Fulbright Canada Strategic Plan 2023-2028

Message from the CEO

When we embarked on the journey that led to this document, we were especially mindful of the challenges facing post-secondary education in North America. Top of mind were issues around access and affordability, the challenge of curriculum keeping up with technology, competition from online education, and the need to meet the expectations of a generation defined by the pandemic and whose priorities increasingly revolved around skills development and career readiness.

At the same time, we were energized by the knowledge that educational exchanges have a powerful impact - both on the individuals involved and as a tool for public diplomacy. Exchange programs allow participants to learn valuable skills, become more flexible and adaptable, and gain a more nuanced appreciation for cultural differences. Exchanges create future leaders who are more likely to be good empathetic citizens, accomplished problem solvers, and people with the confidence and the courage to manage change. They are also more employable. In an increasingly globalized world, more and more employers are looking for colleagues with international experience.

The Fulbright program has offered generations of people the opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives, develop their full potential, and impact the world. So many of our grantees refer to their experiences as transformational or life-changing.

Under the direction of a very active and engaged board of directors, and with the support and advice of staff, grantees, alums, partners, and friends, we worked together to identify the path forward and find the best ways to adapt to change, to thrive in an increasingly dynamic environment, and to double down on our long-standing goal of building a community that reflects a commitment to diversity, access, and opportunity.

The strategic plan is informed by our foundational commitments to support and encourage socially impactful programs and projects, prioritize inclusion in all our programs, and identify excellence and impact through increased brand awareness. The critical elements of our growth strategy include strengthening our core programs, most notably the Fulbright student program, expanding and innovating through our broad mandate programs, like Honour Nations Canada and the Fulbright Canada Entrepreneurship Initiative, and engaging and including the entire Fulbright Canada community.

This inspirational and implementable document outlines a vision for our future, affirms our mission and values, and identifies the strategic pillars that will guide our programs, priorities, and growth through fiscal year 2028. It is a shared vision for the next five years animated by ambitious goals and an unrelenting commitment to Connecting with Impact.

Michael Hawes, 99/2000 Ottawa, January 2024

Table of Contents

1. Message from the CEO

1. Land Acknowledgement

2. About Fulbright Canada

3. Mission, Vision, and Values

4. Fulbright Canada Programs

5. 2023-2028 Fulbright Canada Strategic Plan

Louka Ducharme Masse 2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Killam Fellow

San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA

Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

“History tells the ever-dynamic story of people that ask new questions of the past, illuminates new voices and perspectives to its study, and creates dialogue between the past and the present to inform and educate an engaged citizenry for the future.”

Elizabeth B. Elliot-Meisel

2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Comparative Canada-U.S. Studies

Land Acknowledgment

Fulbright Canada acknowledges that we live and work on the traditional unceded territories of the Algonquin Anishinabe People and the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkʷəyəm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

We also acknowledge that our work spans the territories of many Indigenous communities and recognize that they have guarded and nurtured the land for millennia.

Fulbright Canada remains committed to doing everything in our power to recognize, support, and amplify Indigenous communities and Indigenous ways of knowing.

About Fulbright Canada

The Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America (aka Fulbright Canada) is a bi-national, treaty-based, non-governmental, not-forprofit organization that strives to identify excellence and engage people in international educational and academic exchange in Canada and the United States of America. As a leading educational exchange program, Fulbright Canada is committed to elevating the value of education by nurturing promising leaders, scholars, and students to contribute to solving the most pressing issues of our time, all while fostering mutual cross-cultural understanding.

Supported by Global Affairs Canada and the U.S. Department of State, along with various corporate sponsors, charitable trusts, and university partners, Fulbright Canada is governed by an independent board of directors. The Foundation is formally incorporated in Canada and is a registered charity in Canada and a 501(c)3 organization in the United States. Fulbright Canada operates from its offices in Ottawa and Vancouver under the terms set out in the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act.

While Fulbright Canada’s origins can be traced to Senator J. William Fulbright, today’s Fulbright Program is a public sector-private sector partnership active in over 160 countries. The program’s success is evident, with 37 former heads of state or government, 60 Nobel Prize winners, and 86 Pulitzer Prize winners among its alums.

