It is my pleasure to introduce the inaugural publication of Carleton International’s quarterly newsletter. Every team member in our office is dedicated to fulfilling the second of the university’s three strategic pillars: serve Ottawa, serve the world. Through various partnerships and research collaborations, we strive to enhance Carleton’s international impact and strengthen its reputation as a global hub for intellectual engagement. I am proud of my team and their tireless commitment to Carleton’s faculty and students in and outside of Canada.

This project is a direct result of our International Strategic Plan. It is an opportunity for us to renew our storytelling efforts and reach the wider Carleton community. Not only will you stay up-to-date with the goings-on of the office, but also of our collaborators around the world making invaluable contributions for the benefit of our shared future.

In each publication, you will discover the latest information about our international partners, funding and mobility opportunities, upcoming events, news stories, and other general announcements. I am excited to officially launch this newsletter and sincerely hope you find it engaging and useful. We greatly appreciate your support. Thank you.

Karen Schwartz
Associate Vice-President (Research and International)

Our newly updated Global Connections Map is a symbol of all the hard work past and present in creating an interconnected global network and the visual embodiment of our strategic vision. Each colourful marker tells a story about the various Memorandums of Understanding, international research projects, visiting scholars, and research mobility grants managed by Carleton International.

Click here for a more detailed view. Play around with its many features, such as faculty filters and layer lists, to learn just how widespread Carleton’s international influence truly is.

At Carleton, we often talk about the “global advantage.” Before the pandemic, you could always hear these words bouncing around the walls of our office in Tory. But what exactly is this advantage?

International mobility:

• Enriches your post-secondary education
• Offers a chance to learn and share knowledge
• Provides an opportunity to collaborate with top researchers
• Fosters unique worldview perspectives
• Improves your ability to develop global citizenship and intercultural skills

Watch our promotional video to hear accounts from past Carleton students who have experienced this global advantage firsthand. From conducting interviews to gathering data, participating in marches to braking for herds of cattle, their stories stand as a testament to the benefits—and surprises!—of travelling abroad. More information on available mobility programs can be found below.

Carleton International has a proud tradition of partnering with external agencies to offer faculty and students funding opportunities for short-term research mobility, as well as longer collaboration projects. The Mitacs Globalink and Accelerate International programs, for instance, are great ways to make connections with international researchers and to embrace the global advantage. Alexandra Lamb, a former Carleton master’s student, experienced these benefits firsthand when she went abroad to Ireland in 2019.

“I was very fortunate to be able to conduct my master’s research in Dublin, which would not have been possible without the assistance of the Mitacs Globalink Research Award. In general, research mobility holds many advantages. It allowed me to cultivate new connections, garner inspiration from my surroundings, and dream bigger than I had previously allowed myself. More practically, it gave me the skillset to begin my journey as a PhD student and to excel in my work as a policy analyst in the Federal Government. Challenging yourself is the quickest way to self-actualization and growth. In my experience, travelling gives you the opportunity to do just that.”

-Alexandra Lamb

Click here to view all mobility programs offered through Carleton International. Please note that during the pandemic, many of our partner agencies are reserving funds for research that can be completed remotely, while others have applications open for physical mobility, with awards remaining temporarily on hold.

For more information, please contact:
Sylvie Jasen (International Projects Coordinator)

Did you know that scholars with international affiliations have approximately 40% higher citation rates than those who don’t? This speaks to the absolute necessity of welcoming scholars from abroad for the process of creating and disseminating new knowledge.

Before the pandemic, Carleton was proud to host over 150 visiting professors, scholars, and student researchers annually through the Visiting Scholars Program. Our role was to coordinate the arrival of these individuals and to offer advice and support when required.

In an age of strict border restrictions, however, our office recognized early that it was imperative to find some sort of an alternative. As a result, we were able to adapt the program to include a new virtual option. These Virtual Research Visits offer scholars the chance to collaborate with Carleton faculty members and continue to make valuable contributions to their respective fields despite the growing list of challenges.

For more information about these programs, please contact:
Yvonne Clevers (International Research Agreements and Mobility Coordinator)

Carleton International Projects has updated its website! At the end of April 2021, we had 47 active international research projects valued at CAD $8.14 million, and more than 190 partners from across the globe. The majority of our international funders are from the US, the UK, and Europe.

