By Conference News Staff
Scholars at Risk Carleton is thrilled to announce the this year’s launch of the Academic Advancement and Career Alignment Certificate for New Scholars in Canada, taking place in April 2025, in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). This innovative certificate course aims to support at-risk and displaced scholars, artists, and activists by providing essential tools for navigating the Canadian academic landscape and beyond. By focusing on building Canadian academic credentials and offering tailored training for employment in and outside academia, this program aims to empower individuals who have faced significant disruptions in their careers due to forced displacement.
This pilot demonstrated the profound impact of creating opportunities for scholars to rebuild their careers and enhance their prospects
The course was piloted in April 2024 as a component of the Placement, Preservation, and Perseverance: Afghan At-Risk Scholars, Activists, and Students (PPP) project, a collaborative initiative between the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the University of British Columbia. This pilot demonstrated the profound impact of creating opportunities for scholars to rebuild their careers and enhance their prospects, not only within academic institutions but also in a wide range of other sectors.
Canada is home to numerous settlement programs and job training opportunities, but many at-risk scholars face challenges in accessing services tailored to early-, mid-, and late-career researchers. The unique nature of academia, however, offers a familiar environment where displaced scholars can hone their skills, rebuild their networks, and find career opportunities both within academia and in related sectors beyond the university. and beyond academia.
This year’s course was developed with the help of an advisory board of at-risk and displaced scholars who had participated in the pilot course last April. The new course includes sessions that are divided into four discipline-specific streams: business, engineering, science, and social science. With speakers from Carleton University, Mount Royal University, University of Victoria, and Clarkson University, as well as speakers from industry and NGO sectors, participants receive nuanced feedback from experts in their own fields. The goal of the workshop series is to equip participants with the knowledge and practical tools necessary to navigate Canada’s complex career landscape. It will cover a range of essential topics, from career pathways and transferable skills to research ethics and publishing academic research. The virtual delivery of the course offers participants the flexibility of learning while also providing them the opportunity to engage directly with experts and peers.
Key Learning Objectives of the Workshop Series:
By the end of the series, participants will be able to:
- Identify Career Pathways: Understand academic and alternative career options in Canada, including transferable career skills and job opportunities within Canadian academic institutions, alt-academic sectors, and industries.
- Navigate the Canadian Academic Landscape: Gain insight into key aspects of Canadian academia, such as research funding opportunities, publication practices, research ethics, and equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives in research.
- Develop Communication and Networking Skills: Learn how to effectively network and communicate with peers, mentors, and potential employers, both within academia and beyond.
- Obtain Additional Certifications: Acquire additional training relevant to researchers in Canada, including certifications like the TCPS 2: CORE-2022 course on research ethics, SSHRC Gender-Based Analysis Plus, and CIHR unconscious bias training.
This program provides a powerful opportunity for at-risk scholars to rebuild their careers, expand their knowledge, and chart new career paths in Canada. We are happy to have the opportunity to work with these scholars again!
