Established in 1958 at the behest of MSU’s then-president John A Hannah, the MSU Canadian Studies Center (CSC) is the longest-serving center for the study of Canada in the United States. One of five area studies centers housed within International Studies and Programs and the only one dedicated to one country, the Center furthers the university’s longstanding internationalization efforts by promoting programming and educational opportunities that reflect the country’s diversity of perspectives on a host of pressing issues important to both Canada and the US, including trade, border security, Great Lakes stewardship, and more.  

One of the Center's central objectives is to increase research and research funding related to Canada and/or conducted with Canadian partners, including Canadian scholars and scholarly institutions. Canada has long been a partner in academic research and discovery, and at MSU, this is no exception. MSU faculty co-publish with Canadian scholars more than with scholars from any other country apart from China. Canada is the most popular international destination for MSU faculty to present their research. 

Together, MSU and Canadian faculty address some of the most pressing issues affecting both countries and our world, underscoring the need to support and further these important research partnerships. 

Our Priorities  

Canada Connect 

Generating Global Opportunities and Investment  

The CSC’s Canada Connect initiative works to establish meaningful and mutually beneficial ties between MSU and peer universities in Canada. As part of these connections, the Center facilitates faculty and student exchanges designed to further research and teaching that address issues of shared concern for both countries. Such exchanges and partnerships not only increase understanding and engagement between students and faculty in Canada and the US, but they further innovative research relevant to Michigan and beyond.  

The Center boasts over 140 MSU core faculty working with Canadians or on Canada-related research projects and provides them with the opportunities to seek Strategic Partnership Grant funding to pursue or further their research and educational partnerships with colleagues in Canada. These grants also help facilitate the creation of education abroad courses, collaborative online international learning (COIL) modules, postdoctoral exchanges, and other opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. By leveraging MSU’s academic strengths as an R1, land-grant institution, the Center helps faculty further their research projects, identify external funding opportunities, and expand the educational horizons of our diverse students.   

Canadian Studies and Student Engagement 

Creating Global Citizens  

The Center promotes the academic study of Canada, including the country’s languages, in courses for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The Center provides MSU faculty with grants, professional development opportunities, and other supports to encourage the creation of courses related to Canada and the inclusion of Canadian content in existing courses.  

Additionally, the Center supports the Canadian studies concentration in the College of Social Science’s Global and International Studies program and works to provide wrap-around programming for students interested in Canada, including lectures, webinars, and social events celebrating the diverse peoples, environments, and languages of Canada.  

Leveraging MSU’s excellent education abroad program, extensive library holdings, and our international alumni network, the Center also helps to facilitate existing and future connections for MSU students and Canadian partners, including through education abroad courses, collaborative online international learning (COIL) modules with Canadian students, and other opportunities for students to visit, study, and intern in Canada.   

Promoting the Study of Canada at MSU and Beyond  

Innovating Global Solutions 

Leveraging the expertise of MSU faculty, our excellent library holdings, and the international reach of the university, the Center promotes the academic study of Canada at MSU and beyond through partnerships with faculty at colleges and universities across the US, with a particular focus on the American Midwest as part of the Midwest Canadian Studies Network. These partnerships promote innovative and solution-focused scholarship addressing real-world problems affecting both countries. In this way, the Center works to increase awareness about Canada, further US-Canada relations, and help train the next generation of Canadianists.  

Support the Canadian Studies Center   

If the Center’s mission and programs appeal to you, please consider supporting our work with a donation. There are many ways to support the Center and our students and faculty, and any level of support is greatly appreciated!  

Land Acknowledgement   

We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. We recognize, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan’s twelve federally-recognized Indian nations, for historic Indigenous communities in Michigan, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.  

More information on Michigan State University’s provisional land acknowledgment can be found on the American Indian and Indigenous Studies website.