Robert Smith

The first annual Faculty of Arts Undergraduate Research Event brought together bright minds from different departments on Wednesday to showcase some of the research done by undergraduates in the past year.

Using various multimedia, students were asked to creatively present their research in a series of five-minute presentations. Every department in the faculty was represented at the event.

According to Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi, the event was part of a coalition that “consists of four partners: the Faculty of Arts, the Arts Internship Office, the Provost Office, and the individual professors who provide the research opportunities.”

Aside from providing a platform to showcase research, the Arts Undergraduate Research Internship Awards also provide funding through grants with the hope of fostering research as part of the academic experience.  

“[Research] is going on, but we haven’t done a nice job showcasing it,” said Associate Dean of Arts Suzanne Morton, a history professor and one of the event’s organizers. “Science already does it; the tradition of working in a lab is stronger than in Arts, where it is more individualistic.”

At its core, “research is really simple — all you need is a good idea and you try to work it out,” said Dirk Schlimm, a McGill philosophy professor.

Schlimm laid down his take on the steps to effective research.  

“Getting an idea is also easy,” he said. “Just fill your mind with stuff and ideas will eventually pop out. Recognizing a good idea is hard; you need experience and professors will usually fill this role. Finally, working an idea out is harder, as it requires motivation, time, stamina, and knowledge of where to go with it.”

It appears as though the undergraduate researchers listened to Schlimm’s advice, and, according to some, the results were hugely successful.  

“It blows me away how smart and articulate our students are,” Morton said. “The professors are just gushing.”

One of the student researchers was Karine Fonda, U1 Honours international development studies, who did her research on the “Health Insurance Access Database,” which examined health policies in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries for different population groups.

Fonda described her research as both challenging and rewarding.  

“There is a lot of reading and selecting the right information, answering questions and asking more questions and trying to present everything in a coherent manner,” she said. “At the same time, I can apply some of my academic background. It improved my research experience as well as helped me explore other areas such as law and translations. For once, I can dive deep into the topic and I can see a pattern developing in a country.”  

For professors, much of the learning and co-operation is mutual.  

“We have excellent mutual relationship,” Schlimm said. “McGill undergrads are very motivated with diverse interests and we learn from each other’s original ideas.”

Research can also help students find where their interests lie.  

“It gives opportunity to test the field—only by doing it will you say, ‘This is really what I want to do’ or not,” Schlimm said.

This is especially relevant for undergraduate students who are still finding their passions. As part of his research study, Siddharth Mishra, U1 Honours economics, who is also majoring in international development studies, plans to travel to India this summer to examine its legal system.

 “Development is something I am interested in. It is a way to follow my interests,” Mishra said. “It will be an interesting experience and summer.”

 “Research lets you do what you love while getting paid for it,” he added.