If you’re a student engaged in area studies, the financial pressure may be even more daunting, if not insurmountable. Especially if you’re focusing on Russia.

Any Russian-related study program includes language training beyond what the University offers. It will likely also involve overseas travel for conferences and field research, something that can put a sizable dent anyone’s pocketbook, let alone a full-time student without the benefit of a salary.

Frank Stronach, Chairman of Magna International, Inc. The Magna Fund, endowed at $90,000.00 annually for five years will support students and faculty engaged in Russian-related studies at Carleton University.

For this reason, academic units like the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (EURUS) rely heavily on outside funding to support the research activities of their students and faculty.

Until recently, EURUS received significant funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for several Russian-related projects. These were multi-million dollar projects which provided research jobs for students and funding to organize conferences and build collaborative relationships with external organizations.

But two years ago, CIDA withdrew their funds for Russian-related studies. Consequently, the Institute was facing a financial crisis which threatened the academic and financial welfare of its students and faculty. With no outside funding, the Institute could offer little more than a roster of Russian-related courses and access to academic supervision. While EURUS is known for delivering courses of the highest quality, students and faculty needed more just a graduate curriculum to really engage in Russian-related studies.

The time had come to move beyond relying solely on government support. With the assistance of the Russian Embassy, an appeal was sent out to companies who were commercially engaged with Russia. And, of the twelve companies initially contacted, the first to respond was Frank Stronach of Magna International, Inc., a manufacturer of automobile spare parts with a large factory just outside of St. Petersburg.

Stronach met with Political Science professor and former Institute Director Piotr Dutkiewicz to talk about possibilities, and the result was the establishment of the Magna Fund: $90,000.00 annually for five years – almost half a million dollars in total – to support students and faculty engaged in Russian-related studies at Carleton University.

While particularly relevant to students and faculty in EURUS, the fund is designed in such a way that any student or faculty member pursuing Russian-related studies or research may apply for funding, including those from Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology, History and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.

The fund will take the form of bursaries to support senior undergraduate students and graduate students who need to travel to Russia for language training or to conduct field research, and grants to support faculty in these units who travel to Russia or elsewhere for to attend conferences or conduct research related to Russian-area studies.

Funds will also be provided to establish a course in business in Russia, or another course on topic related to Russian-related studies, delivered jointly by the Institute and the Department of Political Science, and to support travel for Russian scholars and senior officials to deliver seminars and public lectures in Canada.

It may still be a struggle for a student of Russian-related studies to pay all the bills. But, thanks to Frank Stronach and Magna International, it’s no longer impossible.

Therese Jennissen, professor of Social Work, willl develop a new graduate-level course on comparative social policy, to be offered in January, 2012.

Her new graduate course, Comparative Social Policy: Canada and the European Union, introduces a comparative approach to social policy by focusing first on particular initiatives in Canada and then comparing them to similar policies in selected countries of the European Union.

While people aren’t always aware that the study of social policy is important for social workers, it is one of the main streams of the MSW program at Carleton. “Social workers are at the interface of the policy and the grass roots community, that is, the people who rely on the policies,” says Jennissen. “For example, we see, firsthand, the devastating effects that cutbacks to social programs and services have on those who rely on these services.”

“Social workers have important insights into social issues,” Jennissen explains. “These insights can be central for innovating, designing, and implementing social programs and services that are responsive to the changing needs of the beneficiaries of the policies.”

These insights become particularly important in the context of today’s global economic instability. According to Jennissen, there is much to be learned by comparing Canada’s approach to social policy with that of other countries.

“Several countries in the European Union historically have had innovative, well-developed social policy infrastructures and it is important to examine how and what they are doing in current conditions,” says Jennissen. “Comparing and contrasting what is occurring in countries that are similar to ours is an important educational exercise.”

While the course will select specific policies from a broad menu of social policy issues as they relate to social work (long-term care for seniors, pensions, child care, health and mental health, youth programs, unemployment, immigration, poverty, post secondary education, among others) the course is not limited to, nor will it appeal only to, social work students. The course will also be of interest to students of European studies, political science, sociology, public administration, law, and Canadian studies. The course will be offered in January, 2012.

Those interested in learning more about the course are invited to contact Professor Jennissen at therese_jennissen@carleton.ca.

In a way, she has her dad to thank.  When Iman was 12, he took her to a Canadian university fair in her hometown of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

 “The Carleton booth was the first one I saw, and the woman there was really nice,” she recalls.  “I knew I wanted to take journalism – CNN was always on at breakfast, and I loved to write and talk – and I knew Carleton had the best program.”  When it came time for university, this was the only one she applied to. 

 “It was a bit of a gamble,” she concedes, “but if I hadn’t made it, I would’ve stayed home.”

 Today, as Iman winds up her second year in Journalism and Political Science, she has become a Carleton ambassador herself, working for the Student Experience Office.  Whether it’s helping serve tea at President Runte’s house, ushering at convocation, or participating in summer orientation, Iman enjoys giving folks a warm impression of Carleton students. 