Using the StoryMaps function, you can view a selection of our funders, or take a virtual global tour to several partner institutions and projects. This feature highlights strategic themes in our research, such as accessibility, sustainability, technology for good, and diversity and inclusion.

Click here to learn more.

Seeking external revenue to fund your project can be a difficult and frustrating task. The good news: we are here to help!

Carleton International supports faculty members by facilitating access to international sources of research funding. But not only that, we’ve created a new website dedicated to breaking down this complicated process, which can be found here.

However, we understand that simply showing these steps sometimes won’t solve your problems either, which is why we’ve also created a webpage that answers frequently asked questions when faculty members are engaged with international research funders. Navigate the page with ease with nine common category buttons. Your solution is just a click away!

For more information, please contact:
Heloise Emdon (Manager, International Projects)

At Carleton International, we are always looking for innovative ways to inform the university community about issues related to international research. That is why we are excited to showcase our new podcast series, featuring insightful interviews with faculty and staff.

If you’re involved in projects that require knowledge about data protection, then our first episode is an important one. Join Heloise Emdon as she discusses the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe and the UK, and the changing landscape of Canadian universities, with Pierce White-Joncas, Manager, Privacy & Access to Information at Carleton.

Click here to listen now! And don’t forget to check back for new episodes.

Back in 2018, Carleton and the University of Lucerne successfully launched the Dual Master’s Degree in Political Science. Three years later, a small ceremony was held at the private residence of Ambassador Salome Meyer of the Embassy of Switzerland to celebrate the first graduates to come out of the program: Carleton’s Arta Tahiraj and Lucerne’s Maximilian Kallenbach. A Dual Master’s Degree offers students the chance to spend equal time at two universities, taking full advantage of their respective strengths and specializations, and in the end, receive two diplomas. Both Arta and Max embraced this immersive international experience, and have since begun pursuing new professional opportunities off the backs of their degrees.

When we sign new Memorandums of Understanding with other academic institutions, it is with the intent of developing something significant and impactful. The Dual Master’s Degree in Political Science is ground-breaking in that it is the first degree of its kind between any Canadian and Swiss university. Carleton International will continue to advocate for the Dual Master’s Degree with the goal of establishing new international partnerships and opportunities for students, while strengthening our existing one with Lucerne.

Carleton and the Embassy of Hungary to Canada are pleased to host the Rubik’s Cube Student Competition. This free in-person event will feature Hungarian architect and professor Ernő Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, the popular 3D combination puzzle.

Since its initial release in 1980, the cube’s impact on pop culture has been monumental, leading to numerous global competitions and Guinness World Record breakers. Today, it is one of the world’s bestselling toys at over 350 million units.

In the spirit of friendly competition, we invite Carleton students to participate in this very special event. The winner of the competition will receive a signed copy of Mr. Rubik’s 2020 book Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All.

Space is limited so act fast! Deadline to register: October 20, 2021.

Over the past year and a half, the pandemic has posed numerous unprecedented challenges when it comes to international travel. Even now, border restrictions are solidly in place, effectively limiting or putting a stop to physical research mobility. Despite these regulations, COVID-19 has never prevented us from championing our programs and the many benefits of international research.

On March 4, 2021, an audience from around the world gathered on zoom to attend the International Research Mobility Symposium. This virtual event was made possible thanks to the contribution of the federal government as part of the International Education Strategy (2019-2024). The day was nothing short of a success with approximately 200 people in attendance.

Divided into several sessions, the symposium featured students who came to Ottawa to study, as well as Carleton students who went abroad. Each speaker presented their projects, while discussing their experiences conducting international research. Located across the world, they joined in from South and North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The event also introduced attendees to different types of available funding and mobility opportunities.

In spite of the pandemic, the symposium solidified Carleton’s continued commitment to internationalization and in supporting the capacity of faculty and students to engage in other countries. At a time when everyone felt increasingly isolated, having people connect from all over the world helped keep the spirit of international mobility alive.

Recordings of all sessions are available to watch here.

We’d love to hear from you! If you have any content recommendations or suggestions on how we can improve our newsletter, please contact: NathanielWhelan@cunet.carleton.ca