By Suzanne Bowness

York International’s Globally Networked Learning celebrates 5 years and many successful student connections

What if you could enrich your degree through access to global education programming without needing to leave Toronto? Especially for students who may not be able to afford the time or financing to participate in studies abroad, the answer has become a reality through York’s (GNL) program. This fall, GNL celebrates five years and learning opportunities for over 2000 York students and 2600 students from global partner organizations.

GNL courses are offered in partnership with universities abroad, and allow students to connect virtually with their peers, developing intercultural competency skills. GNL at York was founded by Dominique Scheffel-Dunand, a professor in the department of French Studies and now academic lead for the program at York. Scheffel-Dunand started GNL as a pilot using an Academic Innovation Fund grant, inspired by the wider Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) movement, which has been fostering international connections at institutions worldwide. Now co-facilitated by York International, in the last 5 years, 91 GNL projects have launched with 50 of global partners in 26 countries including Mexico, Ecuador, USA, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, France and Germany.

A sample success story demonstrates GNL’s appeal

But the enthusiasm of participating students is the strongest evidence of the program’s success. The Virtual Journal Club (VJC) course in the Economics department is a prime example. Created by York Economics Professor Karen Bernhardt-Walther, the course won the European Economic Association (EEA) Award for Innovation in Teaching for Karen Bernhardt-Walther and her German co-facilitator Matthias Lang from Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich, Germany.

Virtual Journal Club connects York and LMU students to engage over zoom in discussing and analyzing economics papers together. Like all GNL courses, VJC helps students enhance their ability to collaborate across time zones, language barriers, and cultural context, all skills that enhance student's resume as they graduate and gain jobs in an increasingly globalized world.

From the original cohort, current graduate student Yunus Emre Bozkurt recalls VJC as a highlight of his undergraduate career. Interacting with another culture helped him to notice subtle differences between both. For example, Bozkurt noticed that German students were often focused on methodology, whereas the Canadian students tended to engage with issues and culture. He could also see the multicultural lens emerge in the analysis by Canadian students. “If you are living in a diverse environment like Canada, and there is a paper about, let's say workers, you will be thinking about the heterogeneity of the effect across different types of individuals,” he says.

Third-year LMU economics student Livia Anna Maria Hess took the course in a different cohort, dialing in across the time zones from Germany. She also liked the different perspectives, and especially facilitated social interactions via 30 minutes of cultural exchange at the start of the sessions, where the class shared thoughts on personal topics like music, holiday traditions and more. “I think it was a nice way to get to know everyone. I think it helped getting to know other people, to understand their perspectives, even on economic papers,” she says. She’s already given the course the best compliment: her referral. “I think in the new VJC, there's one or two people I recommended to take the course.”

A shared pedagogical perspective

While VJC emerged from pandemic lockdowns, Bernhardt-Walther says it has become her favourite course to teach. “It was a confluence of world events and semi-fortunate factors that that made this happen,” she says. Borne of a regular request from economics students for a reading course, she started VJC with a reading list and an idea an international co-facilitator would also heighten the interest. While she’s pleased about the course rollout, learning how to manage the many complexities of fitting the needs of two universities, two time zones, two academic calendars and two technical platforms was a challenge. “Anybody who wants to do this at York, call my number, send me an email. I'm happy to mentor you,” she says, fully willing to help others skip her learning curve.

Bernhardt-Walther is thrilled, though, with the results. “I think our students in particular get a lot out of it,” she says. “The cultural experience is amazing. We have such an international student body, but they still say, ‘you know, what, I never imagined I could interact with students in Germany like that’. It was just outside the realm of what they considered possible, in part due to financial consideration, in part due to language barriers, in part your cultural barriers,” she says.

Scheffel-Dunand argues that GNL is really a new approach to learning. “GNL cultivates lifelong learning by transforming education into a reflective and community embedded process,” she says. She adds that it’s also professional development for faculty members, given the challenges to co-design curriculum with international partners, plus figure out how to make courses work in practical terms.

Scheffel-Dunand is so passionate about the possibilities of the GNL program that she has just co-created an e-module with the help of York International to help fellow teachers create this type of course. The module is shared through York and also as an open educational resource on eCampus Ontario. Upcoming GNL�� being offered in the 2026 winter term include the Nursing course “Health of Families and Social Group Mansa Partnership” in partnership with Mansa Memorial Hospital in Ghana and “Sociology of Law” in partnership with Tec de Monterrey in Mexico.

