Associate Dean, Research and International Relations

Through the Office of the Associate Dean, Research and International Relations, the Faculty of Fine Arts is committed to expanding and strengthening the role of research in the faculty. Working closely with Concordia’s Office of Research, the office supports the Faculty’s researchers in their individual and collective efforts to secure funding and launch successful research programs.

New and current faculty members are contacted on a regular basis to discuss their areas of interest and to assist them in the development of their research/creation career. The Office of the Associate Dean offers a range of services in all aspects of the research funding process, including: discussing application procedures for the various agencies and programs; ensuring that applicants adhere to all guidelines; reviewing proposals and offering recommendations; contacting funding agencies; and providing information for other sources of funding in Canada and internationally. Throughout the year, faculty members are kept abreast of new policies with respect to research funding.

The Office of the Associate Dean serves as a liaison for faculty members with Concordia’s Office of Research, and ensures that researchers’ accomplishments are known to the university community (see Research News and Events page).

Read about the Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies’ plan for supporting research development in the “Mobilizing Knowledge” plan and learn about Concordia’s major research strengths in the Strategic Research Plan.

About the Associate Dean

Lynn Hughes was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and grew up in Africa and in Europe. As an undergraduate, Hughes studied English literature. She holds a graduate degree in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology and has taught in a number of Canadian universities including the University of Toronto, the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Regina. She joined Concordia in 1989.

In 2001, Hughes was instrumental in the founding and structuring of the Montreal-based inter-university research institute Hexagram. It is now the largest and most productive new media lab in Canada. In her role as Associate Dean, Research, she was a leading force behind the Faculty’s recent CFI (Canada Foundation for Innovation) funding which will, among other things, provide significant upgrades to equipment and infrastructure at Hexagram-Concordia.

Originally a painter, Hughes made the shift towards interactive art when she saw that interactivity was at the heart of so many cultural and social changes taking place. Her exploration of new media and research into collaborative, interactive works led her to one of today’s most prominent forms of popular culture - interactive gaming. What does this exploration mean to the nature and role of historical and contemporary art practices?  Says Hughes, “This is not a discussion in which traditional approaches to the arts are simply dismissed, but one that questions and continually reassesses the historical and current meanings and potential of different practices in varying contexts.”