Director
About Geoffrey Rockwell

Message from Geoffrey Rockwell
Founded by Director Jerry Varsava, KIAS is now in its seventh year of operation. I was appointed for a 5 year term starting in 2013 and spent the first year adapting our programmes following a review.
KIAS focuses on supporting interdiscplinary research in the social sciences, arts and humanities across 10 faculties at the University of Alberta. KIAS is now developing collaborative activities with other units at the University of Alberta and we hope to develop new relationships with centres across Canada and abroad to support research across sectors and universities. I look forward to working with the Administrative Board, the Advisory Council and with the Research Committee to build on our activities in order to better serve research at the University of Alberta that asks about the human and society. I hope that KIAS can live up to the vision of Drs. Peter and Doris Kule when they endowed the Institute: KIAS scholars will undertake research in the humanities, social sciences, and arts that will foster greater understanding of the complex and broad human issues that such a history and legacy invoke such as political oppression, diaspora studies, folklore, multiculturalism, minorities, the meanings of cultural identity, religious persecution, the politics of famine and food distribution, the World Wars and revolution, the environment, the Canadian and European North, global peace and conflict, and other themes that emerge as researchers attempt to create greater understanding of the most important issues of the day.
Find us on Facebook and Twitter @KIASAlberta, or by dropping in to our office in 337 Arts & Convocation Hall. Tell us what KIAS could be!
Looking forward to great years ahead,
Geoffrey