What's the Big Idea?

As the University of Manitoba looks ahead to UM150 in 2027, Season 5 of What’s the Big Idea? explores the questions, discoveries and ideas that are shaping what comes next.

Hosted by UM President Michael Benarroch, the season brings together researchers, experts and thought leaders tackling some of today’s biggest challenges—from supporting families (clinician-scientist and podcast host Leslie Roos) and improving health around the world (global public health expert Marissa Becker), to transforming patient care (hematologist Ryan Zarychanski), navigating an increasingly volatile global landscape (former Canadian ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman), and confronting difficult chapters in our shared history (Niigaan Sinclair and Sean Carleton, authors of Truth Before Reconciliation: Confronting Residential School Denialism).

These conversations reflect the spirit of a university built on asking questions and pursuing ideas that can make a difference. And as we prepare for UM150—a year of both celebration and commemoration— Season 5 invites us to get ready for what’s ahead—and to keep asking the question at the heart of it all: What’s the big idea?