J.J. McMurtry
, interim dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at 91راة«, has received the Merit Award of the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC). The award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated significant contributions to teaching and research on co-operatives, both in Canada and internationally.
McMurtry was presented with the award by longtime colleague and collaborator at 91راة«, Professor , at the Joint International Conference of CASC, the Association of Co-operative Educators (ACE) and the Committee on Co-operative Research of the International Co-operative Alliance (ICACCR) in Montreal on May 29.
CASC, the professional association for co-operative researchers and educators in Canada, typically holds its annual conference in conjunction with the annual Congress of the Humanities & Social Sciences. CASC has close ties with the co-operative sector and incorporates into its membership practitioners from the sector and staff from apex bodies such as Co-operatives & Mutuals Canada and the provincial co-operative associations.
These sector partners collaborate closely with co-operative research institutes and educational programs at a variety of higher education institutions, including 91راة«.
Darryl Reed and J.J. McMurtry during the awards ceremony
In his acceptance speech, McMurtry asserted the importance of collaboration between co-operative practitioners, educators and researchers. He also argued for the the potential fruitfulness of collaboration between the co-operative sector and higher education by emphasizing the fact that co-operatives, like universities, are democratically controlled, work for a public good and have education as a core component of their mission.
McMurtry is an associate professor of business and society in the Department of Social Science, where he has taught and done research on co-operatives and the broader social economy since his appointment in 2004. He has developed a number of courses in the Business & Society program related to the social economy (including a practicum course).
He also worked closely with the Ontario Co-operative Association and the Schulich School of Business to develop a certificate program in Co-operative Education for co-operative managers.
McMurtry has received numerous grants to fund his research and has published widely on co-operatives and the social economy. His particular areas of research interest include: renewable energy co-operatives; sustainable food co-operatives; the social economy and Indigenous communities; and the historical and theoretical foundations of co-operation and the social economy. McMurtry has served on the board of CASC and is active in a variety of international social economy organizations. He has also served on the board of several of co-operative enterprises.