Convocation

Today, I received my Master of Information Studies degree at the University of Toronto. It was a pleasure to see all the other graduates present and catch up with some other people in my program. I deeply enjoy the rituals and rites of academia, especially the gowns and hoods. I now have three degrees and that will do for the time being. I may yet go back for further study, but seven years of full time university is a lot and I’m interested to focus on the challenges of the workplace.

Near the beginning of the proceedings, the Chancellor of the University stated (in Latin first, then English):

To the benefit of this province and of the Canadian people with all their allies, I, by my authority and that of the whole University, admit you to the various degrees, and I grant you the license of doing those things which pertain to those degrees.

I have been thinking of how to apply this statement to myself as a professional and as a citizen. As a Master of Information, I am well positioned on connecting people with information effectively. I also see it as a duty to keep myself informed about wider trends that shape the context of my work. That covers everything from technology, to law and to broader economics trends in publishing and related industries. This is all in addition to the duties and responsibilities I bear as a well educated person – to participate in democratic life, to contribute to cultural life and to further the development of civilization. Those are all grand, difficult goals but those are the goals that I like.

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