Scheffel-Dunand emphasizes that she herself was inspired to teach a GNL course as a way to model flexibility and experimentation for her students, to show them that there are more ways to be an educator. She says it’s a mindset that is even more essential today. “The future of work is going to require adaptability, openness and not being afraid again of trying new things. If I model it, then I’m being an educational accompanist in that I learn as much from the process as my students.”

Faculty can respond to the next call for GNL course or attend an info session .

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�첥��Ƶ joins education institutions around the world in celebrating International Education Week (IEW) 2025.  

IEW is an annual celebration of international education and exchange worldwide that highlights the importance of international education, promotes the benefits of education abroad and global engagement and recognizes the contributions of international students in strengthening intercultural understanding.

York-IEW 2025 include global engagement activities and events organized throughout the week detailed below. 

Tuesday, November 18

3:00 to 4:00 pm	Career Ready Conference: Pre-Conference Session Day 1 (Virtual) Understanding On and Off Campus Work Authorization, Co-op Work Permits, and �첥��Ƶ Permit Conditions��������Are you a student navigating the complexities of work opportunities while studying in Canada? This session is designed to help you understand the key regulations surrounding on-campus and off-campus work authorization, co-op work permits, and the conditions attached to your study permit. Learn how to stay compliant with immigration rules, maximize your employment opportunities, and plan effectively for your academic and professional journey.Register for the pre-conference sessions and full day conference at the link below. All pre-conference sessions are free and the full day conference costs $15 to attend.
7:00 to 8:30 pm	Career Ready Conference: Pre-Conference Session Day 1 (Virtual) Industry Panel: Employer Insights on Hiring International Students This virtual panel is designed to support international undergraduate students at �첥��Ƶ in navigating the Canadian job market. Students will hear directly from hiring professionals about what employers look for, how to stand out, and how to approach job searching as an international candidate. You'll get to hear from these incredible companies: TELUS RSM Canada Sanofi  Register for the pre-conference sessions and full day conference at the link below. All pre-conference sessions are free and the full day conference costs $15 to attend.
8:00 pm	You are invited to the Book launch of: edited by University of the Philippines (Baguio) Professors Leah Abayao and Jimmy Fong, and �첥��Ƶ History Professor Carolyn Podruchny. The Book Launch is supported by the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages, the York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR), the Philippine Studies Group (PSG) and York International.

Wednesday, November 19

Thursday, November 20

Friday, November 21

Saturday, November 22

Tuesday, November 25

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Now entering its second year, the GRE Fund presents a new stream focused on recruiting exceptional postdoctoral researchers through international collaboration, reinforcing York’s role as a leader in globally connected, high-impact research. 

“GRE is a testament to the success of York’s Global Engagement Strategy which strengthened institutional coordination and alignment on strategic international priorities,” says Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor. “The expansion of the Global Research Excellence Fund this year to include the joint recruitment of outstanding postdocs with international partners is another step on our path to ensuring that the best and the brightest come to York to put their talents to work for our students, Canada and the world.” 

A cornerstone of Engaging the World: �첥��Ƶ’s Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategy, the GRE Fund was introduced in 2024 to deepen international research ties, boost global impact and elevate York’s standing among top-tier research institutions. 

The inaugural call delivered impressive outcomes, reports York International, including increased research income, new partnerships across priority regions and support for emerging research leaders tackling global grand challenges. 

This year’s expansion is Stream B: Global Post-Doctoral Researcher Award, co-developed with York’s Faculty of Graduate Studies. This new stream enables York researchers to jointly recruit exceptional postdoctoral talent from Canada and abroad, with international partners.

“York has a long history of attracting top globally diverse talent from around the world,” adds Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. “We believe in fostering global collaboration – showing that openness to working with the world, even in times of great uncertainty, creates win-win outcomes for all.” 

The GRE program continues to offer Stream A: Strategic Partnership Exploration & Development, providing seed funding for York-led initiatives that build new international research collaborations and expand existing ones. Stream A also supports partnerships with the global South and Indigenous communities overseas. 

“Continued investment in GRE reflects York’s commitment to inclusive, equitable partnerships that deliver impact for Canada and the world. At a time when some countries are stepping back, York is choosing to lead,” says Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic. 

