EU-Canada Study Tour – “Thinking Canada”

Aims

• "Thinking Canada" is designed to enable European students to experience an in-depth exposure to a wide variety of institutions (both private and public), government bodies, think tanks and NGOs in Canada. These have been chosen to reflect a number of topics that are central for an understanding of contemporary Canada, among them cultural diversity, the English/French relationship, multiculturalism, the position of the First Nations, federalism and regionalism, the environment, urban issues and questions relating to economics, finance and trade. EU-Canada relations will also be examined. This interdisciplinary programme is intended to broaden students' knowledge of Canada and is designed to provide them with opportunities to interact with the specialists and experts who will be leading the sessions at the various places they visit.
  

The tour itself - logistics

• Participants will arrive in Brussels on 4 September, the tour proper will begin on 5 September with a four-day introductory session focused on the EU and EU-Canada relations. It will, then move on to Canada for a period of three-and-a-half weeks that will take it to Ottawa, Québec, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria (8 September - 1 October) and finally back to Brussels (2 October). Accommodation will be in university residences (Brussels) and reasonably-priced hotels (Canada). Travel to and from Canada, as well as from Toronto to Vancouver, will be on arranged group flights; within Canada, ground transportation by coach will be provided in and between cities.
  

Eligibility

• Participation in the tour is open to university students who, at the time of application, are in their third year of studies (or equivalent) or higher and are citizens of the European Union. Third-country nationals who have been legal residents in the European Union for at least three years (and for purposes other than study) before the start of the tour are also eligible; they must be enrolled at a university in an EU member state. A maximum of 32 students will take part in the tour.

• Note: other students at European universities can take part in the tour, but on the condition that they pay the full cost - 2,750 EUR per person.

Academic content

• "Thinking Canada" will be a demanding tour academically, providing a rich academic experience in a non-academic setting. Students will be required to attend all sessions, and may also be asked to do some academic work during the tour itself. Each participant must agree beforehand with an academic supervisor at his or her home university on the specific requirements to be recognized after return, ideally in the form of ECTS credits. In addition, two academic advisors will be accompanying the tour to serve as resource persons and to advise the students with regard to any academic tasks they may have been set by their advisors. In cities visited in Canada, participants will also have the opportunity to meet with local Canadian academics.
  

Language

• Though Canada is of course a bilingual state, and the tour will be visiting both Anglophone and Francophone regions of the country, for practical reasons it was felt that it would not be possible to require every participant to be fluent in both English and French. The great majority of places and institutions on the programme are situated in Anglophone Canada; in the case of Québec, the individuals who will be meeting with the tour participants have for the most part agreed to give their presentations in English; where this is not possible, interpretation will be provided. Naturally, a knowledge of French will greatly enhance the experience gained on the tour; however, it is not a precondition for participation. On the other hand, it is essential for participants to have a good working knowledge of English.
  

Costs

• Most of the funding for the tour comes from a very generous grant from the European Commission, with additional contributions from the European Network for Canadian Studies and the national and regional Canadian Studies associations in Europe. Thanks to this financial support, students will only be required to pay a participation fee of 700 EUR. For students from the newer member countries of the EU (Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) the fee will be 600 EUR.

• The following costs will be fully covered for participants in the tour:
• - accommodation in Brussels and for the duration of the tour in Canada
• - return airfare Europe-Canada-Europe, as well as the flight from Toronto to Vancouver, on group flights booked by the tour organizers
  - ground transportation in Canada
  Students will be expected to pay for their own meals, and to cover incidental costs.
  

Internships

• Eight internships will also be offered, enabling students to stay on in Canada for two months after the end of the tour itself. They will take place at leading think tanks, foundations, cultural institutions and government departments selected to meet a broad range of interests and skills. For details, click on "Internships" to the left.
  

How to apply

• Students from countries that have national or regional Canadian Studies associations will send their filled-in application forms to these associations. Where no such association exists, they should be directed to the tour's Executive Director at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Application deadline: Wednesday 18 May 2011
  

Selection process

• The selection process will have two stages. In the first, national/regional Canadian Studies associations will rank the candidates from their respective countries/regions. In the case of applicants not falling under any national/regional association, this will be done at the central level by the EU-Canada Study Tour Selection Committee. This committee will then make the final selection. A reserve list will also be prepared. Successful applicants will be notified by the end of May.
  

Payment

• After applicants have been informed that they have been accepted for the tour they will be sent instructions for paying the participation fee.