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Most economies have recovered from the global financial crisis of 2008, or at least that’s what traditional indicators — like growth in gross domestic product (GDP) — would have us believe. That said, some experts say that in many advanced economies, income levels and growth have become increasingly uneven, regional inequities have widened, labour’s share of income has declined, and wealth has become highly concentrated within a small fraction of society.

From Aug. 20-21, the annual Queen’s International Institute on Social Policy (QIISP) will bring together senior policymakers and leading researchers to discuss how the rules of the market and the design of public policies can work better for everyone.

“The starting point for QIISP 2019 is that the benefits of economic prosperity and innovation have not been equally distributed in recent decades," says Keith Banting, Professor Emeritus, Stauffer Dunning Fellow, and conference co-organizer. “Moreover, this trend may well be amplified in the years to come as new technologies alter the nature of work.”

Titled Inclusive Prosperity: Recoupling Growth, Equity, and Social Integration, the gathering will see participants analyze how and why understandings of economic growth have become decoupled from broad-based societal benefits. 

The two-day agenda will feature moderated discussions on trends in growth, equity, and opportunity; inclusive innovation; work and wages; social protection, immigration and social integration. The conference will close with a discussion of Canadians’ attitudes to emerging economic and social trends.

“Although the high levels of inequality and social upheaval reshaping the political landscape in the U.S., U.K., and parts of Europe are more muted in Canada, the underlying factors exist here as well,” says Margaret Biggs, Matthews Fellow in Global Public Policy and conference co-organizer. “There are risks of deepening inequalities and fissures in the fabric of Canadian life.”

Speakers include experts from international organizations like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and international researchers from Oxford University, Johns Hopkins University, and the U.K.-based Resolution Foundation. Canadian experts from leading universities and research institutes will join them. In addition, the program will feature commentary from columnists from leading newspapers.”

“The Queen’s summer institute has become Canada’s premiere conference on social policy, “says Naomi Alboim, Distinguished Fellow at the Queen’s School of Policy Studies and conference co-organizer. “It is unique in the way it bridges research and policy, has an international comparative perspective, and involves senior policy-makers from all levels of government.”

Established in 1995, the QIISP is organized by the Queen’s School of Policy Studies with support from the governments of Canada and Ontario, the Region of Peel, and the City of Toronto. For more information, or to register, visit the QIISP website.