About
Welcome to the 31 st Annual Graduate Research Conference (GRC), to be held on March 27-28, 2025. As a multi-disciplinary conference, there is something for everybody at the 2025 GRC. The conference is open for all students and the public to attend and there is no registration required or fee. Hope to see you there!
The Graduate Research Conference (GRC) is a conference designed for graduate students, by the Graduate Students Association (GSA). It provides an opportunity for students from different faculties and departments to come together and share their ideas. The mandate of the GRC is to provide a forum for graduate students to present their research in a supportive environment, gain presentation skills, and develop links with the greater graduate community.
This year 2025, GRC theme revolves around Navigating New Brunswick’s Future: The Convergence of AI, Immigration, Housing, and the Labour Market, and aims to provide a platform for meaningful discussions on the challenges faced by our graduate students.
History
History of GRC
The Graduate Research Conference has been an annual tradition for the past 30 years. The GRC has welcomed prominent keynote speakers over the years and is a popular event among all UNB students.
Below you will find some information about previous conferences.
Special Guests
Opening and Welcome Remarks
Kevin Englehart, PhD, P.Eng.
Acting Dean, School of Graduate Studies
Bio
Panel Discussion
Peter Corbyn, P.Eng.
Peter started in his role as Executive Director of the New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association in August 2023. The NBNPHA represents 170 non-profit and co-op housing organizations that collectively own and operate 6,500 units throughout the province. He began developing affordable housing in 2019 and has since raised funds, designed, and/or managed the construction of 100 affordable units around New Brunswick. Peter has been a strong advocate for addressing the climate crisis since the early 1990’s. He spent 15 years in the automotive manufacturing sector, including Environment Director with the Canadian Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association in Toronto from 1996 to 2000. Peter was a co-founder of The Climate Reality Project Canada in 2006, a member of the global non-profit organization launched by former U.S. VicePresident Al Gore to train people around the world to present live versions of the slide show featured in the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Peter graduated from the University of New Brunswick in 1987 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering as well as a Diploma in Adult Education in 2006. To quote a good friend of his, there is nothing like a good crisis to get you motived!
Panel Discussion
Daniel Rito – Director of Population Growth & Workforce Development
Panel Discussion
Kaziya Chanda – Employment Specialist, Eastern College
Kaziya Chanda is an experienced human resource and labor policy professional originally from Zambia, currently serving as an Employment Specialist at Eastern College in Fredericton, New Brunswick. In this role, he supports students in identifying and securing employment opportunities by providing job search guidance, career assessments, and ongoing professional development support.
Previously, Kaziya held key leadership positions in Zambia’s labor sector, including Permanent Secretary and Labour Commissioner at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. He played a pivotal role in policy development, labor law enforcement, and social security reforms, leading national dialogues among government, employers, and trade unions. His experience includes managing Zambia’s Tripartite Consultative Labour Council and collaborating with international organizations such as the ILO, IOM, AU, and SADC on labor and migration programs. Additionally, he served as Director of Human Resource and Administration at the National Prosecution Authority of Zambia, overseeing HR strategies and workforce management.
Kaziya holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Regina, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Zambia, and a Diploma in Education from Kwame Nkrumah University. He is also a Certified Labour Inspector from the International Labour Organization.
Beyond his professional roles, Kaziya is actively involved in governance and community service, serving on the boards of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, the Multicultural Association of Fredericton, and various pension and labor-related organizations in Zambia. His expertise in employment, labor relations, and workforce development makes him a valuable contributor to policy discussions and community initiatives
Opening Remarks
Closing Remarks and Awards
Call for Abstracts
Eligibility
Students who submit an abstract must be registered in a postsecondary program, be in good standing, and have made substantial progress on their research and analysis. Visiting students, exchange students, and students on leave are also eligible.
Students must present in-person or virtually, agree to be photographed and video-taped, and allow the recordings to be made public.
31st GRC Theme
The theme for the 31st Graduate Research Conference 2025 is Social Economic & Cultural Affairs, which is divided into 2 streams that applicants can choose from:
Navigating New Brunswick’s Future: The Convergence of AI, Immigration, Housing, and the Labour Market, and aims to provide a platform for meaningful discussions on the challenges faced by our graduate students.
Guidelines
- The submission file is in PDF format.
- All URL addresses in the text (e.g., https://pkp.sfu.ca) are activated and ready to click.
- The text is single-spaced; uses a 14-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
- Abstract (Maximum of 250-300 Words):
- Include primary author and co-authors (format: Williams TG and Rowes JK).
- Abstract should include a brief introduction, description of research methodology, and results to be discussed.
- Please use Single Column format for Abstract
- For more guidelines for writing the abstract, please visit the following site.
- Include references, if any.
- All abstracts are peer-reviewed. The authors’ names are removed from submission, with “Author” and year used in the bibliography and footnotes, instead of authors’ name, paper title, etc. before being sent to the reviewers.
- If submitting to peer review, all Microsoft Office documents (including Supplementary Files) have been saved by going to File and selecting Save As; clicking Tools (or Options in a Mac); clicking Security; selecting “Remove personal information from file properties on save”; clicking Save.
- *Please note: You are applying for a conference that is meant for various departments and academic areas, the general public needs to be able to attend and understand.
- *Please note: when applying for “Both” in the presentation preference on the submission form, you are committing your time to do an oral presentation and a poster presentation.
- *Please note: Your abstract can be of a project completed or a project in progress. If you have any questions please contact grc@unbgsa.ca
- General presentation notes:
- Standard oral presentation slot will be approximately 15 mins including time for questions.
- Poster dimensions are 48” x 36” (standard conference poster size).
- Talks that cannot fit into the oral presentation program will automatically be considered for poster presentations.
Resources
More resources would be available starting April 2024.
Committee
GSA is looking for committee members for organizing GRC 2025. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, please contact grc@unbgsa.ca.
Contact
UNB Graduate Student Association 676 Windsor Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3
grc@unbgsa.ca
+1 506-453-4700