Our Purpose
Established in 1994 thanks to an innovative agreement between the Bronfman Family and McGill University, MISC has focused on the study of Canada, teaching students about its past and its present, all the while hoping to play an important role in raising questions about Canada's future.
Fulfilling MISC's Mission
Since its inception in 1994, MISC has aimed to better the understanding of Canada through the study of its history, as well as its political, social and economic values. MISC's mission is made up of four main components:
Multidisciplinary Approach
MISC supports a multidisciplinary approach to the study of Canada by bringing together students, researchers, and practitioners to discuss important issues about the country’s past, present, and future. As part of the Faculty of Arts, MISC is especially interested in perspectives from the humanities and the social sciences. At the same time, MISC aims to be a hub for people from across campus and beyond who are interested in the study of Canada.
Public Education
MISC promotes public as well as university-based education about Canada. In addition to running and improving its undergraduate programs, MISC aims to reach out to different members of the public, particularly non-academic audiences, through conferences, public lectures, social media and webinars.
Network Development
MISC fosters the development of networks in the area of Canadian Studies. The institute seeks to bring together students and researchers from McGill and other universities to create new networks and research projects about Canada.
Public Policy Discourse
MISC also seeks to enhance informed discussions of public policy. This is something that MISC sometimes does on its own, but more recently in collaboration with McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy and think tanks such as the Institute for Research on Public Policy. This endeavour helps to further enrich the first three parts of the mission. The main goal here is to organize events and launch initiatives about key policy issues that are important for Canadians from coast to coast.
