Canadian Association of Graduate Studies

Canadian Association of Graduate Studies
Name	Canadian Association of Graduate Studies
Formation	1962
Type	Non-profit association
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Language	English and French
Leader title	President

Contents

Canadian Association of Graduate Studies is a national association representing institutions and individuals involved in postgraduate education across Canada. It acts as a forum for collaboration among universities, colleges, research agencies, funding bodies and professional associations such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Canada Research Chairs. It engages with policy actors including Employment and Social Development Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and provincial ministries in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia.

History

Founded in the early 1960s amid expansion at institutions such as the University of Toronto, McGill University, and University of British Columbia, the association responded to graduate enrollment growth after the Post-war economic boom and policy shifts linked to the Massey Commission and the Royal Commission on Health Services. Early members included leaders from Queen's University, Dalhousie University, University of Alberta, and University of Saskatchewan who sought national coordination comparable to bodies like the Association of American Universities and the European University Association. Over time the organization engaged with initiatives at the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada and participated in discussions related to the Tri-Council agencies, the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation outreach, and debates following reports from the Fraser Institute and the Canadian Federation of Students. Milestones included conferences hosted with partners from Université Laval, Concordia University, and Memorial University of Newfoundland and liaison with professional associations such as the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

Governance follows a board and committee model with representation from institutions like Simon Fraser University, York University, University of Ottawa, and Université de Montréal. The executive typically includes officers connected to faculties and schools at McMaster University, University of Calgary, Université du Québec, and Brock University. Committees interface with agencies such as Statistics Canada and funding councils including the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Annual general meetings rotate among campuses including Western University, Saint Mary’s University, and Université de Sherbrooke, with bylaws reflecting requirements from provincial registries like those in Manitoba and New Brunswick. The association's policy positions have been informed by contributions from think tanks and institutes such as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and collaborations with bodies like the Canadian Bureau for International Education.

The association organizes national conferences attracting delegations from Harvard University, Oxford University, Sorbonne University, and partners in networks such as the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Programs include workshops on supervision involving scholars from University of Cambridge, Princeton University, McGill University, and policy briefings with representatives from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. It runs panels on doctoral training drawing participants from Heidelberg University, University of Melbourne, National University of Singapore, and actions addressing graduate career pathways in concert with agencies like Statistics Canada and industry partners including Bombardier and Shopify. Outreach programs have linked with provincial graduate schools and international consortia including the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada affiliates and the International Association of Universities.

The association produces reports and white papers citing research from entities such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institut de recherche en santé publique de Québec, Terry Fox Research Institute, and academic units at University of Waterloo, Carleton University, and Université Laval. Publications address topics like graduate student mental health with input from organizations including the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Conference proceedings have featured contributions from scholars at UCL, University of Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, and policy analyses referencing statistics compiled by Statistics Canada and the Conference Board of Canada. The association's newsletters and occasional papers draw on scholarship from faculty at University of Victoria, Lakehead University, University of Guelph, and St. Francis Xavier University.

Membership includes graduate schools and research offices from institutions such as Ryerson University, Laval University, University of Windsor, Thompson Rivers University, and University of Prince Edward Island. Individual members have affiliations with laboratories and centers like the Perimeter Institute, Canadian Light Source, and the Banff International Research Station. The association maintains links with provincial organizations including the Alberta Advanced Education authorities, BC Council on Admissions and Transfer, and national bodies such as the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. International partners encompass the European University Association, Asia-Pacific Association for International Education, and networks connected to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The association recognizes excellence through awards for supervision, research training, and doctoral completion, often spotlighting recipients from University of Manitoba, Université de Sherbrooke, McGill University, Queen’s University Belfast collaborators, and emerging scholars linked to institutes such as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the Banting Postdoctoral Fellows program. Award honorees have included researchers engaged with projects funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and leaders who have previously served in roles at Canada Research Chairs, Tri-Agency committees, and provincial awards programs administered through bodies like Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

Category:Higher education in Canada