The GRE Fund is managed by the Global Strategic Initiatives team within York International, in close partnership with the offices of the Vice-President Research and Innovation, Provost and President.

Learn how to apply to the GRE Fund. 

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Dr. Proctor holds a PhD in international higher education from the University of Melbourne. He is an honorary fellow of the Melbourne Centre for the �첥��Ƶ of Higher Education (University of Melbourne) and a senior fellow of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA). He is co-editor of The Future Agenda for Internationalization in Higher Education (Routledge, 2018), offering new perspectives from a younger generation of scholars and practitioners on the future of internationalization in higher education. He continues to publish and present widely on post-secondary education and global engagement.

Dr. Proctor is a global board director for the Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE). In 2025-26, he will serve as one of four program faculty for NAFSA's Executive Internationalization Leadership e-Institute, as well as delivering training for the European Association for International Education (EAIE) on strategic planning for internationalization. 

We are thrilled that Douglas will be joining �첥��Ƶ to lead York International at this pivotal moment for global research collaborations, transnational education and support for international students.

Sincerely,

Lisa Philipps
Provost and Vice-President Academic  

Amir Asif
Vice-President Research and Innovation

Originally published on YFile.

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Two new research collaborations led by the Humanitarian Water Engineering (HWE) Lab at �첥��Ƶ’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research aim to improve health outcomes in crisis-affected communities in Uganda through local partnerships and innovative water-focused interventions.
Syed Imran Ali, Director of the HWE Lab and Fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute, and his team recently travelled to Uganda to launch two new research partnerships aimed at improving public health in communities affected by humanitarian crises.

The first initiative took Ali and his team to Gulu University, where they met with faculty from Gulu's School of Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and the Environment, and Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies. Together, they defined and formalized a new collaborative research program, marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions.

Located in a region recovering from prolonged civil conflict and home to a large refugee population fleeing unrest in neighbouring countries, Gulu University will work with the HWE Lab on projects addressing communicable disease control, maternal and child health, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in emergency contexts.

Supported by York International’s Global Research Excellence Seed Fund, the first joint projects will focus on water and health in refugee settlements in northern Uganda. Over time, the partnership aims to expand into additional priority areas in humanitarian health and bring in new partner institutions from neighbouring countries, contributing to a broader vision for a humanitarian health research network across the African Great Lakes Region.

Ali and his team also visited the Kyaka II refugee settlement in western Uganda to initiate a second research collaboration with the Nsamizi Training Institute of Social Development. A key implementing partner for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Nsamizi is responsible for delivering WASH services at the settlement.

Supported by a Connected Minds Seed Grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, this project will use machine learning to develop predictive tools linking water quality to health outcomes. The goal is to address a long-standing challenge in the humanitarian WASH sector: enabling timely health risk forecasting without relying on costly, large-scale disease surveillance studies.

Over the coming year, the HWE Lab will work with Nsamizi to strengthen water system monitoring, provide technical training, and support the development of proposals for future water and sanitation programs at Kyaka II and other refugee settlements in Uganda.

Together, these two partnerships mark a significant step forward in the HWE Lab’s mission to deliver practical, innovative solutions to urgent global health challenges through close collaboration with local institutions.

With files from Syed Imran Ali

Originally published in YFile.

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Congolese politician-turned-businessman Eugene Serufuli had a vision that all of his children would attend university abroad, living together and looking out for each other as they earned a degree that would set them up for life.

Dating back to 2018, eight of his nine children have travelled the 10,000 kilometres to Canada from the Democratic Republic of Congo to attend �첥��Ƶ. Three of the Serufuli siblings are graduating this spring from . Two sisters have already graduated, and three more siblings are part-way through their degrees. 

“My dad always wanted all of us together in one place, one university, one house – just to live together, help each other out and watch out for each other,” says Jean-Luc Serufuli, 25, who graduated on June 12 along with his brother Salomon, 24, and sister Diane, 30. All three have earned a degree in political science.

After the first Serufuli sibling attended another Ontario university, it became a family tradition to attend York. It began with two of the eldest sisters, Isabelle and Florine, who enrolled at the Keele Campus in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Florine earned an economics degree in 2018 and Isabelle convocated from information technology in 2024.

