An official in the Foreign Affairs Department said in a statement Wednesday that the decision to phase out support for international Canadian studies was made "to focus our programming on the department's core mandate first."
But those affected are now warning that Canada stands to lose a great deal of international influence, profile and allies as many of these Canadian studies professors and faculty won't be able to continue without the government's support.
"This is a government that's saying it wants to promote Canadian interests abroad, promote trade and investment," said Patrick James, president of the International Council for Canadian Studies, which counts academics from dozens of countries as members.
"Our ability to get true, accurate information about Canada out to the public around the world is gone."
Foreign Affairs had in the past offered a range of grants to academics and educational institutions around the world to support research, hold conferences or update courses on Canada. It also presented a range of opportunities for exchanges, study tours and other activities.
Such funding is similar to what many other countries offer in an effort to increase their profile among foreign populations and decision-makers.
James, who is also a professor at the University of Southern California, said more than 7,000 "Canadianists" relied on support from the federal government, many of whom have been teaching for decades.
While the actual grants were fairly small, he said they were an important source of leverage for acquiring additional money from other sources like endowment funds and host governments. As a result, the actual impact of the cuts will be magnified.
"This was the base money," he said. "Once you remove this card, the house of cards falls down."
James said many had expected some type of reduction given the deep cuts the Conservative government has been making in an effort to shave at least $5.2 billion from the federal budget over the next three years.
"But for everything to shut down at once is astonishing," he said. "Literally, we have no support from the Canadian government in the world."
Last summer, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird sent separate letters to the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States, praising the work of academics at 50 U.S. universities in promoting cross-border understanding and co-operation.
"The Canada-U.S. relationship remains one of the strongest in the world and is enriched by the programs and events offered by institutions such as yours," Harper wrote on July 6.
"Thanks to the efforts of organizations such as ACSUS, the population in both countries will continue to be informed about, and engaged in, important developments in the context of the Canada-U.S. relationship."
Less than a year later, ACSUS executive director David Archibald learned the government was ending its support for the organization.
"I'm confused," Archibald said Wednesday. "When you read the letters and then reflect on the termination of the Canadian studies finding, you realize something doesn't quite add up."
Archibald and James are both hoping that the decision to eliminate the international studies grants was made as a cost-cutting exercise by officials in the Foreign Affairs Department and without the knowledge of the government.
"There's a huge disconnect between these cuts and the rhetoric about how important the bilateral relationship is with the U.S.," Archibald said. "I cannot pinpoint who made these decisions, but the questions need to be asked."
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: Lee Berthiaume
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