Curriculum Vitae

Professional Experience

Note: Current and recent projects are categorized below by institution. 
Selected Projects and Presentations in 2017-2023 for:
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Vancouver Community College
  • Adler University – Vancouver
  • BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner
  • The University of British Columbia
  • BCIT Faculty-Staff Association
  • BCIT Office of Respect, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Province of British Columbia (Office of the Premier, Ministry of Health, Public Health Office, Ministry of the Attorney General, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Multiculturalism Branch)
  • City of Vancouver (Social Planning)
  • J. W. McConnell Family Foundation
  • B.C. Collaborative for Social Infrastructure
  • Vancouver Island University
  • Government of Canada (Department of Justice, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Consultation Community of Practice)
Simon Fraser University – Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (Sept. 2013 – Present)
Fellow & Lead, Diversity and Innovation

As a Fellow at SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Robert’s research and professional practice supports institutions in advancing their equity and inclusion strategies through engagement-based, collaborative initiatives. He works with diverse groups, project teams and organizations, including governments, universities and NGOs. Several recent projects are through the Centre for Dialogue’s Social Enterprise; other projects are through Robert Daum Consulting. Robert frequently collaborates with SFU’s Lindsay Heller, SFU Fellow in Indigenous Ways of Knowing.

Selected  Work:
  • Co -Lead (with Lindsay Heller), Experiences of Indigenous families in the family justice system (FJS): Perspectives from legal and frontline family justice professionals, Justice Canada. Report co-authored by Nicole Armos, Dane Allard, Meribeth Deen, Sarah Jackson, Victoria Perrie, Victoria Weir, Lindsay Heller, Robert A. Daum  (November 2022 – May 2023)
  • Consultant, Co-Lead (with Lindsay Heller), Indigenization Readiness Initiative, Adler University, Vancouver (November, 2020 – August, 2023)
  • Co-Lead (with Lindsay Heller), Circles of Learning & Unlearning Initiative, SFU Lifelong Learning (May, 2021 – March, 2023) 
  • Consultant, Co-Lead (with Lindsay Heller and Robin Prest), Community Engagement Planning Workshop, Royal BC Museum & Archives (November, 2022)
  • Consultant, Co-Lead (with Lindsay Heller), Co-creating an Indigenization Planning Framework, Vancouver Community College (September, 2020 – March, 2022)
  • Lead Facilitator (with Salam Tsegaye & colleagues), Online Learning Parent Forums, Province of BC Ministry of Education (October, 2021 – November, 2021)
  • Presentation, Hate Activities & Hate Crime, Vancouver Roundtable (June, 2021) 
  • Co-Facilitation (with Elodie Jacquet), Holding Space for Difficult Conversations, Workshop for Senior Leadership Team, Simon Fraser University (May, 2021)
  • Co-Lead (with Lindsay Heller), Sustainability Advisory Council Development & Facilitation, SFU Sustainability Office (March – November, 2021)
  • Lead Facilitator (with Zaria Alibhai & Michelle Bested), Engaging Faith / Spiritual Communities on Pandemic Response, Province of BC Ministry of Health & Office of the Premier (December, 2020 – July, 2021)
  • Consultant, Co-Lead (with Grace Lee and Nav Purewall), Community Responses to Racism, SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (June 2020 – )
  • Co-Lead, SFU Centre for Dialogue team supporting development of an anti-racism strategy for Office of Respect, Equity and Inclusion, British Columbia Institute of Technology (August – October, 2020) 
  • Consultant, Office of Respect, Equity and Inclusion, BCIT. Institutional scan for diversity and inclusion at BCIT for faculty, staff and students (June 2020 – June, 2021)
  • Consultant, Advisory Council development and terms of reference, BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (April – July, 2020)
  • Consultant, BC Collaborative for Social Infrastructure. VIU, SFU, UNBC, BCIT. Admin. by Vancouver Island University. (November 17, 2019 – November 16, 2020)
  • Consultant, Office of Aboriginal Education & Engagement, Vancouver Island University. EleV Learning Partnership for Indigenous Youth, with support from MasterCard Foundation. Co-planning, co-facilitation & reporting for Workshop (6 Nov, 2019), “Co-creating promising practices for Indigenous students to thrive at VIU.” (November, 2019 – January, 2020) 