 But her biggest responsibility has been to spearhead this year’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB), a program that links classroom learning with community service.  She enjoyed participating in ASB during her freshman year, helping at a local school that serves mainly immigrant kids, and wanted to return to the program in a bigger role.

So last summer she found herself planning three ASB projects, including ones in Mexico and Guatemala, and revamping the Ottawa project to focus on poverty and homelessness. 

The Ottawa team volunteered at a number of local organizations, from a drop-in centre to a soup kitchen, got a taste of poverty by living on a $7-a-day budget, and heard guest speakers who’d themselves lived on the street. 

“There was real team-building,” Iman says.  “At the end of the week, it was really hard to say goodbye to these 13 people.  Luckily, I still see them around campus.”

She says the experience taught her not to be worried about reaching out to street people – even if it’s just to smile and say hello.  She also learned organizations always need help.  “Not enough students know about Carleton’s resources to connect them with local groups,” she says, pointing to the Student Experience Office Days of Service program as an example.   

Planning for the three ASB projects – pulling together a fundraising plan, background reading, orientation sessions, and other logistics – meant she learned great skills: being quick on her feet, customer service, organization (“when you have to get up at 6:30 on Saturday morning to get to campus for 7:30, you’re pretty organized”). 

Despite all that, Iman has carved out time for other interests.  She serves on the executive of Carleton’s chapter of Journalists for Human Rights, maintains a blog, and is an avid photographer who sells some of her work for charity.  She has also developed a passion for hockey (“back home the guys are really into soccer, but nothing compares to the fanaticism for hockey here”).

 “I’m involved in so many things I feel a bit of pressure,” she admits.  But that hasn’t cut into her academic achievements quite yet: last year, Iman was named a K. Phyllis Wilson Scholar.

Political instability in Ivory Coast.  Campus union negotiations.  Repeal of Canada’s prostitution laws.  If it has to do with politics, Jason Gowler and Luke Smith are keen to explore it, and share what they find with the world.

The political junkies host “Raven’s Eye,” a political discussion every Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. on Carleton radio station CKCU-FM.  The program is also archived at ravenseye.yolasite.com.

Their special twist?  An unabashed student perspective.  The co-hosts, both second-year Political Science majors, interview Carleton students knowledgeable about the weekly topics.  If they can’t find a suitable guest, they bounce ideas off each other.

“It took a while to come up with the format, frankly,” admits Luke, who moved to Canada from Wales with his family in 2006.  “We tried several ideas, but essentially we thought that talking to students would be a brilliant way of bringing issues to life.”

President Roseann Runte was an inspiration, he adds: “She once suggested using more technology to give students a voice, and we see the program as doing that.”

The show can, arguably, trace its roots to the Mississauga high school where Jason caught the radio bug.  When he joined Carleton, he approached CKCU and did a couple of sample episodes, but didn’t like having no one to play off of.

When Luke came on as a guest, however, the “great chemistry” led to co-hosting duties, Jason says. “Luke has really become the main guy on the show.  He’s really the one who put it into overdrive.”

The two seem to complement each other in other ways, too.  Luke’s primary interest lies in Europe and Africa, while Jason is attracted to the U.S. and China.  Jason isn’t afraid of controversy, pushing his guests about their beliefs; Luke takes a more diplomatic approach.

Radio isn’t their only interest.  Luke does community outreach for the campus GLBTQ Centre, helping it connect with outside organizations, and he chairs a monthly get-together of post-secondary gay and lesbian centres across Ottawa.  Jason hosts Wednesday trivia night at Mike’s Place and is active in Carleton’s Model United Nations Club, participating in simulations at such schools as Harvard and Queen’s.  He’s twice been named outstanding delegate at York University’s annual model UN weekend.

“It’s really important to have diversified experiences as a student,” Luke explains.

 Megan Malone lives and breathes her love of Africa. Her enthusiasm for the continent is infectious enough to inspire her peers to spend a month last summer volunteering in orphanages in Ghana.

Malone, a fourth-year student in African Studies and Political Science, put up posters on the campuses of both Carleton and University of Ottawa to promote the opportunity. 

She also partnered with Volunteer Corps, a Ghana-based NGO, to facilitate the volunteer work.

The seven students who took up the challenge raised their own money to fund both the trip and projects on the ground in Ghana.

The students’ primary responsibility was to help the children, of whom there were 65 and ranged in age from just months old to their 20s, prepare for their daily classes. Malone and the other students also assisted with the preparation of meals and laundry.  

“We had the small schoolhouse repaired as well as the children’s beds and bought new mattresses for them,” said Malone. 

The month-long trip was Malone’s second spent volunteering in the country.

Upon her return, she returned to her job at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s Africa Bureau. She landed the plum position the year before as part of her African Studies Placement Course – a half-credit one-day a week volunteer placement offered through the African Studies program at Carleton.

 This fall she resumed the last year of her studies, and launched the Institute of African Studies Student Association in cooperation with another student majoring in African Studies.

While Malone isn’t sure if she will pursue graduate studies in the UK or US, of one thing she is certain, her ultimate destiny is Africa.