The Canadian Social Economy Hub (CSEHub) acts as a facilitator promoting collaboration among six regional research centres across Canada (Québec, Atlantic, Southern Ontario, Prairies and Northern Ontario, BC and Alberta and the North), and creating opportunities and exchanges with international networks. CSEHub reaches out to practitioners, to researchers and to civil society, through the regional research centres and their community partners. It undertakes research as needed in order to understand and promote the Social Economy tradition within Canada and as a subject of academic enquiry within universities.
The collaborative effort of the six regional research centres, their community partners, and the CSEHub is called The Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships (CSERP). CSERP was established in 2005 through a five-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research grant. Altogether, over 300 researchers, drawn from universities and Social Economy organisations, have participated in the work that has been undertaken (and in some instances is still being undertaken. All told, the researchers have worked on over 200 projects.
The Co-directors of the Hub, Rupert Downing and Ian MacPherson (Principal Investigator), the manager (until June 30, 2010) Annie McKitrick, and the staff of the Hub wish to express their deep appreciation to the Social Sciences and Humanities research Council, their colleagues within the Partnerships, the University of Victoria, the Canadian Community Economic Development Network, and the many students who have worked with us during this project.
The Hub has received an extension of its mandate to help disseminate the work of the Partnerships. Our work from August through to June 2011 will be focused on the following.
- Telelearning sessions operated in conjunction with the Canadian Community Economic Development Network.
- The development of e-books bringing together work done within the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships.
- Preparation for the Humanities and Social Sciences Congress in Fredericton and the CUEXPO meetings in 2011.
- Assisting in any way we can to help nodes and partners publicize the work of the last five years.
Rupert Downing and Ian MacPherson, Co-directors
The Social Economy Student Network
