Athena

Newsletter of the Humanities Research Group September 2011 (18.2)

A Message from Dr. Antonio Rossini

Intellectuals like Peter Brooks and Frank Donoghue claim that the Humanities, and Universities at large, are under attack from the corporate world. Two illustrious speakers who will honour us during the next few months, namely Dr. Martha Nussbaum, and Fr. James McConica CSB, will speak for us on the value and social function of the Humanities and the University as an institution. Yet, for all the concern of a perceived attack on the Humanities, there also comes a comforting voice from the very world that seems responsible for their demise. Appended is an interview with University of Windsor graduate and D. Laws Honorary recipient, Fiat-Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne that will serve as an auspicious starting-point of our season.

Antonio Rossini

 An Interview with Sergio Marchionne, CEO, Chrysler-Fiat Group.

1)     Dear Dr. Marchionne, first of all let me thank you profusely for accepting this very brief interview with us. You are now the CEO of one of the most important automotive industries the world over, the recently amalgamated FIAT-Chrysler Group. Yet, your formation begins with a BA in Philosophy. What role did this educational imprinting play in your career?

I can’t say if my studies in Philosophy made me a better lawyer or a better solicitor – the work I did during the first phase of my professional career – or if it makes me a better Chief Executive today. But it did take off the blinders and it opened my mind to other things. I think that it played a fundamental role in my education, not so much in learning facts but in learning how to look towards the future, in equipping my mind to accommodate the new and unfamiliar. This is critical because we live in a world that challenges us to question conventional answers and embrace the principle of change.

Learning how to think and to embrace change also affects the vision I have for my role in Fiat and Chrysler. I’ve always believed that the real value of a Chief Executive can only be measured by the human impact he has on the organization. I have sought to introduce in our companies some fundamental principles such as clarity, consistency, fairness, respect for others and being goal-oriented. But the changes have been and are being made by others. Real leaders are nothing other than instruments of change. Supporting them, advising them, guiding them and even correcting them as they build the future of both Fiat and Chrysler are all part of my mandate.  And my greatest source of pride is seeing their success, the impact that it has on them, on their belief in themselves and their vision for the future.

2)     There was a time, in the not so distant past, during which large corporations would hire a significant number of Humanities graduates. Do you think this trend has come to an end or will there be always a space for the Humanities within the world of corporations?

Wherever there is a need to manage and have relationship with people, there will always be a place for the Humanities. They lead you to consider the wider context of your actions and the values by which you live and work. A firm grounding in the Humanities encourages an openness of mind that is an essential part in leading people and leading change.

The recent economic downturn highlighted the need for our industries to rethink their business models. This requires leaders who can be creative and analytical at the same time, and who adapt very quickly.

In any company, industrial and technical knowledge are fundamental. A Humanities major may well need to learn skills specific to a particular field, which is why it is important to “learn how to learn.” But people and the quality of leadership are the very core of any organization, and culture is the fabric that holds organizations together. And the study of the Humanities, and Philosophy in particular, leads one to constantly deal with what it means to be human in all of its complexity.

3)    Recently, you have spoken strong words against the marginalization of the Humanities on the Italian political scene. Do you believe that investments in the Humanities are likely to happen in the world of large conglomerates?

There is a saying I’ve heard many times and that probably many young people could have heard as well: “What can you do with a major in Humanities?”. The questioner usually is looking for a vocational answer. In tough economic times, it might seem that humanities programs are a luxury we can do without. But when all is said and done, our companies and our societies need leaders with the attributes of a Humanities education – critical thinking, problem solving, cultural sensitivity and historical understanding. These are qualities that help you navigate the world in which you live. Such an education leads one to ask, what is it that gives merit and dignity to what we do? How can we make a positive impact on our communities and on the larger world?-.For these reasons, I firmly believe it would be better for everyone if society invests in, and understands the value of, studying the Humanities.

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Distinguished  Speakers Series, 2011-2012

Our flagship programme, the Distinguished Speakers Series is a rich series of talks and colloquia with innovative, original, and illustrious scholars across the humanities, arts, and social sciences.  All events are free and open to the public.  In addition to these evening lectures, our speakers will be leading colloquia — thought-provoking discussions limited to faculty,  interested members of the community and graduate students.  To register, contact the HRG office at extension 3508 or hrgmail@uwindsor.ca.

Martha Nussbaum
University of chicago

“Not for Profit: Why Democracy Needs the Humanities”

7:30 pm • Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

A seminar for faculty and students will follow on September 21, 2011 in the Freed Orman Centre at  11:00 am.

Jason Brown
Dalhousie University

“A Hard Day’s Math: The Connections Between Mathematics and Music ”

7:00 pm • Thursday, November 10, 2011
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

 A seminar for faculty and students will follow on November, 11, 2011 at 10:00 am.

 Domenico Pietropaolo
University of Toronto

“Performance text and the Impromptu tradition”

7:00 pm • Thursday, February 9, 2012
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

 A seminar for faculty and students on “G.B. Shaw and Science: In Good King Charles’s Golden Days between Newton and Einstein” will follow on February 10, 2012 at 10:00 am.

 Tracy Davis
Northwestern University

“How Historical is Spectatorship?: Knowledge, Expertise, Insight, and Taste among Racialized and Gendered Audiences in Mid-Victorian Britain”

7:00 pm • Thursday, March 15, 2012
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

 A seminar for faculty and students will follow on March 16, 2012 at 10:00 am.

