BCICS will be hosting an international conference
at the University of Victoria from May 28 to 31, 2003. The conference
is concerned primarily with “mapping” the field of
Co-operative Studies. Although there are many institutes and a
few hundred researchers interested in the study of co-operative
organisations, movements and thought, there has been little attention
paid to what characterises the field. This conference will help
address that gap: we will be looking at what we are interested
in, how we do our work, what we can expect to find, and where
we might find allies when we “do” Co-operative Studies.
The conference is a joint meeting of the Research
Committee of the International Co-operative Alliance and the Canadian
Association for the Study of Co-operation. BCICS anticipates that
about 100 researchers from universities, co-operative organisations,
government departments and some independent researchers will present
papers. At the end of October, more than 70 researchers from over
20 countries from all the major continents had submitted proposals
for papers. The range of topics extends from case studies through
to co-operative theory and the committed participants include
long-established researchers, graduate students, and members of
B.C. co-operatives.
This conference follows immediately on the youth
forum, Building Co-operative Futures (described on the following
page); the two conferences will be linked by a presentation from,
and participation by, a delegation from the youth forum. If you
want to be present at the birth of a new field of enquiry, come
to Victoria in May. Enjoy the rhodos and engage some of the best
minds exploring co-operatives today.
To download PDF version Click Here. 
