Ken Caine

My experience as a Trudeau Scholar has been highlighted by incredible personal engagement and strong Foundation support. The support provided by the Trudeau Foundation has been crucial to the success of my research. In order to undertake my ethnographic research on natural resource management institutions in the Canadian North, I lived in a remote community for a lengthy period of time but needed to periodically travel to my university to complete ongoing doctoral program requirements. The financial support allowed me to travel both nationally and internationally to discuss my research and meet leading academics in my field. I would have been unable to complete my doctoral studies at this level of field research without the Trudeau Foundation's support.

The true value of the Trudeau Scholarship however, goes far beyond Foundation support. The social and intellectual interaction and engagement amongst such a diverse community of scholars encouraged me to think far beyond the implications of my own research to consider its connection with many other aspects of social life. My involvement in the Trudeau Foundation has been a personally rewarding experience in this respect. My Trudeau Scholarship provided me with diverse opportunities to explore others' disciplines and field of research, and explore ideas and opportunities for public and intellectual engagement. These exchanges came about in a variety of environments including conferences, innovative workshops, Scholar-Mentor meetings, summer institutes, and many casual settings all across Canada. Meeting with my Trudeau Mentor in her professional as well as home environments allowed me to better understand the commitment to community work and political advocacy at an international level. My interactions with Trudeau Fellows and other Mentors also provided the opportunity to actively engage with leading Canadian social and political thinkers.

During my four years as a Trudeau Scholar I feel fortunate to have met such an inspiring group of Scholars, Mentors and Fellows. The distinctive perspectives, innovative ideas, and challenges to my thinking throughout my Scholarship have influenced my understanding of the connection between research, policy implications and civic engagement.