Mohan Tanniru 2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Research Chair

Lake Powell, American Southwest, Arizona, USA

Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada

Fulbright Canada’s Mission, Vision, and Values

VISION

MISSION

To provide transformational academic educational exchange experiences between the United States and Canada and effect positive social change.

Enhance mutual understanding between the people of Canada and the people of the United States of America by supporting residential academic exchange, partnering with key stakeholders, growing the relationship between the two countries, and investing in the best and brightest minds in both countries.

VALUES

Susan Hrach 2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Distinguished Chair

Vancouver, BC, Canada

Excellence Integrity Inclusion Innovation Impact

Fulbright Canada Graduate Student & Scholar Programs

Whether you are an exceptional graduate student, an independent researcher, an established scholar or a Fulbright alum, Fulbright Canada offers residential academic exchange programs that transform personal and professional lives while increasing mutual understanding between nations. Fulbright programs help you realize your full potential through socially impactful binational research collaboration, a more nuanced appreciation of cultural differences, and a commitment to the greater good.

FULBRIGHT Canada

Scholar Program

FULBRIGHT Canada

Student Program

FULBRIGHT Canada

Specialist Program

Rob Colgate

2022-2023 Fulbright Student

“As the scientific director of a non-profit research institute in Canada’s North, I was excited to find opportunities to build on the opportunities afforded by Fulbright to strengthen the capacities of my colleagues and our whole organization, which strives to serve Nunavummiut (the people of Nunavut) through Inuit pathways to wellbeing.”

Gwen Healey Akearok

Fulbright

FULBRIGHT Canada

Scholar Program

The Fulbright Canada Scholar Program offers residential exchange opportunities at universities, think tanks, NGOs, and government agencies for leading scholars and accomplished professionals who are Canadian or American citizens. In addition to the traditional field open grants, Fulbright Canada offers targeted opportunities for scholars through our Visiting Research Chairs Program, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, and others.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/programs

Arctic Initiative Scholar 2017-2020 & Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Arctic Studies 2022-2023

“Travel broadens the mind, but meeting travellers helps develop our understanding and empathy. Exchange programs have extraordinary value in putting one out of one’s natural context and into a different culture. It helps us question our assumptions and biases and open ourselves to new ways of thinking and being.”

Anand Mahadevan

2009-2010, Fulbright Canada Student

FULBRIGHT Canada

Student Program

The Fulbright Canada Student Program offers a unique opportunity for Canadian and American graduate students to conduct research or undertake a program of study in the other country. The program is open to all fields of study and research, including, but not limited to, public policy, science and technology, social sciences, business, and the humanities, with some preference for scholarly topics that have direct relevance to Canada, the United States, or the relationship between the two countries.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/programs

Chateau Frontenac Quebec, Canada

“Fulbright is one of the best experiences I have had in my life. It was so incredible to be able to live in a foreign country, make friendships with people from around the world and learn about new cultures. I was honored and delighted to learn that the academic community of the University of Windsor was so open to exploring ways to promote equitable trade with the United States and encourage cross-border social responsibility. I think that everyone should experience going abroad, even if it is just for a visit.”

Specialist Program

The Fulbright Specialist Award provides American and Canadian faculty and professionals opportunities to collaborate on curriculum and faculty development, institutional planning, collaborative research and partnerships, and other activities. Short-term grants of two to six weeks are available to provide leading U.S. scholars and professionals with opportunities to collaborate with their Canadian counterparts.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/programs/american-scholars/specialists-program

Virgil Parker

2021-2022 Fulbright Canada Student, Howard University to University of Windsor

FULBRIGHT Canada

Fulbright Canada

Undergraduate Student Programs

Fulbright Canada offers residential academic exchange programs and research opportunities for exceptional undergraduate students. An undergraduate exchange can be transformative, both personally and professionally. It can play an essential role in developing valuable soft skills such as intercultural competence, adaptability, problem-solving, and self-confidence.

FULBRIGHT Canada

Killam Fellowships Program

FULBRIGHT Canada

Mitacs Globalink Research Internship

Julie Kaplan

2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Killam Fellow

“There are so many parallels between the United States and Canada when it comes to culture, geography, history, and politics. I had the opportunity to learn about the similarities and differences between American and Canadian political interests and how American politics influences the dynamics of Canadian politics when it comes to policy issues and debate.”