The next set of siblings, including Diane and her twin sister Nadia, all chose York’s Glendon College. Fluent in Swahili and French, they were attracted to studying in French while also developing fluency in English. They gravitated toward the business economics and political sciences courses that they felt could set them up for careers back home or in Canada. They liked the intimate environment of Glendon’s smaller campus and its picturesque location close to Toronto’s vibrant downtown.

Only the maverick Jean-Luc thought about bucking the tradition and setting his own course somewhere else.

“I wanted my own lonely life, I guess,” Jean-Luc says with a chuckle. “My dad was like, ‘No!’ Then my appendix ruptured and my dad was staying with me in hospital and he said, ‘You see? What if something like this happened and you were on your own? You can see why you should be with your brothers and sisters.’ And I could.”

Currently, seven of the Serufuli children are sharing a home off campus. They don’t know a way of life without each other in reach, and say that coming to Canada and attending the same university has strengthened their bond.

“Growing up, you think that every single person in the world has eight siblings – you think it’s normal,” says Salomon. “It’s so fun going home. You have eight different stories at the end of the day and maybe more with the parents around.”

Salomon and Jean-Luc say their father couldn’t have helped them make a better decision.

“The supports, the programs – Glendon has all the tools you need to succeed in whatever you want to go into,” says Jean-Luc. “It was one of the best choices that I made, to be honest.”

They are thinking through their next steps, what field they want to go into and which end of the world they want to start their careers.

One option is to join their parents in the family businesses that deal in real estate, agriculture and oil and are run from their home in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital.

But, one thing is certain; if they decide to return home, they will continue to live as one big family, at least in the short term.

“As always, my dad doesn't like us to be separated,” says Jean-Luc. “The tradition is that we all live together until we get married. If you don’t get married, you’re not moving out. So, we’re going to stick together until we find someone.”

Watch a video below:

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The new gift builds on the family’s earlier donation, which first launched the program in Fall 2022. The program provides financial support to York students pursuing experiential learning opportunities globally, such as international internships, academic exchanges, research placements and conferences.

Through this program, the family aims to open doors for the next generation of global citizens. Lau and Chan first met as international students at York, where they forged lifelong friendships and a shared passion for learning across cultures. Because this formative experience shaped their own paths, they are passionate about giving more students the chance to embark on the same journey.

“We know first‑hand how global learning opportunities can build resilience and creativity,” says Chan, CEO and executive director of Singapore‑based SP Chemicals Pte. Ltd. “When students go beyond their familiar surroundings, they learn to adapt and rise to bigger challenges. These qualities are essential to navigate our increasingly complex world, and there is no better way to gain them other than global immersion.”

Lau adds, “In the last three years, some exceptional students have gone on their own learning adventures through our program. It was delightful to watch their transformation, and I am very excited to see how many more bright minds will benefit from our program.”

Since 2022, the Paulina Lau Scholars Program has enabled 24 students to explore experiential learning opportunities in 20 institutions across 14 countries. From internships at NASA, to language training for diplomatic careers, to research on democratic systems, these scholars have gained a wealth of learning – none of which would have been possible without the couple’s generous support.

“Paulina and Hian’s generosity exemplifies how alumni partnerships can spark profound learning journeys,” says Susana Gajic-Bruyea, vice-president, advancement at York. “Their gift is a testament to the transformative power of philanthropy and the enduring connection our alumni share with York.”

Through this landmark gift, Lau and Chan reaffirm their belief that global learning is not a luxury, but a unique component of a York education and a cornerstone for positive change in an interconnected world.

Learn more about the  and how to support global learning opportunities at �첥��Ƶ.

Originally published in YFile.

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Two major initiatives aimed at supporting Asian Canadian communities will launch this month at �첥��Ƶ through the Asian Business and Management Program (ABMP). 

A unit of the York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR), ABMP provides professional development and management training to officials and professionals from across Asia. It also offers career experience programs for Asian students studying at home and abroad, while actively collaborating with Asian Canadian communities to support their growth and success.

The launch of these programs – which are designed to empower and uplift Asian Canadian communities – aligns with Asian Heritage Month and also marks the ABMP’s 25-year milestone.

