International Scholarships Program 2023 Study Tour - Ottawa
February 28, 2023 - A select group of 30 graduate-level scholars from Global Affairs Canada's ELAP and SICS scholarships initiatives gathered in Ottawa from February 20-24, 2023 to participate in the annual Study Tour.
Coming from 23 countries in the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia - and representing a wide variety of host institutions across Canada - these scholars had the opportunity to meet with key representatives from government, industry, and community sectors around the theme of "A Sustainable Canada". As part of their academic experience while on exchange, the Study Tour allowed participants to learn more about Canada's policies, current challenges, and future goals in climate change, innovation, and social development.
The group also had the opportunity to learn more about the history of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples through a Blanket Exercise led by an indigenous elder.
Participants gained insight into the Canadian federal government, current realities, and research and innovation expertise through visits to the Canadian Space Agency, the National Research Council, Bayview Yards, the House of Commons, the Senate of Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, and Global Affairs Canada.
About the International Scholarships Program Study Tour
The Study Tour is a key feature of the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program and, for the first time this year, has been expanded to include graduate-level recipients of the Study in Canada Scholarships.
Both programs offer post-secondary students from the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia the opportunity to pursue short-term study and research exchanges at Canadian colleges and universities.
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Benefits of the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program
Transcript
Ana Rocio Jouli, ELAP participant, PhD Literature, McGill University: You see the benefits and you think “Okay, this is too good”. Just the name, you know, “Emerging Leaders of the Americas”. When my friend sent me the link to this scholarship, When my friend sent me the link to this scholarship, I mean, I might be kind of good at what I do, but "emerging leader", that’s a lot.
Luis Andres Gonzalez, ELAP participant, Master's, Agricultural Science, University of British Columbia: Being an emerging leader, it means there is some potential, some capacity of doing things that have never been done before.
Queliane Gomes da Silva Carvalho, ELAP participant, PhD, Nursing, University of British Columbia: We always think “I am doing this for my patients, I am doing this for my university, for my students", and when you think that you can be an emerging leader, you think “Yeah, I can do this for my country”.
Carlos Magno Neves, ELAP participant, PhD, Health Sciences, University of British Columbia: I applied to ELAP with hope; hope to be here. And suddenly, that hope became real. It’s amazing to be here.
Viviane Cabral Bengezen, ELAP participant, PhD, Language Studies and Linguistics, University of Saskatchewan: The Emerging Leaders of the America Program is such an amazing initiative of the Government of Canada to open a great opportunity for us.
Guillermo Armando Corona Herrera, ELAP participant, PhD, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland: The ELAP is really a great opportunity for all Latin American and Caribbean. This program offers us all the facilities to stay here, to do our research in the top level.
Gabriela Ulmo Diaz, ELAP participant, PhD, Conservation Genetics, Université Laval: And the people there actually want to help me to learn.
Ana Rocio Jouli: They're not just focusing on getting people employment, they're focusing on not having immigrants isolated, but to make them feel like they really have a community.
Gonzalo Matias Ronda, ELAP participant, PhD, Earth Geological Sciences, Dalhousie University: It’s a great experience for personal growth, for academic growth, for professional growth. In general, I would say “Go for it”!
[Upbeat music]
Gonzalo Matias Ronda: Some people in the ELAP program get the chance to go to Ottawa for a week, and it’s, I would say like, that would be, as we say in Argentina, “La frutilla del postre”. La crème de la crème.
Carlos Magno Neves: I have been in the Parliament. I saw them discussing topics; I saw them face to face. If I’m a Canadian with the right to vote, I could choose my next Minister there. I could say “No, I don’t support this guy anymore”, or I could say, "Yeah, that’s the idea I want to follow". "That’s the idea which is going to make my country better”.
[Upbeat music]
Ana Rocio Jouli: It’s very inspiring getting to know the social policies, the models for immigration, for reconciliation with aboriginal communities.
Luis Andres Gonzalez: I had the chance to meet amazing people, and meeting some aspects of Canadian culture, that has been an amazing experience.
[Upbeat music and applause]
Javier Porro Suardíaz, ELAP participant, Master's, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Concordia University: This study tour moved me to see the possibility of maybe I can become a leader.
Gonzalo Matias Ronda: I am very grateful of what this country is doing for my PhD project. I mean, there are few labs this specialized, I would say. So it’s a huge opportunity.
Carlos Magno Neves: Since I arrived here, I have no tag. I am one more inside the multicultural environment which Canada provides.
Daniel Holanda Noronha, ELAP participant, Master's, Engineering, University of British Columbia: You don’t feel like an alien, you really feel like a student because the first day you come to school, you’re already part of it. This is definitely something very different from my other exchanges, where I was the Brazilian guy, I was the different guy, and here, I’m part of society, and that makes me feel very comfortable how Canadians really welcome people from all over the world here.
Mariana da Rosa Martins, ELAP participant, Master's, Health Sciences, University of Saskatchewan: Here in Canada, you have a very strong network with a different perspective.
Carlos Magno Neves: And now, I have a kind of idea of what it means to be in Canada. The rights, a little bit the way of thinking. It’s really a huge opportunity for us.
Javier Porro Suardíaz: Wonderful and cold and warm at the same time.
[Upbeat music]
On-screen text: Contact your home institution to find out more about the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP).
Scholarship recipients of the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program explain why you should participate in an academic exchange with Canada.
Learn about the Emerging Leaders in the Americans Program (ELAP)
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