  • Principal Consultant, “Addressing Racism and Hate.” SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue. Ministry of Multiculturalism, Government of BC. Directed research team of SFU graduate students in wide-ranging, preliminary research project. (July, 2019 – December, 2019)
  • Co-facilitator (with Math’ieya Alatini, former Chief, Kluane First Nation), 2019 Summer Institute: Perspectives on Reconciliation. Yukon College, Vancouver Island University, Universities Canada, Colleges and Institutes Canada, with support from the J. W. McConnell Family Foundation. Reports: English; French. (June, 2019 – December, 2019)
  • Facilitator, Planning Workshop, BC Collaborative for Social lnfrastructure. VIU, SFU, UNBC, BCIT. Supported by the J. W. McConnell Family Foundation. (April – June, 2019)
  • Project Director & Lead Facilitator, Royal BC Museum Modernization Engagement. 7 Community Meetings in 5 cities. BC Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Citizen Engage, Royal BC Museum. (March, 2019 – present)
  • Project Director & Lead Facilitator, “Four Guided Dialogues”, Correctional Service of Canada Site Visits, and Six Validation Workshops. National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. (September, 2018 – March, 2019)
  • Project Director & Lead Facilitator, 8 Community Meetings in 5 cities in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, regarding the new BC Chinese Canadian Museum. BC Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, BC Citizen Engagement. (December, 2018 – July, 2019)
  • Facilitator, Professional and Curricular Development Workshops focusing on equity, diversity, inclusion and reconciliation in collaboration with Instructors and Staff in Certificate in Dialogue and Civic Engagement Program, SFU Continuing Studies. (April – June, 2018)
  • Project Lead, Moderator, “Free Speech on Campus: Expression or Oppression? A National Conversation among Millennials.” 3rd annual, national, inter-university student dialogue. Sponsored by CRRF with 2018 partners Hart House at The University of Toronto; SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (Vancouver); The University of King’s College and Edunova (Halifax). (National dialogue on February 28, 2018; Project: Nov., 2017 – March, 2018)
  • Visiting Faculty (Co-teaching  with Prof. Diane Finegood and Prof. Mark Winston), “Health and Wellness: Complex, Not Just Complicated.” SFU Semester in Dialogue. (part-time, Vancouver, January – April, 2018)
  • Senior Consultant and Moderator, “After the Apology: Learning from Historic Injustices.” Dialogue-based,  public engagement program on lessons from Japanese Canadian Internment and the Redress Movement.  The Canadian Museum for Human Rights Signature Canada150 event. (Vancouver, September 27, 2017)
  • Senior Consultant and Project Lead, UBC Community-University Engagement Dialogues Project. (1) Community-based, experiential learning; (2) Community-based research; (3) Campus-community connections. UBC Community Engagement Office. (Vancouver; January – July, 2017)
  • Senior Consultant and Moderator, “After the Apology: A Dialogue for Reconciliation.” The Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Winnipeg, June 13, 2017)
  • Senior Consultant,  Professional Development Staff Training. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Winnipeg, June 5-6, 2017)
  • Co-Convenor: “Cultural ‘Symbioses’ & Interdisciplinarity International Research Symposium,” Co-convenors: Universidad de Sevilla, Universidad Pablo Olavide, The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Université de Montreal. (University of Seville, Spain, May 16-18, 2017)
  • Senior Consultant, Strategic Planning Workshops and Training. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Winnipeg, March 27-28, 2017)
  • Moderator, 2017 Canada Lecture on Campus, inter-university, national dialogue on diversity and racial equity. Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Regional partners: UBC Vancouver and University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. (March 21, 2017)
  • Moderator and Facilitator, “Pluralism, Community and Settlement,” World Speech Day, Ismaili Centre Burnaby, in partnership with SFU’s Centre for Dialogue and UBC’s Community Engagement Office. (Burnaby, BC, March 15, 2017)
