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Dear Presidents/Directors:

Jean Labrie has asked the ICCS to send you the message below, requesting that you relay it to your members. It is a brief report on the results of the consultation process done within DFAIT regarding Canadian Studies. Please ask your members to return theirs comments to you. These comments will help foster the discussion during the Forum in Edmonton. I thank you for your collaboration on this matter.
  
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Dear Canadianist friends,

The Canadian Studies Program as we know it has been in existence for more than 30 years and is quite successful. However, it has now to take into account the evolution of the academic, governmental and social environments. You realized that also to the point where the Canadianist community, through the International Council for Canadian Studies (ICCS) launched a broad consultation on the program and its components last May.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) also considers that there is room for improvement and is undergoing a review of all its academic relations programs. As we move forward in revamping DFAIT’s academic relations program, we want to ensure we are working closely with all the stakeholders so the program will be better adapted to governmental priorities and Canadianists’ needs.

A review of the Program is therefore under way and is directed towards a more strategic and targeted approach to Canadian Studies as part of Canada's overall approach to public diplomacy and international education. This program must be aligned to government and department priorities, building on synergies with other activities such as education marketing, youth mobility and scholarships.

We have already consulted our colleagues in the Department in Ottawa as well as those in Canadian missions who work on the program and we now want to submit to you the aspects of this consultation in order to get your opinion even if we have already spoken to some of you and were able to realize that our approach was similar to the one you may envisage. As you probably know, on May 24, 2007, in Edmonton, at the occasion of the Annual General Meeting of the ICCS, there will be a forum on the future of Canadian Studies and we would like to take that opportunity to gather your suggestions regarding this new approach. It is therefore of the outmost importance that you send your comments to the president of your association soon enough to leave her/him enough time to let us know your views even if some of you have already been consulted by our colleagues abroad. After that forum we will finalize the architecture of the new program. As the process is not yet completed, we cannot go in too much detail but in an attempt to give you as much information as possible to make your own opinion, we have prepared the following.

A NEW APPROACH
The new approach, while continuing to respect academic freedom, should be better targeted to support activities (teaching, conferences, seminars, research, etc.) in areas of policy relevance to Canada and supportive of regional strategies. The Canadian Government has identified some priorities that will be taken into account when allocating resources through the various components of the program. That does not mean that fields not directly related to these priorities will be abandoned.

Priority Issues:
- Peace and Security;
- North America Partnership (including key Canada-US bilateral issues);
- Economic Development and Competitiveness;
- Democracy, rule of law, human rights;
- Managing Diversity;
- Environment.

Once again, those are priorities therefore it does not exclude other issues related to enhancing and promoting a better knowledge of Canada, its values and culture.

Essential to a real renewal of the program we consider there is a need for a more focused and results-oriented approach, including:
- -        several components to run on a competitive basis. It is already the case for awards as well as support for Canadian Studies centres in some countries. We would apply this practice more widely;
- -        in these competitions, in addition to academic merit, preference will be given to projects which relate to government priorities and country strategies;
- -        increased focus on youth and connecting the best and brightest to Canada;
- -        integrate education marketing, where possible, to Canadian Studies activities to leverage our investments and promote interest among foreign students to consider Canada as a study destination;
- -        promote institutional linkages and research collaboration on priority issues between Canadian and foreign institutions through innovative partnerships;
- -        better communicate program success in Canada as well as abroad;
- -        better measurement of results.

Targeted Programming:

In addition to review existing program components, we are exploring the development of new ones (subject to available resources) to respond to priority issues, such as:

A Thematic Conference Grant Program: seeking a diversified participation by stakeholders including government representatives, NGOs, business sector, academics, students and Canadian experts. Such programs could be adapted to each region aiming to address important and timely issues about Canada, its relationship with a country or region, and its international affairs. Support provided would be designed to assist the organizing institution in holding the event and publishing the resulting papers and proceedings. Run on a competitive basis and offered throughout the world, assessment of proposals would include relevance to Canada-country/region relations, collaboration with Canadian partners, who is engaged (students, NGO’s, general public, local government representatives, private sector, etc.);

Graduate Student Debates, perhaps organized in parallel with regional conferences: Within the framework of the above mentioned thematic conferences, or the statutory conference of an association, a panel could be devoted to graduate students for debating on issues of interest related to priorities issues. Proposal would be distinct from the annual grant requests and would be evaluated in light of the topic to be debated, qualification of participants, expected audience, etc.;

A Graduate Students Research Award Program: to assist full-time graduate students at degree-granting institutions of higher education, whose dissertations are related in substantial part to Canada. Those awards would help them to undertake doctoral research in Canada. This program is already offered in some countries but we would extend it in region of strategic interest. Candidates would be evaluated by academics, first on the basis of academic merit, then taking into account the priorities of the Canadian Government and strategic objectives.;

Canadian Academic Leadership Program: based on a regional approach, this program would send top notch Canadian academics and researchers, and/or current or potential leaders in government, politics and the media to different regions of the world to speak on topics relevant to foreign policy objectives. Events would be organized in collaboration with local universities and other high profile organizations that would promote the event and secure a targeted audience. The program would be competitive and available everywhere in the world. Evaluation of proposals would take into account partnership with academia, business and/or civil society (including cost-sharing), linkages to regional/country strategies and Canadian foreign policy, multi country or regional partnerships, target audience(s), anticipated media coverage;

Broadening the reach of Canadian Studies activities by supporting foreign institutions in developing programs that encourage student mobility (exchanges, study tours, internships to Canada, scholarships, etc.). We think about implementing a program that would allow foreign students registered in Canadian Studies programs to complete their education in Canadian Studies programs offered by Canadian institutions. We also think about implementing an internship program where the Canadian intern working abroad would devote part of his/her time to education marketing (where there are no CECN offices), and youth programs;

A fund for innovative strategic projects that relate to international education activities. Even if this component would be more directed to our Canadian missions abroad, it would imply that the missions get into a partnership with a local organization. The fund would support specific projects closely linked to country strategies, especially at the regional level.

Your views are crucial to this exercise. The above-described approach is our vision on how the program could be looking, taking into account the various elements we need to consider at the governmental level and our willingness to continue to count on programs proven successful.

Please send your comments to the president of your association who, in turn, will forward them to your representative at the Annual General Meeting of ICCS.

Thank you in advance for your help.