Sponsored by RBC, the Career|Fit Professional Experience Programs (running June to August 2025) offers Asian-identifying undergraduate students (ages 18 to 25) the opportunity to gain hands-on professional experience and develop essential career skills. Open to students at no cost, the programs bridge academic learning with real-world applications through experiential projects supervised by industry leaders from Fortune 500 companies.

“We are committed to helping young Asian leaders unlock their potential,” says Elena Caprioni, ABMP’s program director. “Career|Fit not only equips students with practical skills but also helps them explore career pathways and build confidence as they navigate their futures.”

The second initiative, which runs in partnership with NorthStar Special Needs Society, will present a series of workshops and panel discussions during National Accessibility Week, May 25 to 31.  is an initiative dedicated to raising awareness about the experiences of individuals with disabilities in Asian-Canadian communities, reducing stigma through education and open dialogue and fostering inclusion by celebrating the contributions and potential of all community members.

“This collaboration reflects our broader mission of inclusivity and engagement,” Caprioni says. “By supporting the diverse needs of the Asian Canadian community, we aim to create a more connected and equitable society.”

These initiatives are emblematic of ABMP’s ability to adapt and respond to the evolving needs of the communities, adds Caprioni. From partnering with local not-for-profit organizations to creating innovative programs for youth and newcomers, ABMP’s impact continues to expand beyond its original vision.

Since its establishment in 2000, ABMP has worked to foster cross-cultural understanding and professional development between Canada and Asia training more than 10,000 educators, officials, faculty and students from Asia, says Bernie Frolic, ABMP executive director.

“As we celebrate 25 years, it’s inspiring to reflect on the bridges we’ve built between Canada and Asia,” says Frolic. “These new initiatives reaffirm our commitment to fostering understanding and creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation.”

With files from Elena Caprioni

Originally published in YFile. ��

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�첥��Ƶ will offer funding from the highly competitive Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) program to students and researchers from York, as well as partner universities in Costa Rica, Ghana and the Philippines to tackle issues at the intersection of climate change and human population displacement.

The highly competitive QES program was established in 2012 and is managed through a partnership between Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation and Canadian post-secondary institutions. To date, more than 2,600 scholars from Canada and around the world have received the award.

York’s project, titled the , will direct scholarships valued at up to $10,000 to send 12 York students overseas and welcome 10 international scholars to York over the next three years.

Professor Ali Asgary, director of CIFAL and executive director of the Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation Lab, is academic lead for the QES project and says he is hopeful the program will inspire students to continue working in a field that needs fresh ideas and dedication.

“York students will have the opportunity to visit places where they can make connections with what they are studying firsthand and get to know the challenges and complexities of these situations. They will be able to network with policymakers and researchers in other countries, and because the focus is interdisciplinary, they will get to know researchers in both climate change and population displacement.”

Additionally, scholars visiting York will provide invaluable insights to the University community on how they address these challenges in their countries, which can help inform how Canadians tackle climate change at home.

With these goals in mind, Asgary and York’s former assistant vice-president Global Engagement and Partnerships Vinitha Gengatharan, whose team is supporting the QES project, sought expert partners to bring the diverse expertise and perspectives required for this multi-continental project. At York, the new project brings together faculty leaders from York Emergency Mitigation, Engagement, Response and Governance Institute (Y-MERGE), York’s Las Nubes campus in Costa Rica, the Centre for Refugee Studies, the  and the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research.

International partners were chosen from countries specifically impacted by climate change and displacement, and include the University of Costa Rica, University of Ghana, the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and the University of the Philippines.

United Nations Institute for Training and Research’s (UNITAR), CIFAL, the Global Water Academy and Learning for a Sustainable Future, a Toronto-based NGO, are also among the external collaborators.

Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation, says the new scholarly exchange reflects York’s continued focus on advancing partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). York’s global partners on this project carry out compelling climate and human displacement-related  research which complements the University’s strengths and Canada’s climate diplomacy initiatives.

“We hope that through the QES, we will provide youth from Canada and around the world with unique opportunities to gain new perspectives from beyond their labs,” he says, adding that addressing climate justice is essential to reduce growing social inequities. “Future generations will need to have more empathy and stronger cross-cultural understanding. This is important to make difficult compromises and design effective climate policies that garner global consensus. It’s easy to talk about inequities without understanding what inequity looks like, in a different cultural and geographical context.”