  • Moderator, “Talking about racism in Canada.” With S. Ghazi, H. Sealy, K. Wilson.  PeaceGeeks and SFU Centre for Dialogue.  (Vancouver, February 8, 2017)
  • Facilitation Team, Government of Canada Consultation Community of Practice Workshop: Innovation in Public Engagement. Moderator: Shauna Sylvester. (Ottawa, January 10, 2017)
  • Convenor, “Human Capital in Militant Organizations.” Inter-disciplinary, inter-generational round-table dialogue with Dr. Christine Fair, Security Studies Program, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. SFU Centre for Dialogue and The Laurier Institution. In cooperation with the Embassy of the United States and the U.S. Consulate (Vancouver, 2016)
  • Opening Plenary Panel, “Building a More Inclusive Canada”; Lead, CRRF “Youth Ambassadors” Initiative,  Canadian Race Relations Foundation National Conference (Toronto, 2016)
  • Opening Plenary Speaker, “Race, Police & Reconciliation Stories,” 2016 National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation: “Bridging our Divides” (Framingham, Massachusetts, 2016)
  • Co-presenter (with Robin Prest), “Reconciling Injustices in a Pluralistic Canada,” National Coalition of Dialogue and Deliberation (Framingham, Massachusetts, 2016)
  • Moderator & Convenor, “Congress to Campus” inter-generational dialogue with two former Members of the U.S. Congress. SFU Centre for Dialogue; The Laurier Institution; and the Vancouver School Board’s Emergent Immigrant Youth Program. In cooperation with the Embassy of the United States and the U.S. Consulate (Vancouver, 2016)
  • Co-moderator, Qmunity Community Consultation, SFU Centre for Dialogue (2015)
  • Lead Facilitator, “Cultural Communities & Sustainable Development,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Development; Ministry for International Cooperation; BC Council for International Cooperation (2015)
  • Moderator & Advisory Team, “Reconciling Injustices in a Pluralistic Canada,” SFU Centre for Dialogue (2014)
  • Co-convenor, Panellist, “Islamophobia & Interfaith: Challenges and Opportunities,” Vancity Office for Community Engagement (2013)
  • Convenor, Moderator, “Compassion in Religion,”  inter-generational conference for 220 elders and post-secondary students from 13 universities and colleges. Karen Armstrong, Jack P. Blaney Award Winner, Musqueam Elder Larry Grant. Nisga’a Nation Founding President Chief Joseph P. Gosnell, Jr., and storytellers from six non-Indigenous North American religious traditions (Iona Pacific Inter-religious Centre, 2012)
  • Visiting Faculty, SFU Semester-in-Dialogue (2011)
The University of British Columbia (2002 – 2017)
Selected  Consulting Projects in 2017:
  • Consultant & Lead, UBC Community-University Engagement Dialogue Series. Convened an institution-wide “innovation team” of students, faculty, staff and community members, which designed and facilitated a series of  dialogues on community-based, experiential learning; community-based research; and “campus to community” connections. UBC Office of Community Engagement, Vancouver campus (January – July, 2017)
  • Consultant & Project Lead for UBC Vancouver / National Moderator, 2017 “Canada Lecture on Campus.” National, inter-university dialogue about diversity and racial equity held on the International Day for Eliminating Racial Discrimination. Principal sponsor: Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Regional Partners: UBC Vancouver and University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. (January – March, 2017)
  • Consultant & Project Facilitator, Student Diversity Initiative, Equity & Inclusion Office, UBC Vancouver campus (January – February, 2017).  Facilitator of “UBC’s Engagement and Commitment to Student Diversity Initiative: Phase 2, Student Consultation,” which was mandated by UBC’s Board of Governors. Responsible for process design, as well as recruitment, selection, and training of 8-member student facilitation and note-taking team to lead peer-facilitated dialogues with seven groups of UBC students. Authored report synthesizing and analyzing key themes and insights.  (January 10 – February 28, 2017)
  • Day-long workshop for student leaders on dialogue facilitation. The University of British Columbia, Okanagan. (Kelowna, BC, January 22, 2017)
  • Keynote Address, Annual Student Leadership Conference, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan. (Kelowna, BC, January 21, 2017)

