PEF Summer School 2025
Co-sponsored by the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomique
Progressive economic policies amidst a trade war: Ecological transformation, economic justice and social resilience
The trade war that has erupted in the last few months between the United States and some of its trade partners has provoked varied responses in Canada. For many, preserving as much of the status quo as possible is the order of the day. From a diversification of trade relations to a deepening of extractive dynamics, with lobbying for corporate fiscal relief, the solutions put forth tend to push the economy forward on the same course it has been following for decades. But that path was already unsustainable before Trump’s rise to power and the proposals risk exacerbating ecological and social problems. Clearly, we can do better.
For its 2025 edition, the summer school of the Progressive Economics Forum, organized in collaboration with the Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques, proposes a collective reflection on transformative economic policies. From public services to industrial policy, we will discuss ways to enact an ecological transition and increase economic justice and resilience. The school will take place at the Université du Québec à Montréal from 9AM to 4PM on May 28th, in advance of the annual conference of the Canadian Economic Association. It will be comprised of keynotes and workshops, with lots of space for debate and discussion. Lunch will be provided.
The event is free, but participants are asked to register here, so we can plan the lunch: Registration form.
Date and time: May 28th, 2025, from 9h00 to 16h00
Location: room R-M 140, Université du Québec à Montréal
Speakers
Nikolas Barry-Shaw, Council of Canadians
Krystof Beaucaire, Concordia University
Mathieu Dufour, Université du Québec en Outaouais
Sophie Elias-Pinsonnault, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Raphaël Langevin, McGill University
Guillaume Hébert, Institut de recherche et d’informations socioéconomiques
Myriam Lavoie-Moore, Université St-Paul
Simon Tremblay-Pepin, Université St-Paul
Schedule – English stream
9h00 – 9h15 Welcome
9h15 – 10h15 Keynote 1. Ending a Toxic Relationship: Trump’s trade war and popular alternatives to the corporate agenda
10h15 – 10h30 Break
10h30 – 12h00 Workshop 1. Public policies for social justice and resilience
12h00 – 13h00 Lunch
13h00 – 14h15 Keynote 2. The return of economic planning: using trade and industrial policy for an ecological transition
14h00 – 14h15 Break
14h15 – 15h45 Workshop 2. Possibilities and constraints in transforming the economy
15h45 – 16h00 Closing thoughts