Who Is Involved in the UC Berkeley Canadian Studies Program and How Can You Get Involved?

The Canadian Studies Program at UC Berkeley is a nationally ranked research center founded in 1982, now marking 40 years as the intellectual hub for Canadian studies at Berkeley and across the San Francisco Bay Area. Its mission is to promote knowledge of Canada, its people, and the Canada-US relationship. If you want to get involved, the most direct entry points are signing up for the newsletter, attending events, and connecting with the program's people and partner organizations.

Who runs and supports the program

The program's work is carried out and guided by several overlapping groups:

• Leadership & staff — the day-to-day direction of the program. The current program director is Hidetaka Hirota, whose research was cited by the US Supreme Court in a landmark citizenship decision.
• Faculty Advisory Committee — Berkeley faculty who advise on the program's academic direction.
• External Advisory Board — outside advisors who support the program's mission and connections beyond campus.
• Affiliated faculty — Berkeley faculty whose teaching and research connect to Canada. One example is faculty affiliate Karen Chapple, whose research on Canadian travel to the US was published by the University of Toronto.
• Current research affiliates — active researchers tied to the program.
• Hildebrand Fellows and Sproul Fellows — recipients of the program's named fellowships.
• External academic affiliates — scholars at other institutions connected to the program.
• Past affiliates — former members of the program's research community.

Partner organizations and the Maple Leaf Society

The program works with partner organizations and maintains the Maple Leaf Society, a donor and supporter group. These relationships extend the program's reach beyond UC Berkeley and provide additional ways for people outside the university to engage. The program also offers a French-language section of its site ("En français"), reflecting its bilingual focus on Canada.

How to get involved

1. Join the newsletter

The program explicitly invites people to join its newsletter to be notified about upcoming events and opportunities. This is the lowest-commitment way to stay informed and is the recommended first step.

2. Attend events

The program runs an Upcoming events calendar and a Past events archive, including a series titled Canada in an Age of Changes and New Challenges and past conferences. Events are open entry points for students, faculty, and the wider Bay Area community.

3. Apply for grants, awards, and funding

If you are a student or researcher, the program administers several funding opportunities:

• E. E. Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowship
• Rita Ross Undergraduate Prize
• Conference Travel Grants
• Canada in the Classroom
• Faculty Seed Grants
• Undergraduate Research Funding
• J. A. Sproul Visiting Scholar Fellowship

Each has its own eligibility and application process, so check the Grants and Awards section for current details.

4. Take courses and follow research

The program lists Courses and Research sections, which are useful if you want to study Canada formally or follow the work of affiliated scholars. Graduate students have also received program sponsorship to present at conferences — for example, economics PhD candidate Thor Larson presented at the Toronto Meeting on the Economics of Climate Change with program support.

5. Connect with people

If you are a Berkeley faculty member or an external scholar, the People section lists leadership, staff, committees, and affiliates. Reaching out to a relevant affiliate or committee member is a practical way to explore collaboration.

Quick reference

The program is based within UC Berkeley's Global, International & Area Studies (GIAS) division, so its activities are tied to the broader international and area studies community on campus.