Other Public Sector Institutions (2014 – 2020)

Senior Consultant & Advisor

Work with key institutions, from NGOs to municipal and federal government agencies, as an advisor, convenor, and facilitator to develop new strategies and programs for institutional change, community engagement, cross-sector collaboration, innovation, equity and inclusion.

Vancouver Island University (2019 – 2020)
  • Senior Consultant / Facilitator,  Workshop: “Co-creating Promising Practices for Indigenous Students to Thrive at VIU.” (VIU Nanaimo Campus, BC, Snuneymuxw Traditional Territory, November 6, 2019) Purpose of Workshop: Create dialogue leading to systemic and positive change related to practice and policy for Indigenous Students in Post-Secondary Education. EleV Programme.
British Columbia Institute of Technology (2016 – 2018)
  • Senior Consultant / Collaborator-Facilitator,  “Diversity Circles”. DC is an applied research project based on “an Indigenous model for post-secondary teachers and academic staff to utilize professional mentoring and community outreach for engaging student and community diversity.  A series of panels, workshops, conversations, tools, and connections to support an effective model to engage with increasing diversity positively, sensitively, and strategically, by leveraging the power of community based expertise to drive responses to diversity and empower all participants in the diversity conversation.” Phase 1: School of Business (Financial Management; Computing) and School of Health Sciences  (Nursing). Phase 2: Liberal Studies Faculty and Mechanical Engineering Faculty. Funded by BCIT’s first-ever SSHRC award (Community and College Social Innovation Fund, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). Project Director: Prof. Shannon Kelly; Co-directors: Zaa Joseph and Kyla Epstein. Collaborator-Facilitators: Andrew Judge and Robert Daum. Sponsor: BCIT Faculty-Staff Association. (Burnaby)
Canadian Museum for Human Rights (March, 2017  – October, 2018)
  • Senior Consultant and Moderator, “After the Apology” Africville program. Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Halifax, October, 2018)
  • Senior Consultant and Moderator, “After the Apology: Learning from historic injustices.” Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Vancouver, September 27, 2017)
  • Senior Consultant and Moderator, “After the Apology: A Dialogue for Reconciliation.” Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Winnipeg, June 13, 2017)
  • Senior Consultant,  Professional Development Staff Training. Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Winnipeg, June 5-6, 2017)
  • Senior Consultant, Strategic Planning Workshops and Training. Canadian Museum for Human Rights. (Winnipeg, March 27-28, 2017)
Canadian Race Relations Foundation (2015 – 2018)
  • Project Lead / Moderator, “Free Speech on Campus: Expression or Oppression? A National Conversation among Millennials.” 3rd annual, national, inter-university student dialogue. Sponsored by CRRF with 2018 partners Hart House at The University of Toronto, SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue (Vancouver), and The University of King’s College (Halifax). (February – March, 2018)
  • Moderator for national inter-university dialogue;  UBC Vancouver Lead; national academic advisory, 2017 “Canada Lecture on Campus,” second annual, national, inter-university dialogue among four, diverse student cohorts at UBC Vancouver, U Toronto, Université de Moncton, and Mount St. Vincent Halifax (2017).
  • Lead, CRRF “Youth Ambassadors” Initiative launched at CRRF National Conference: Advised CRRF in design; mentored group of 33 Youth Ambassadors across Canada in dialogue and engagement skills up to and including their facilitation of dialogue session for 300+ delegates at CRRF National Conference (Toronto, 2016)
  • Keynote, Planning Team, UBC Lead, “2016 Canada Lecture: Campus” national inter-university dialogue: Advised Canada’s anti-racism Crown agency in redesign of one of its signature national programs as a “coast-to-coast” dialogue among four diverse student cohorts at UBC Vancouver, U Ottawa, U Moncton, and Mount St. Vincent’s U (2016)
  • Advisor, Presenter, “Living Together Richmond Symposium,” (2016); Advisor, Summation , “Vancouver Urban Agenda” (2016)
  • Editorial Board, “Directions: Research & Policy on Race Relations in Canada” (2015 – March, 2021)
UBC Administrative & Academic Appointments (2002 – 2018)
  • Faculty Member of Common Room at Large, Green College (2013 – 2018)
  • Member, Inclusion & Openness Working Group, UBC Strategic Plan, Office of the President, UBC (October, 2017 – April, 2018)
  • Member, UBC Strategic Plan Steering Committee,  Office of the President, UBC (February, 2017 to April, 2018)
  • Faculty Associate, Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality, Social Justice (2008 – 2014)
  • Honorary Associate Professor, Classical, Near Eastern, Religious Studies (2010 -16 )
  • Advisor / Consultant, Office of the Vice-President, Students, UBC (2013 – 2016)
  • Member, Sikh & Punjabi Studies Review Committee, Faculty of Arts. (2014 – 2015)
  • Member, Office of the President Task Group on Religious and Cultural Events. Formulated recommendations for UBC Executive regarding policy changes in multiple portfolios. (2012 – 2013)
  • Assistant Professor, Diamond Chair, Jewish Law & Ethics, Classical, Near Eastern, Religious Studies, (2002 – 2009)
UBC Projects and Programs

Advised the Office of the Vice-President, Students on complex diversity files. Led the portfolio’s development of new models to build students’ capacity for interdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue and collaboration.

