BRANDON, MB – An adjunct professor with Brandon University (BU) has published a comprehensive, first-of-its-kind reference work on a topic of growing concern to individuals and nations alike – the quality of life.
Dr. Alex Michalos spent the last five years creating the Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research, a 12-volume set containing essays from scholars in 58 countries on hundreds of topics including friendship, illiteracy, marginalized communities, yoga, gambling, and 22 of the most popular Quality of Life indexes used by governments and public policy institutes.
“This is a shared public space for the exploration of what is true, beautiful, and morally good,” says Dr. Michalos, “a repository of the vast scope and complexity of scientific and scholarly research on quality of life, especially from the past 50 years.”
The Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research is for use by scholars, students, citizens, government and nongovernmental organizations and socially responsible corporations. Dr. Michalos hopes the 75,000 word treatise gives direction to the next 10-20 years of research and informs public debate.
“Unhappy people often function poorly,” he notes, “so we can all benefit from subjective well-being. I hope to improve policy analyses and discussions leading to better decisions concerning the quality of life of individuals and societies.”
Dr. Michalos is Member of the Order of Canada (2010), served as director of research for the Canadian Index of Wellness (2006-2011), and received the highest honour from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Gold Medal for Achievement in Research (2004). Emeritus professor in political science from the University of Northern British Columbia, he has published 26 books and founded or co-founded seven scholarly journals including the Journal of Business Ethics, the most frequently cited journal in the world devoted to business ethics.
“Quality of life and well-being have become increasingly important items within the context of evaluating the benefits of economic growth and social development,” says BU Vice-President (Academic and Provost), Dr. Gervan Fearon. “These 12 volumes completed by Dr. Michalos make this important literature accessible to policy makers and others worldwide and, hence, contribute to the betterment of society at a global level.”
Brandon University, founded in 1899, promotes excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship; educating students so that they can make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders.
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| For more information, please contact: | |
| Dr. Alex Michalos Adjunct Professor, Philosophy 204-717-1039 michalos@brandonu.ca |
Dr. Gervan Fearon Vice-President (Academic and Provost) 204-727-7455 fearong@brandonu.ca |
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