Anusha Natarajan 2022-2023 Killam Fellow, Arizona State University to Carleton University

FULBRIGHT Canada

Killam Fellowships Program

The Killam Fellowships Program provides an opportunity for exceptional undergraduate students from universities in Canada and the United States to spend either one semester or a full academic year as an exchange student in the other country. During their fellowship, they can take up a mobility grant to travel within their host country to gain a broader cultural understanding.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/programs/killam-fellowships

“This program stood out as a unique opportunity to broaden my perspectives — as a researcher, by exploring a field with which I’m not too well-acquainted, and as a person, by traveling to another country on my own and getting to know Canada’s diverse culture.”

2021-2022 Mitacs Internship at University of British Columbia

FULBRIGHT Canada

Mitacs Globalink Research Internship

The Fulbright Canada Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is intended for American undergraduate students interested in coming to Canada to undertake advanced research projects for 10 to 12 weeks in their area of interest. Projects are drawn from a broad cross-section of research topics covering all academic disciplines, and students are placed under the supervision of a professor to undertake a university-level research project. Students are given the opportunity to take part in additional professional training and a range of cultural, social, and recreational experiences.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/programs/undergraduate-students/ fulbright-canada-mitacs-globalink-program

Tanya Roysam

Fulbright Canada

Broad Mandate Programs

Fulbright Canada is committed to enhancing mutual understanding, increasing access to educational opportunities, supporting and encouraging informed debate and discussion on critical contemporary societal issues, promoting pluralism, and supporting democratic principles. Meeting these broad mandate challenges requires a mix of formal academic exchanges, programs focusing on specific topics, and finding new and creative ways to move forward. Our broad mandate programs include Fulbright Canada grants for students and scholars, meetings and conferences, webinars, and other activities that support our mission. Michele

“As an Indigenous person, Fulbright Canada allowed me to think about Indigeneity on a global scale and forge connections with First Nations’ community members. I had amazing opportunities to meet other Indigenous and non-Indigenous people working in museum collections, conservation, and repatriation, and reconsider our relationships to objects and belongings in museums.”

Samantha Renee Manz

Honouring Nations Canada

An Initiative of FULBRIGHT Canada

Indigenous-led and Indigenous-informed, Honouring Nations Canada (HNC) is an initiative of Fulbright Canada that has been established to recognize, celebrate, and share stories of Indigenous achievement and promote and encourage opportunities for Indigenous persons. The initiative offers national awards recognizing exceptional achievement and underwrites case studies on Indigenous economic development and governance.

The program is guided and informed by a Circle of Indigenous Advisors from across Canada.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/honouring-nations-canada

Fulbright Canada Student 2022-2023, Texas Tech University to the University of British Columbia

Burnaby Mountain Park Vancouver, Canada

“A Fulbright residency brings home the truth that knowledgebuilding is relationship-building, a process that both requires and develops respect, resourcefulness and a belief in the power of cross-cultural communication to effect positive change.”

Christine Bold

2021-2022 Fulbright Canada All Disciplines Fulbright Scholar

FULBRIGHT Canada

Entrepreneurship Initiative

The Fulbright Canada Entrepreneurship Initiative is an innovative new program that identifies and supports promising individuals interested in bringing their ideas to market. The program is open to all areas, with a preference for projects with identifiable social impact. The program provides grants to students, scholars, and independent researchers, opportunities to participate in FCEI group activities, significant networking and mentoring support, and other features designed to support and encourage entrepreneurship.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/programs/entrepreneurship-initiative

Ravenel Bridge (Cooper River Bridge)

“During my time as a Fulbright Student at McGill, I was not only given an opportunity to pursue groundbreaking research and tackle one of the most profound astronomical mysteries, but I was also given the agency to pursue science and community collectively.”

