CAPI Beyond Borders Fund
185 Canadian students
to 21 countries
for a total of 92 years
Since 2003, CAPI has sent 185 Canadian students on life-changing placements with 51 different non-governmental organizations across the Asia-Pacific (and a few in Africa, too!). We've also facilitated numerous inbound academic exchanges and visits to UVic by graduate students and early career scholars from countries such as Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, and India.
The CAPI Beyond Borders Fund will help to secure a permanent and reliable future for our student and young scholar mobility programming.
Some of our partners
I cannot think of any other endeavour I could have undertaken that would have challenged me in such deep and meaningful ways. Ultimately, by taking myself far outside of my comfort zone, by doing so many things for the first time (usually badly), and going through periods of doubt, questioning, and reflection, I had what has by far been the most transformative, fun, and rich learning experience of my life so far
UVic BCom student Will Howling spent seven months in India on a CAPI internship working with Participatory Research in Asia
[This internship] is about building connections across, and recognizing the fluidity of, the so-called "boundaries" between people. It's about conscious exploration, trying new things, getting to know new people, absorbing new ideas and perspectives. It's about having conversations and stepping outside of your comfort zone and returning a better person than when you left.
UVic Anthropology student Alex Lloyd spent three months in Australia working on her master's thesis exploring the impacs of transnational migration on the sexual subjectivities of young Indonesian women studying overseas.
I always wondered if the person I created for myself would come home with me. I can tell you, she definitely did. If you open up and let people in, the friends and experiences you've had become such a part of you that you are changed forever.
UVic Anthropology student Marlin Beswetherick spend six months in Kuala Lumpur on a CAPI internship working with the Malaysian Social Research Institute.
CAPI in the field
CAPI's first two interns in Bangkok, 2003: Shane Barter, a fourth year Political Science and History student, and Kate Vallance, a third year Pacific and Asian Studies student, worked with Forum Asia and the Asian Regional Resource Centre for Human Rights Education, respectively. Joanna Wong, a fourth year student in Pacific and Asian Studies and Journalism, also worked in Bagkok with the Foundation for Child Development, departing a few months later. Shane is now an Associate Professor of Comparative Politics and Director of the Pacific Basin Research Centre at Soka University in California and Kate is a Research Associate with UVic’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR).
2018 intern Alanya Dhalla in Thailand, where she worked with the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW): "I have met such incredible ladies from all corners of the world. The diverse group of girls I have become friends with in Bangkok all have completely different life stories; however, there is such a strong sense of support and encouragement. Never have I felt such genuine encouragement to be exactly who I am and to act on my values rather resorting to jealousy or comparison. There is so little judgement and a general acceptance that everyone knows what is best for them right now and should act upon it. Everyone I have met on this journey has such unique stories and endless wisdom to share."
2018 CAPI intern Charlotte Whyte training for her first half-marathon with the "ULU Runners" in Kuala Lumpur, where she worked with the Malaysian Social Research Institute: "Running through the jungle by 7:00am, swim in the river at the halfway point, breakfast at the river and then back out finishing Sunday morning at about 8 miles. Very much in love with it!"
Naga City, Philippines: The Penafrañcia festival is a huge celebration every September in Naga City. The Procession starts with a statue of the virgin (a replica of the Madonna in Penafrañcia Spain) being carried on foot throughout the city to a Cathedral in the center of town. At the end of the festival it’s carried back to its shrine by way of a fluvial procession along the river. This photo was taken during the 300th anniversary of Naga City. - Stephanie Ellis, 2010 CAPI intern
2018 CAPI intern Nick Harrison on the Thai/Myanmar border: "Yesterday was the first day of advanced course in 2018 at KSDC [Karenni Social Development Center]! Looking forward to working with these lovely students and teachers for the next 6 months!"
2014 CAPI intern Kip Jorgensen in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he worked with Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU): "Some policemen sit nearby exuding a seemingly profound boredom, while others circle waiting for their departure, like a tidal rhythm between intermittent governance performances and the city’s diverse – and necessary - informal strategies."
2017 CAPI intern Will Howling in India: "I’ll admit that before coming to India I tended to see this nation and its citizenry as an abstract and homogenous group. I carried a prototype of what Indian people are, and what they look like. These are positions that emerged from of a lack of familiarity, experience, and criticality. Coming to India was always going to challenge these ideas, but I couldn’t have anticipated how much."
2016 CAPI intern Zahura Ahmed who worked with the Bangladeshi Ovhibashi Mohila Sramik Association (BOMSA): "We have heard stories of struggle, ambition, success, and hard work. We have come to better understand the circumstances that push people to leave their home countries, the fear involved with doing so, and the hope of a better future."
Three of CAPI's incoming scholars: Nima Dorji (a senior lecturer from Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law in Bhutan), Ratana Ly (a researcher with the Center for the Study of Humanitarian Law in Cambodia), and Kan Pongboonjun (a law instructor at Chiang Mai University, Thailand) at CAPI's 2018 welcome back reception at the University Club. They are all undertaking their PhD studies in law at UVic via a CAPI/UVic Law "advanced scholars" program.
2018 CAPI intern Jacob Derksen as an impromptu tutor, helping kids with their English homework on the streets of Jakarta
2018 CAPI intern Ainslee Arthurs who spent three months at Slangspruit Primary School in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: "Joy is felt through the positive energy that many of these children exert. Dancing and singing are one of the dominant ways this energy shines through. Behind this abundance of energy, these children carry stories that represent the hardships of living in a township where poverty is the norm. Witnessing such a paradox can be hard to comprehend but the best way I can make sense of it all is by acknowledging the strength that is so evident in the people I am working with."
2017 CAPI intern Rachel Barr in India: "Dear Future Intern, Some days are very hard. The simplest tasks can be so complex and frustrating. Take care of yourself through healthy eating, sleeping and appropriate self-care. You will look back on this time as an incredible experience and a time for great growth and self-reflection. Try new foods, learn a little bit about the language, experience the music, the art, and the history of the people and of the country you are in. Give what you can and value this incredible opportunity that will provide you with a lifetime of memories."
Can't get enough?
Intern + scholar capstone projects