  • Project Lead/Consultant, Student Diversity Dialogue (VPS Office, 2013-16): developed four distinct pilot models for a combined total of 2,000+ students. (1) new international student dialogue facilitation workshops; (2) “UBC Transcultural Leaders”; (3) international inter-campus “trialogue” (UBC Vancouver, UBC Okanagan, Universidad de Sevilla); the CRRF’s first national, inter-university dialogue (UBC Vancouver, U Ottawa, U Moncton, Mount St. Vincent’s U, Halifax).
  • Developed and taught first-ever undergraduate / graduate humanities course offered for credit at UBC’s Robson Square campus. (“Trek 2000” collaboration of CNERS Dept.,  UBC Continuing Studies, and JCCGV; with academic innovation funding support).
  • Led successful departmental initiative to obtain UBC Faculty of Law recognition of select pre-modern law courses as “internal electives.”
  • Designed and taught courses in Classical and Rabbinic Hebrew, Jewish law (antiquity to modernity), contemporary Jewish ethics, midrashic literature, and World Religions.

Current and Recent Volunteer Work

Immediate Past Chair, Board of Directors, The Laurier Institution
  • Chair, December, 2016 – February, 2022
  • Key initiatives: Awarded Heritage Canada grant for capacity-building (2019-20); Comprehensive strategic planning process (2019-20); 2018 Milton K. Wong Lecture featuring Kamal Al-Solaylee, cosponsored with CBC Radio One IDEAS, SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and SFU Public Square. International series partnered with CBC Radio One “Ideas with Paul Kennedy” on diversity in South Africa, India, Germany, Israel and Canada. “Us and Them: Diversity, Division, and a World of Difference.” Three annual co-presented public programs with CBC Radio One on multiculturalism, global indigenous human rights, and an Indigenous Speakers Series; DiverseCity OnBoard collaboration with Ryerson University (2015-18); intergenerational and multidisciplinary round-tables on aspects of diversity; special IRCC citizenship ceremony held at Musqueam Cultural Pavilion (co-sponsored with the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, the Canadian Club-Vancouver, and the PCHC-Museum of Migration).
Director, Inaugural Board of Directors, Reconciliation Canada
  • Director, 2014 – December, 2019
  • Convenor, Inaugural “National Reconciliation Gathering”  (North Vancouver,  2016)
City of Vancouver (2014 – 2018)
  • Emcee & Member of Planning Committee, Immigration Summit, Mayor’s Working Group on Immigration, City of Vancouver (May – June, 2018)
  • Co-convenor, Civic Engagement Strategy Group, Vancouver Immigration Partnership (2014 – 2016).
Additional Professional Experience in Canada (partial list)
Vancouver School of Theology (2009-14)
Founding Director, Iona Pacific Inter-religious Centre / Associate Professor Rabbinic Literature & Jewish Thought

As founding director Robert was responsible for developing the Centre as a semi-autonomous platform for inter-religious and intercultural collaboration. Principal activities included strategic planning; teaching; research and research supervision; curriculum and program development; community relations; student mentoring; partnership development; grants; and philanthropic fundraising.

Major Accomplishments:
  • Co-developed first North American MA program in Indigenous and inter-religious studies at a theological college
  • Member, Indigenous Studies Curriculum Committee
  • Developed new strategic partnerships with diverse institutions in Canada and Europe
  • Won 8 grants (out of 9 sought)
  • Initiated and managed internship program
  • Conceived MentorLink program directed and developed by Aliya Hirji on UBC Campus (2012-2014)
  • Established diverse new programs, including international conferences, new winter and summer courses, workshops, visiting lectureships, co-developed course at SFU, postdoctoral fellowship program, several research associateships, annual “Islam & Music” program, annual “Kristallnacht Commemoration” program, and other special events

Education

  • Ph.D., Near Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley. Advanced to Candidacy with Distinction. Dissertation: “Describing Yavneh: The Foundational Traditions of Rabbinic Judaism.” Supervisor: D. Boyarin. (2001)
  • M.A. Hebrew Literature, Rabbinical Degree, HUC-JIR, NY. Awarded five academic prizes. Thesis: “Reconstructing the Early Jewish Debate about Kant.” (1984, 1986)
  • B.A. magna cum laude, Political Science, Tufts University. Honours Thesis: “On What Terms Union? Language Policies and National Integration in the Multi-Ethnic State: India and the USSR.” (1979)
  • Certificate, “Expressions of Diversity: An Introduction to Muslim Cultures,” SFU & Aga Khan University. (2010)
  • Honorary Doctorate, HUC-JIR, Los Angeles. (2011)

Note: For complete list of publications, see:

Robert Daum Publications