Jakob Faber

2021-2022 Fulbright Canada Student

Niagara Falls, USA

FULBRIGHT Canada

Energy Security and Sustainability Initiative

The Fulbright Canada Energy Security and Sustainability Initiative aims to mobilize the expertise and intellectual resources of scholars and professionals in the energy space, independent not-for-profit research organizations, and universities across Canada and the United States. The Fulbright Canada Energy Security and Sustainability Initiative is designed to play a modest but essential role in promoting research excellence, talent development, knowledge mobilization, and academic culture by supporting a diverse group of scholars and related organizations.

“As a Fulbright Fellow, I can confidently say that my experience has been invaluable. Beyond the valuable methodological skills I learned during my tenure, I have learned about American research institutions, society, and work habits, which have all influenced my approaches to research and work.”

FULBRIGHT Canada

Grand Challenge

The Fulbright Canada Grand Challenge Series is a call for ideas that tackle a specific problem or support a particular community in hopes of contributing meaningfully to a healthier, more productive, more prosperous, and more just world. We look for ideas that create impact at the pace and scale the world needs today. The first iteration of the Fulbright Canada Grand Challenge was called the Fulbright Canada post-COVID Challenge.

While the Fulbright Canada Grand Challenges series is open to all interested age of majority youth in Canada and the United States, it is designed to encourage participation from historically marginalized and underrepresented populations.

Hajer Nakua

2021-2022 Fulbright Canada Student, University of Toronto to Stanford University

“Participating in this year’s Canada Colloquium has been a distinct honor, where we engaged deeply in understanding the pivotal challenges confronting Canadian democracy. The colloquium served as a remarkable forum for idea sharing, engaging with peers in research, and contemplating innovative responses to these urgent matters.”

The Canada Colloquium

The Canada Colloquium is a Fulbright Canada initiative, in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, that brings together scholars and practitioners to address critical contemporary social, political, and economic issues relevant to Canada, the United States, and the international community.

Philip Omorogbe JD, MBA Canada Colloquium IV Participant, Law & Business Strategy, ENGR Solutions

The Mint, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

“In delivering this project, the Fulbright Canada team and collaborators created a space for intercultural understanding and allowed marginalized people to share their stories. In doing so, the long-term outcome and impact on the community is to create opportunities for social justice action.”

Sandra Song

2022-2023 Community Leadership Program;

2001-2002 Fulbright Canada Student, University of Alberta to the University of California, Berkeley

FULBRIGHT Canada

Alum Programs

Fulbright Canada provides funding for current grantees and alums to support volunteer-based projects that allow them to engage with and positively impact their home and host communities. The Fulbright Canada – U.S. Embassy in Canada Community Leadership Program (CLP) and the Fulbright Canada – Maple Leaf Foundation Community Action Program (CAP) support alums and community members. Fulbright Canada actively engages alums in all its programming, especially its broad mandate initiatives.

For more information, visit: www.fulbright.ca/alumni/program-opportunities

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota, USA

2023-2028 Fulbright Canada Strategic Plan

Fulbright Canada conducted a strategic planning exercise to identify opportunities and priorities for the next five years.

We engaged alums, grantees, board members, and partners to gather their perspectives on various aspects of Fulbright Canada’s strategic direction. Their feedback helped to identify the social needs, impact, and priorities moving forward.

Chad Montrie 2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Research Chair

Strategic Pillars

The strategic pillars and foundational commitments of the 2023-2028 Fulbright Canada Strategic Plan include:

1 STRENGTHENING Core Programs

• Prioritize resource mobilization

• Evaluate and enhance recruitment strategy

• Focus on bilateral priorities

• Grow Killam Program

2 EXPANDING Broad Mandate Programs

• Establish new initiatives that address critical societal needs and priorities

• Advance Honouring Nations Canada

• Grow value added opportunities

3 ENGAGING Fulbright Canada Community

• Increase alum engagement

• Secure new partnerships

• Increase community leadership

Monument Valley, Arizona, USA

Catherine St Hillaire

2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Student

Foundational Commitments

1 PROMOTE Social Impact

Support and encourage socially impactful programs and projects

2 PRIORITIZE Access

Proactively identify barriers to equity and consciously pursue inclusion

3 ELEVATE Brand Awareness

Reach impactful people and identify excellence everywhere

Levi Cormier 2022-2023 Fulbright Canada Student

Hoover Dam,

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

©2024 Fulbright Canada