Raymond Klein

Dr. Raymond Klein is a professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University. Although he’s now retired from teaching, Raymond is still actively involved in the research community, especially in the areas of attention, perception, cognitive neuroscience, and applied cognitive psychology.

Raymond is the co-founder of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science (CSBBCS), which is focused on the advancement of Canadian research in experimental psychology and behavioural neuroscience.

In 2022, Raymond brought the CSBBCS annual conference to Halifax, the organization’s first in-person meeting since the pandemic. It was hosted at the Halifax Convention Centre. “The meeting got rave reviews from everybody,” said Raymond. The conference has an annual destination rotation and thanks to Raymond, Halifax has been selected to host the event three times three times since the Society was created—more than in any other city in Canada.

This was not the only event Raymond has led to our shores. Although he’s not an event planner by trade, he has brought groups large and small to Halifax to discuss topics such as the brain mechanisms of attention, consciousness, reading and dyslexia, and dissociative disorders. Raymond made sure that each of these events incorporated classic Halifax experiences, such as a sail around the harbour on the Bluenose, dinner at local restaurants, or performances by local musicians.

WHY THEY DID IT

When we asked Raymond why he did it, he said, “I raised my hand because I feel strongly about the society and about Halifax. It’s a volunteer activity. But you feel good about doing it.”

This wasn’t Raymond’s first time bringing an event to Halifax, so he understands the process and knows whom to lean on for support. “Discover Halifax was great. They provided materials and made suggestions about hotels and venues,” said Raymond.

When asked, "Why Halifax?" Raymond talked about how Halifax is a destination for many people and therefore an easy sell. When it comes to research-based conferences, it also helps that Halifax is a university town boasting seven universities and one college.

BIG OUTCOMES

The Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science Annual Conference was attended by 300 researchers, students, and industry partners and contributed nearly $320,000 in economic impact to Halifax.

The meetings Dr. Klein has brought to Halifax, have left a legacy of education for its sector, which includes information sharing, research papers and even books. They also showcased the city. “Halifax is on people’s list of places they’d like to come to if they haven’t been here. And once they’re here, they want to come back because it’s a great city,” concluded Raymond.