  Fr. James K. McConica, C.S.B.
Pontifical Institute for Mediaeval Studies

“What are Universities for?”

7:00 pm • Thursday, March 22, 2012
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

 A seminar for faculty and students will follow on March 23, 2012 at 10:00 am.

 Dr. Andrew Bednarski,
American Research Centre, Egypt

“Exploration, Science, and Art: the birth of Egyptology.”

7:00 pm • Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Venue: TBA

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UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR HUMANITIES FELLOWSHIP 2012-2013

As part of its ongoing mandate to foster research in the humanities, the HRG will offer a Humanities Fellowship in the 2012-20013 academic year. University of Windsor faculty with research projects in the traditional humanities disciplines or in theoretical, historical or philosophical aspects of the sciences, social sciences, arts, and professional studies are invited to apply. Applications from individuals engaged in an interdisciplinary research project are particularly encouraged.

The Fellowship is designed to provide on-campus researchers with the time necessary to complete major research projects and to prepare results for publication. Projects must be completed during the tenure of the award. The Fellow will be affiliated with the Humanities Research Group and will deliver a public research seminar on his/her project.

The Fellowship carries an award of one term release-time from teaching, during which the fellow will be expected to be engaged in full-time research on campus.

Full-time members of the U of W faculty, of any rank, tenured or probationary, are eligible to apply. The application form and detailed instructions are available from the Humanities Research Group website.

The successful applicants in 2011-2012 were: and Dr. Sung Hyun Yun, School of Social Work and through the generosity of  Dr. Marcello Guarini (Philosophy), Dr. Susan Holbrook, Dept. of English Language, Literature and Creative Writing. HRG will keep the University Community informed as per their upcoming public lectures.

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Martin Wesley Lecture Series

Jean-Pierre de Villers,
Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Title: “ON ne respire plus, il faut jeter une bombe!”

3:30 pm • Wednesday,  October 19, 2011
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

When Marinetti’s Manifesto of Futurism was published on Feb. 20, 1909 on the front page of Le Figaro in Paris, he launched the first real revolution in the Arts. Dr. de Villers will try to convey to the audience the importance of Futurism in the rebuilding of our world.
 

Michael Darroch
School of Visual Arts 

“Anonymous History and Acoustic Space: Giedion and the Shape of Canadian Media Studies”

3:30 pm • Wednesday, November 23, 2011  (postponed)
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

In this talk, Dr. Darroch will examine how a particular methodology grew out of a Culture and Communications Seminar held at the University of Toronto (1953-55), using the environment and architecture as the framework for analyzing the effects of media.

Christopher Tindale
Department of Philosophy,

“Rhetoric’s Presence”

3:30 pm • Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

In this talk, Dr. Tindale will explore some of the tools and ideas that have informed his work in rhetorical argumentation, with particular attention to the concept of presence and its role in the force of the better argument.

Robert Nelson
Department of History

 “Inner colonization and race, Germany, canada, and Globally transferrable concepts from the 1880s to the 1940s”

4:00 pm • February 8, 2012
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

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 HRG Student Awards

 Culliton Award

Please advise your articulate humanities students about an essay contest. Each year, the HRG assists with the advertising and administration of the Joseph T. Culliton Award in the Humanities. This award honours the memory of Father Joseph Culliton, Basilian priest, professor and head of the former department of Religious Studies, former Dean of Arts, staunch advocate of the humanities, and all-round mischievous character! The deadline to apply is January 30, 2012.  For eligibility requirements and the online application, see the Student Information System, Awards Information website.

Peter Halford Award

Full-time humanities students who have been away from studies for at least two years are eligible to apply for an
award. Check the Student Information System website for details of other requirements. The deadline for this award is January 30, 2012. This award honours the success the late Peter Halford enjoyed with returning students.

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 LECTURE BY FORMER DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LOIS SMEDIK

“Beowulf, Sir Gawain and?  Why we Read: A Life in Literature.”

3:30 pm • Wednesday, November 16
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

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HRG Sponsored Events:

 Book Launch
December  1^st  2011

Professor Trevor Price will host a mini-conference to launch Sandy Antal’s book “Wampum Denied” published by the Essex county Historical Society on Thursday, December 1^st   2011, 7:00 pm at Freed Orman Centre.  All welcome.

 A Reading by Robert Bringhurst

7:00 pm • Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

All Welcome

A Reading by authors Dani Couture and Peter Behrens

4:30 pm • Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Freed Orman Centre, Assumption University

 Reception and book signing to follow
All Welcome.

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 Contact information

hrgmail@uwindsor.ca
Yvette Bulmer / 519.253.3000 ext. 3508
Yvette Bulmer, extension 3508
 

Academic Advisory Board/ 2011-2012

Dr Cecil Houston, Dean, FASS
Dr. Kathleen McCrone
Dr Lori Buchanan, Psychology
Neil Campbell, Community member
Dr Patricia Fagan, LLC (Classics)
Dr. Debra Henderson, Literary Studies, Guelph
Dr Heidi Jacobs, Leddy Library
Dr Suzanne Matheson, English
Dr. Martha Lee, Associate Dean, FASS
Dr Christopher Tindale, Philosophy