WHAT: (An Anti-corporate Teach-In) with keynote speaker Linda McQuaig!
WHEN: Saturday Feb. 26, 2011 11am- 5pm
WHERE: The Bahen Centre, room 1130. 40 George Street, Toronto
Recent corporate contracts made by the University of Toronto as exemplified by the Memorandum of Agreement between The Peter and Melanie Munk Charitable Foundation and the University of Toronto, reveal an ongoing trend towards increased corporate control of academic spaces.
Students, faculty and the wider community have expressed concern over the undue influence that corporations may be able to exert as a result of corporate ‘donations’ made behind closed doors, without faculty or campus consultation and with little oversight by necessary university regulatory bodies. Adding to concerns of threats to university governance, academic freedom and integrity are the poor reputation of many of these corporations globally.
Peter Munk’s Barrick Gold for instance, is accused of human rights abuses, environmental violations, and corrupt practices at many of their operations around the globe. In this context, attaching the name and conditions of the CEO of Barrick Gold to a school of Global Affairs, can be considered to be a glaring political conflict of interest. The same can be said for BP Amoco PLC (formerly British Petroleum)’s financial support to the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) at Berkely among many others.
Join us as we address and work together to developing strategies to resist corporate control of education both locally and nation-wide.
11:15-12:15 – International Corporate Accountability – with Sakura Saunders & Sally Brady
12:20-1:20 – University Governance – with Joeita Gupta & John Valleau
1:20 – 1:55 LUNCH
2- 2:30 KEYNOTE: Linda McQuaig
2:35 – 3:35 Corporate Influence at the University – Angela Regnier & Tony Key
3:40- 5:00 – Strategy Session with Masrour Zoghi