In this project, York students attending the University of Cape Coast will have the opportunity to learn from the legacy of the transatlantic slavery at Cape Coast Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and witness how the industrialized West continues to have an impact on the lives of coastal communities in Africa by contributing to rising sea levels.

Asgary notes the project will help move the global goals forward. “This is hugely important for our future. Climate change has introduced a lot of forced or semi-forced displacement and may worsen in years to come," he says.

With files from Suzanne Bowness

Originally published on YFile.

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By Alex Huls

A research initiative led by �첥��Ƶ is building lasting partnerships and resources to support community-driven autonomy strategies across Central America and the Caribbean.

In 2024, Prilly Bicknell-Hersco sat on the shaded porch of a house on Colombia’s San Andrés Archipelago, surrounded by seven Raizal women, an Afro-Caribbean ethnic group native to the region.

A PhD student in the��Faculty of Education, Bicknell-Hersco was there as the senior research assistant for a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)-funded project led by��Miguel González, professor in �첥��Ƶ’s Department of Social Science,��Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
The project – titled “Emancipatory Horizons for Self-Determination of Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Peoples in Central America” – is focused on exploring the different forms of autonomous self-governance systems developed by these communities to assert their rights, while strengthening their autonomy strategies and legal capacities throughout the region.

While Bicknell-Hersco was on that porch in her capacity as a researcher, there were no surveys or structured interviews. Just a circle of women – all mothers – talking about their hopes for their children, including maintaining their cultural identity and self-determination.

For her, it was a powerful reminder of how the project differs from conventional research – both in intention, method and planned outcome. “That was very memorable for me: to not just read about a community or assume what I think of a community, but to sit down on their porch and talk,” she says.

That emphasis on collaborative, respectful engagement has shaped the initiative from its outset. The research builds on work González and his team began in 2021 with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States (OAS). At the OAS’s request, the York team coordinated with regional consultations to support a thematic report on the right to self-determination for Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the western hemisphere. Through consultations with several organizations across Central America and the Caribbean, they heard a consistent message about research projects that involved the communities.

“They told us that they didn't want to see universities or researchers just showing up for research or consultations, but they wanted to see something being done – something concrete, something tangible,” says González.

In response, González and his collaborators co-designed “Emancipatory Horizons.”

Its research goal was to examine how communities assert territorial rights, preserve languages, maintain governance systems and mobilize international law. It would pursue that goal by involving and benefiting the involved communities, focusing on three case study regions – the Brunca and Bribri Peoples of Costa Rica, the Guna Peoples of Panama and the Raizal Peoples of Colombia.

González and his team established three priorities for the project to focus on: self-governance; territorial and maritime tenure rights; and legal capacity building.

González, Bicknell-Hersco and their team advanced the project in collaboration with those groups and more than a dozen Indigenous and Afro-descendant organizations. “We wanted to make sure that the research question, the ideas, the actions of the project, gain the input of these communities and their aspirations,” González says.

Drawing from what community leaders shared while González worked on the OAS report, a key part of “Emancipatory Horizons” includes the development of lasting community resources.

A cornerstone of the initiative is the creation of an Indigenous Data Repository (IDR), which will hold maps, governance documents, demographic data and cultural records – all accessible to participating communities. Another key component is a series of legal training workshops developed in partnership with community organizations. These sessions are designed to support advocacy in national courts and international human rights forums.

“We want to give them the tools to use even after this project is done,” says Bicknell-Hersco.

González and Bicknell-Hersco recently highlighted the project’s methodologies, early outcomes and community engagement strategies at the annual conference of the Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS), hosted at York. The presentation emphasized the participatory methods and contextual realities at the heart of "Emancipatory Horizons," as well as the knowledge gained during consultations across the region.

Raising awareness of the project and its ambitions has become more urgent as, González notes, threats to democratic freedoms and land rights are growing across Central America and the Caribbean. In this volatile context, the project’s commitment to ethical, community-driven research is more than academic – it’s a vital act of solidarity and empowerment.

Looking ahead, the research team hopes to equip Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities with the tools and knowledge to claim their rights and safeguard their futures long after the project ends. By building accessible data repositories, delivering legal training and fostering regional collaboration, the project's goal is to turn knowledge into real political power. Centering community voices and lived experiences, this initiative challenges traditional research models and redefines what supporting self-determination means in practice.

Originally published in YFile.

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