Canadian Studies in the U.S. Growing Strong

Canada and the United States share a history of continental co-dependence. The result has been a complex, interwoven relationship in which independent study of each country's policies and practice is intriguing many academics on both sites of the border. The Canadian Government, along with academics in the United States, has encouraged this interest through a number of programming initiatives in Canada and in the U.S. These have been designed to further American research on Canada. Recently, a number of highly successful initiatives have contributed to strengthening American understanding of Canada.

Fulbright Program Announces Canadian Studies Chair

The Canada-U.S Fulbright Program is a successful example of bilateral relation building, offering opportunities for educational exchanges between Canadian and American students, scholars and researchers in areas that promote mutual understanding between the two countries. The program has been running successfully since 1990, when the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States, the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program, was established. Since then over 600 scholars have participated in cross-border academic exchanges.

This summer, Plattsburgh State University of New York and the Foundation announced the establishment of a Fulbright Chair at SUNY Plattsburgh. The Chair will be one of seven Fulbright Chairs in the United States, and the incumbent will focus solely on research pertaining to Canada. The Fulbright Chair in Canadian Studies in the United States is to be inaugurated in September 2005.

CONNECT: Canadian Studies Programs in the United States a Soaring Success!

CONNECT, a joint program of the University of Vermont and the Centre for the Study of Canada at Plattsburgh State University of New York seeks to identify prospective new American Canadianists, concentrating on advanced graduate students, new Ph.Ds and faculty members who have recently entered the profession.

In July a group of twenty American scholars participated in a week-long seminar that took place in Ottawa. The academics, representing diverse U.S. academic institutions, enhanced their knowledge on the social, economic and political realities of contemporary Canada. The feedback received from the participants was positive and included exclamations of goodwill that will see the program thrive in years to come.

"Project CONNECT proved to be an incredible learning experience. I learned a great deal about topics that I had thought I already knew reasonably well such as Canadian political history and the Canada-U.S relationship. However, in addition to providing us with the opportunity to learn a great deal, over the course of the week, the group became quite bonded and eager to work with one another in the future. This was an especially rewarding unexpected aspect of the experience because of the diversity of disciplines presented by the participants. I fully expect that a plethora of innovative and important studies will someday have their roots in Project CONNECT."
~ Dana Lee Baker, University of Missouri-Columbia

"I have no doubt that participating in the program will have a long-standing impact on my scholarship. Based on my conversations with other participants, I also firmly believe that CONNECT will easily achieve its goal of stimulating further interest in Canadian Studies at American colleges and universities."
~ Jason Kaufman, Harvard University

"I will be teaching in regular rotation a Canadian Politics course at Boise Sate, I also plan to conduct research on Canada-U.S foreign policy perspectives and how they affect cross-national environmental policy. The intent of CONNECT , as you also know, is to train the next generation of Canadianists in the United States. I am extremely grateful to be a part of this program, the brainchild of Christopher Kirkey at the State University of New York, Plattsburgh, and Andre Senecal at the University of Vermont, because it will enhance both my teaching and my research . . . I feel confident in saying that the future of Canadian Studies in the U.S. is far brighter as a result of this program."
~ Ross E. Burkhart, Boise State University

Interest in Canada Growing in the United States

The Canadian Embassy in Washington recently hosted a "Study in Canada" panel designed to create a forum in which Americans who are currently attending Canadian universities could share their experiences with American high school students, their parents, high school counsellors, and independent education consultants. The overall objective of the event was to provide the audience members with a "feel" for what it is like to study in a Canadian university as an American, rather than give them the information that they would typically learn from sources such as university recruitment officers and university web sites. This event generated a great deal of interest in Canada among Americans students.

America Canadianist Publishes on Canadian Judicial System

Last May 2004 the UBC Press published a book written by an American Canadianist detailing the complexities of the Canadian judicial system entitled, "Tournament of Appeals: Granting Judicial Review in Canada." Professor Roy Flemming from Texas A&M; University has studied law and politics in Canada through funding from a variety of supporters, including the Canadian Studies Programs at Foreign Affairs Canada.

"It is fair to say that without the support that I've received through the Canadian Studies Grant Program, the research for this book would not have been done. I am deeply indebted to the Program and hope the quality of the research meets the standards for the excellence set by the Program."

Professor Flemming received a Faculty Enrichment Grant (1993), a Faculty Research Grant (1996) leading to a major grant from the National Science foundation, and a Senior Fellowship (1999) from the Canadian Studies Program at Foreign Affairs Canada.

For more information on the program or publication please consult:
www.cdnstudies.ca
www.ubcpress.ca/search/title_book.asp?BookID=3780