Newswise — SASKATOON – The Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation will invest $2-million to support research at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (JSGS) at the University of Regina (U of R) and the University of Saskatchewan (U of S).
The funding will benefit JSGS research in energy and technology policy, as well as public engagement.
“The Fedoruk Centre is very pleased to be supporting this new capability in Saskatchewan,” said Neil Alexander, executive director of the Fedoruk Centre at the U of S. “Some of the most important questions faced by society today, such as how to address greenhouse gas emissions, have to do with understanding what people want to know about technology so that they can make informed decisions.”
“After the Paris climate talks, questions related to energy, clean technology, sustainability and climate change are in the public mind and are high on government agendas,” said Kathleen McNutt, executive director of the JSGS. “Choices that will be made in the near future will have a profound impact on our society, economy and the planet. There are many different opinions on what needs to be done. The work that will be supported by the Fedoruk Centre will look at how best to engage with people and how to use their input as energy policy is made.”
The Fedoruk Centre funding will support visiting scholars and graduate students at JSGS, which is co-located at the U of R and U of S. The funding will serve as the foundation for future research at JSGS on science and innovation policy, a signature research area of the school. The research, led by JSGS faculty, will investigate the societal and public policy dimensions of various energy-production technologies, including international best practices for public consultation, strategic assessment and decision support. Nuclear energy will be a focus area, both as an example of a controversial technology and because it is a source of low-carbon electricity that many experts and governments are considering in plans to fight climate change.
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