of their president by Donald Trump’s administration. Drawing on historical context and contemporary developments, Dr. Policzer highlights regional implications, governance challenges, and international responses.
Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Zwicker, Director of Health and Social Policy at the School of Public Policy.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Downtown Campus, Room 241
Drawing on federal and provincial examples, this policy forum explores how disability policies—including the Disability Tax Credit, income assistance, and childhood supports—operate across jurisdictions in Canada. We will touch on recent policy changes in Alberta alongside broader cross-provincial comparisons, examining how policy design choices influence equity, access, and inclusion for persons with disabilities.
Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Winter, Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary; and Departmental Science Advisor at Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Downtown Campus, Room 241
As the lead of the Canadian Climate Policy Partnership (C2P2), Dr. Winter with her team will provide an insight on the work they have been doing for the last years, and a view into how policy makers and policy-shapers from different disciplines can use their resources as a one-stop database.
Speakers:
Dr. Sandra Davidson, Provost and Vice-President (Academic), University of Calgary.
Dr. Chantelle Zimmer, Senior Manager of the Centre on Aging at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Jayna Holroyd-Leduc, Scientific Director of the Centre on Aging.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Downtown Campus, Room 241
During this session, Dr. Zimmer will introduce the concept of ageism and discuss how it can be addressed through the University of Calgary’s Age-Friendly University initiative. This will be followed by an interview between Dr. Holroyd-Leduc and Dr. Davidson.
This forum event was created in partnership with the School's READI committee.
The READI (Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion) Committee at the School of Public Policy provides a platform, support, events, and resources to raise awareness, promote inclusive dialogue and advance knowledge on EDIA & Indigenous engagement.
Speaker: Dr. Trevor Tombe, Director of Economic and Fiscal Policy, School of Public Policy.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Downtown Campus, Room 241
With a new year, a new budget for the province of Alberta is approved. Dr. Tombe will unpack the key priorities, fiscal choices, and policy trade-offs of Alberta’s 2026 budget. The discussion will examine what has changed, what it signals for the province’s economic outlook, and what may lie ahead for public policy and public finances.
Speaker: Dr. Kent Fellows, Director of Graduate Programs, School of Public Policy.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Downtown Campus, Room 241
The official opposition, and advocacy groups like the Canadian Taxpayers Federation have argued that the industrial carbon tax (which is actually a tapestry of federal and provincial carbon pricing systems) represents a significant driver of inflation in Canada. In this talk, Dr. Kent Fellows will present preliminary research from his work as a Fellow with the CD Howe Institute on how industrial carbon pricing impacts costs per barrel across existing oil sands projects. This is a preview of research that will be presented in a forthcoming CD Howe Commentary Barrels of Oil and Buckets of Steam, a follow-up to the 2022 paper Last Barrel Standing: Confronting the Myth of “High-Cost” Canadian Oil Sands Production.
Speaker: Dr. Irene Herremans, Professor Emerita, University of Calgary.
Time & Location: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Downtown Campus, Room 241
As one of the founders and key professors of the MSc in Sustainable Energy Development (SEDV), Dr. Herremans invite us to analyze and understand some of the recent hot topics in sustainability, and the impact for Alberta economic matrix.
Speaker: Nicolas Martin Martin, Career Development and Engagement Specialist for the School of Public Policy.
Time & Location: 12:00 to 1:00 pm at the Downtown Campus, Room 520
This interactive session offers a relaxed space for students and staff to unwind at the end of term through games and team-based activities. Designed to promote connection, well-being, and peer engagement, the session encourages collaboration and stress relief in a supportive environment.