by Nathaniel Whelan
The Global Skills Opportunity grant offers thousands of post-secondary students the chance to develop global skills, expand their networks, and strengthen their career prospects through valuable international experiences. Born out of the Government of Canada’s International Education Strategy and managed by Universities Canada, it aims to promote opportunities for students from demographics that are frequently unable to participate in outbound mobility. This includes Indigenous students, low-income students, and students with disabilities.
We are thrilled to announce that Carleton University has been awarded two of these grants.
“As a long-time educator, I am a firm believer in the benefits of international research. However, the unfortunate truth is that not all students are born with the same advantages, or have equal access to the same resources due to a number of structural barriers. I’m pleased that these grants will help provide a new avenue for underrepresented groups to go abroad as part of their post-secondary education.”
-Dr. Karen Schwartz, Associate Vice-President (Research and International)
The first grant will be managed by Career Services and the International Student Services Office, who will provide bursaries to students engaged in their flagship international experience programs, including the International Internship, International Exchange, and the Alternative Spring Break programs. Staying true to the overall mandate, this project will focus on helping the groups mentioned above in an effort to provide greater access to these outbound mobility opportunities.
The second grant was awarded to the CALAREO International Research Mobility Experience project which will be implemented by several member universities of the CALAREO consortium, including Carleton University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Vancouver Island University, École de technologie supérieure, and Lakehead University. It aims to provide funding to undergraduate students of these partner institutions for the purposes of participating in outbound opportunities to countries that are rarely considered as viable study or work destinations, namely in Latin America and the Caribbean. Part of the goal of this new project is to address the information gaps and alter perceptions of the region.
The grant will fund students who wish to participate in short- or medium-term research internships. Carleton International will manage the short-term programs (1-4 weeks), as well as provide support for field school programs. They are designed to be flexible by creating an opening for individuals who are unable to apply for the medium-term option (12-16 weeks). Approximately 52 short-term internships are expected to be available.
It is estimated that a total of 138 students will benefit from this second grant. Internships will be open to all, but roughly 50% will be reserved for the targeted demographic groups mentioned above.
More information regarding both projects will soon become available. Placements may start in the fall of 2022 depending on Public Health guidelines, and will be funded through to the year 2025.
Receiving two Global Skills Opportunity grants is great news for Carleton University, one that allows us to continue in our tradition of championing international research mobility. It supports the goals of our new International Strategic Plan, specifically increasing the number of ways for students to acquire global citizenship skills and other research-related competencies.
In recent years, the number of inbound and outbound research mobility programs managed by Carleton International has gone up. Since 2019, 25 outgoing Carleton students have received awards, worth a combined total of $292,400 in research dollars, though many have had to complete their research virtually.
We are looking forward to being able to work alongside Carleton students and help them make the most of their international experience. We are confident that the opportunities created out of these programs will set each individual student on the pathway to future success.
For additional information, please contact:
Nathaniel Whelan, Outreach Officer