The Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies officially welcomes the secretariat of the International Council for Canadian Studies (ICCS) to York University. The initiative to bring ICCS to the Robarts Centre began in the fall 2021, furthering opportunities to expand Canadian Studies at home and abroad.
For the Robarts Centre, an organized research unit at York University, supporting the ICCS and the field of international Canadian Studies is in line with its mandate. As York’s hub for enhancing the scholarly understanding of Canada and its place in the world, the Robarts Centre will benefit greatly from this agreement.
“We are thrilled to welcome the ICCS at the Robarts Centre. How Canada is studied, researched and represented abroad is a key component to a complete and holistic study of the country and of Canadian society. This relationship also fits well with our current approach to the study of Canada at York, which is critical, collaborative and interdisciplinary,” says Jean Michel Montsion, director of the Robarts Centre.
Established in 1981, the ICCS is a not-for-profit organization composed of 23 member associations and five associate members in 39 countries dedicated to the promotion and support of research, education and publication in all fields of Canadian Studies around the world. The ICCS network links more than 7,000 academics and researchers in 70 countries. These Canadianists publish hundreds of scholarly articles and books on Canadian topics; organize seminars and conferences on Canada; and through their teaching and seminars reach more than 150,000 students.
“We are very glad that the Robarts Centre has offered to host our secretariat for the coming years. Our move from Ottawa to Toronto will have many advantages, among them the close link with one of the top Canadian universities, being housed together with excellent York U research centres and, most importantly, allowing for close research cooperation with the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies,” says Kerstin Knopf, president of ICCS and professor at the University of Bremen in Germany.
The Robarts Centre and the ICCS have a long-standing relationship. In 2013, the ICCS held its annual general meeting at York University with the support of the Robarts Centre. York students have also won The Brian Long Best Doctoral Thesis in Canadian Studies award, including Jane Griffith (2015), Brittany Luby (2016) and Warren Bernauer (2018).
Additional initiatives are underway to support research collaboration, joint events for future ICCS annual general meetings and workshops for graduate students.
To learn more about the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, click here.