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Events and Programming

Advancing Public Policy Discourse

Since its inception, the MacEachen Institute has been a hub for discussing the day's most pressing policy issues. In addition to the popular Policy Matters series, which ran from 2017 to 2021, the MacEachen Institute has sought to bring together experts from diverse backgrounds and sectors.

Upcoming Events

GZAI_Foam Board - NA Design - sponsor

Gen(Z) AI Halifax Forum

The MacEachen is thrilled to welcomeon March 27-29th for the fourth and final iteration of their. Bringing together 100 young Canadians, Gen(Z) AI builds policy consensus that has the potential to impact Canada’s legislative and regulatory approaches to AI.The topic of the Halifax Forum is AI & Age Assurance.

Age assurance is becoming an increasingly relevant policy issue as governments around the world grapple with how to balance age verification policies with data privacy and data rights.Only five in-person spots are still available, offering a unique opportunity to contribute directly to high-level discussions on AI and age assurance.

This is a unique opportunity for students to:

  • Enhance your critical thinking and deliberation skills;
  • Engage directly with experts and thought leaders;
  • Gain hands-on policymaking experience;
  • Make connections and meaningfully collaborate with peers from across Canada.

If this sounds like you, please reach out to Helen Hayes (helen.hayes@mcgill.ca) and Fergus Linley-Mota (flinleym@sfu.ca) and let them know why you are interested in joining our Halifax Forum.

Recent Events

Don't forget recordings are always available on our
MIPP x WiP Panel Promotion - Socials Post - Insta Formatting
Women in Public Policy Panel Jan 29_26
Kevin Lynch and "A New Blueprint for Government" Socials - Poster
The Honourable Kevin Lynch speaking at podium.

Women in Public Policy Panel: Co-Hosted with the ⴫ý Women in Politics Society

  • When: 2:00-5:00pm, January 29th, 2026
  • Where: University Hall, 6257 Alumni Crescent

What happened: The MacEachen Institute co-hosted a panel on Women in Public Policy with the society. Bringing together women in the public service, science and oceans policy, partisan politics, and non-profit sector, Moderator Trina Roache led a provoking conversation on what it means to build a career and professional life in pubic policy, and field questions from young women thinking about their next steps.

Featured Panelists:, , , , and .

Photo Credit: Petra Jessome

Book Talk with the Honourable Kevin Lynch: A New Blueprint for Government: Reshaping Power, the PMO, and the Public Service

  • When: 4:30-6:30PM, December 10, 2025
  • Where: Rm 270, ⴫ý Student Union Building.

What happened:On Wednesday December 10th, the MacEachen Institute hosted the Honourable Kevin Lynch to discuss his new book, co-authored by Jim Mitchell:A New Blueprint for Government: Reshaping Power, the PMO, and the Public Service. Lynch facilitated a thought provoking discussion on how universities, businesses, and policy makers must work collaboratively to meet the domestic and geopolitical challenges of our day.

This event was hosted in collaboration with the , who sold copies of A New Blueprint for Governmentat the talk.

Photo Credit:

Event Archive

Preview the full archive of events and programming presented by the MacEachen below.

2024

Mass Evacuation Speaker Series

2018

November 6, 2018

Provincial Perspectives on Federal Pharmacare

October 30, 2018

Ports Modernization: Balancing Economic Prosperity and Environmental Sustainability

October 23, 2018

Hosted in collaboration with the ⴫ý Faculty of Health:

Youth Mental Health Care in Nova Scotia: What Needs to Change and How Do We Make That Happen?

October 16, 2018

Hosted in collaboration with the :

Faking It: The Impact of Fake News on Today’s Political Landscape

October 9, 2018

Hosted in collaboration with the :

Science and Policy: Should Scientific Information Have Pre-eminence in Public Decision-Making?

October 2, 2018

Whose Nation? Navigating a New Era in Crown-Indigenous Relations

September 27, 2018

Hosted in collaboration with the :

Doing the Right Things at Home and Abroad - Why Ethics Matter: Some Ethical Reflections with Bob Rae

September 25, 2018

Hosted in collaboration with the :

Sink or Swim: Decisions in Emergency Management

September 18, 2018

Policy Issues in Housing an Aging Population

September 11, 2018

Hosted in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Security and Development:

Echoes of 9/11 in the Trump Era: Did 9/11 Really “Change Everything”?

June 29, 2018

Hosted by the The Jean Monnet European Union Centre of Excellence:

Innovation in Housing Models and Policies for Older LGBTQi2S Populations

March 16, 2018

Hosted by the The Jean Monnet European Union Centre of Excellence:

CANADA‑EU RELATIONS: Perspectives from Berlin, Brussels & Rome

The Honourable Stephane Dion, Daniel J. Costello, and Alexandra Bugailiskis spoke.

March 8, 2018

Leaders in Health Research: Where to Next?

March 8, 2018

Nowhere to Go: A Public Dialogue on Youth and Sexual Exploitation (Full Audio)


In partnership with the Healthy Populations Institute (HPI), , , and the School of Health and Human Performance, ⴫ý Faculty of Health.

 

⴫ý Professors Kim Brooks, Graham Steele, and Shirley Tillotson spoke on the panel:

Tax and Public Opinion: Can we do better tax talk? (Full Video)

Hosted by the ⴫ý Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Concordia Professor Dr. Chedly Belkhodja gave a public lecture:

Does Place Matter? Debates and Burial Decisions of Muslims in Canada