International Canadian Studies: A Survey of Teaching, Research, and Needed Support

More than 10 years after the Government of Canada ended its support for the “Understanding Canada” program, international Canadianists have continued to contribute to teaching and conducting research on Canada. During this time, Canadian society has faced significant challenges, including the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and academic debates have questioned the relevance of Canadian Studies as a field of study. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the current state of international Canadian Studies now that international Canadianists are no longer receiving Canadian federal government support. They ask what the current teaching and research agendas of international Canadianists are and what support they need to pursue their scholarship. They surveyed international Canadianists and interviewed executive members of national and regional Canadian Studies associations outside Canada. As this study shows, Canada’s relationship to Indigenous peoples, multiculturalism, immigration, diversity, and the environment are key themes in their teaching and research agendas. To support their teaching, international Canadianists require better access to written materials and opportunities for both themselves and their students to travel to Canada. They also identify grants, opportunities for research collaborations, and participating in conferences, as well as visiting fellowships, as the most important types of support for their research.