Mark Shakespear

Mark Shakespear is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology at the University of British Columbia and a researcher with the Corporate Mapping Project. He specializes in environmental sociology, focusing on the political economy/ecology of climate change, ecological crisis, and energy transitions. His current research examines the strategic use of renewable energy by various actors, including corporations, governments, NGOs, and activists.

authortag: author_mark_shakespear

Higher Education - Corporate or Public?:How the UCP is Restructuring Post-Secondary Education in Alberta

research | May 30, 2022

The United Conservative Party (UCP) government has, from 2018 to 2022, cut the operating support budget for Alberta’s PSEIs by 18.8%, resulting in a trail of destruction across the province’s universities, colleges, and technical institutes. This report addresses two questions. First, we ask what the agenda and actions of the United Conservative Party government of Alberta mean for higher education and research. Second, we ask how institutional factors explain the sector’s lack of autonomy and ability to resist the corporatization agendas of governments.