Go International

Since 2003, CAPI has sent 185 Canadian students on life-changing placements with 53 different non-governmental organizations across 21 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific (and a couple in Africa too!).

Featured intern videos

A video montage of some of our student interns and partners across the Asia-Pacific and Africa in celebration of our 30th anniversary (2018).

A day in the life of 2019 CAPI intern Jemma Kosalko (third year UVic Political Science student) during her placement with the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS) in Jakarta (film by fellow intern and UVic Pacific and Asian Studies student Maeve Milligan).

2018 CAPI intern Emily Clare (4th year UVic Child & Youth Care) spent four months with Ukulapha Community Outreach Project in South Africa - this is her "capstone" project.

Student testimonials

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.

Map of CAPI placements

Intern + scholar capstone projects

Sasha Mosky's plant pressings from her internship in India — For her capstone project, 2017 intern Sasha Mosky collected plants that people in Rajasthan use for cooking, medicine, and ceremony to "challenge some of the narratives around India being polluted and people not respecting their environment"

Intern + scholar blogs

If you have any questions about our internships please contact Robyn Fila, CAPI internship program manager, by email at rfila@uvic.ca or phone at 250.721.7022

About Robyn

Since 2010, Robyn has facilitated over 150 international internship placements for UVic students and graduates from across Canada. She is responsible for program and partnership development across the Asia-Pacific region, selecting, training and mentoring interns, and program monitoring and evaluation. Robyn has managed large externally funded projects and has worked with grassroots, regional and international partners in over 15 countries. CAPI’s international internship programs have focused on education, community engagement, governance, development and migrants’ and refugee rights.

Robyn has an extensive background in program management, experiential learning and curriculum development as it pertains to global and international education. Current partners are in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan and work in education, Indigenous governance, community development and on urban development and economic issues.

Robyn is adjunct professor in Pacific and Asian Studies and a sessional instructor with Global Development Studies and the Intercultural Skills and Practice program.

In 2017, Robyn was part of a national study group on global education which resulted in a set of recommendations and a report “Global Education for Canadians – Equipping the Next Generation to Succeed at Home and Abroad” submitted to the Government of Canada. This report laid the ground work for the launching of the new 4-year pilot Global Skills and Opportunities program.