A fellowship program supporting undergraduate students at York University’s Glendon Campus launched for the second year on Nov. 7 through the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies. The Fellows for the 2019-20 academic year are: Grace Dietrich, Olivia Pellicciotta, Renae Brady, Suzana Younes, Dael Vasquez, Nera-Lei Vasilko, Jay Ghandi and Senior Robarts Centre Fellows Anastasiya Dvuzhylov and Ana Kraljević.
The Robarts Centre Fellowship was created in 2018 with the explicit purpose of giving visibility and support to the Canadian Studies Program at Glendon College, notably by giving interested students access to various opportunities in the study of Canada arising in York networks.
The official launch event was held in collaboration with the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs during a reception event in honour of Mel Cappe, former clerk of the Privy Council of Canada. Annie Demirjian, director of the school, noted “It is great to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of such an important public servant and diplomat, while ensuring that the next generation of scholars and practitioners have a chance to learn from the insights and experience of Mr. Cappe.”
Earlier this fall, some of the Robarts Centre Fellows attended a weekend retreat with students from the Canadian Studies Program at Trent University at the Windy Pine Conference Centre to discuss various aspects in the study of Canada.
Professor Colin Coates led the delegation, and said the retreat provided an opportunity for the Robarts Centre Fellows and Canadian Studies students to meet their counterparts from Trent University, explore some complex issues in contemporary Canadian debates, and take advantage of the beautiful environment that the Windy Pine Conference Centre offers.
“It was a key step in establishing links between the two Canadian Studies Programs, and we plan to invite the Trent students to York in the spring,” said Coates.
In its second year, the initiative requires Robarts Centre Fellows to attend centre events, lectures and workshops, where they: develop specific marketable skills of their choosing through volunteering in Robarts Centre activities and partner institutions such as the Canadian Languages Museum; engage in various networking and mentoring activities; and present their own perspective on a selected topic relevant to Canadian Studies. Upon completion of the program in May 2020, the Robarts Centre Fellows will receive a certificate of recognition and their work will be published on the website of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies. The reflections from 2018-19 Robarts Centre Fellows are available online.
As a research engine that facilitates and mobilizes research pertaining to various aspects of the study of Canada in the York community, the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies supports initiatives and events that help expand its research community and the overall impact of the work of its members.
Gabrielle Slowey, director of the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, says “The Robarts Centre Fellows offers amazing research and network opportunities and it is a way for the Robarts Centre to integrate interested undergraduate students to our research community. The mandate of the Centre is to support and amplify the work done at York on Canada. What better way to achieve this goal than to engage undergraduate students directly, and have them start their own research project by witnessing the great scholarship unfolding at York?”
For more information on how the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies supports research at York, visit its website.