At a time when questions of identity, belonging and truth are shaping public conversation across Canada, understanding who we are as a country—and who we want to be—feels more urgent than ever.

At the University of British Columbia, Canadian Studies is not just about looking back—it’s about asking new questions.

“If we are to have a whole new world of answers, we need a whole new world of questions,” says Dr. Minelle Mahtani, Chair of the Canadian Studies program and Associate Professor in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice. “Canadian Studies…is about asking different questions about who we are as a nation and who we want to be.”

As Chair of the undergraduate program, Dr. Mahtani helps guide its growth, supports students and shapes its direction. Under her leadership, Canadian Studies at UBC is becoming a space where students can explore complex ideas about Canada.

At UBC, the program brings together courses from across the Faculty of Arts. Students can draw on subjects ranging from political science and history to media and literature, learning from dozens of faculty members across disciplines. For Dr. Mahtani, this approach is key.

“The questions that we’re asking about Canada today … don’t sit within any singular discipline,” she explains. “They’re about justice, democracy, belonging and migration.”

Philanthropy has played a vital role in building this kind of learning environment. The generosity of Brenda and David McLean has helped strengthen Canadian Studies at UBC—supporting the program itself, as well as public events and academic leadership that extend its reach.

That includes initiatives like the Brenda and David McLean Family Chair in Canadian Studies, currently held by Professor Mary-Lynn Young. This rotating research chair brings leading scholars to UBC to advance interdisciplinary work and share their insights through teaching and public lectures.

Together, these investments help ensure the program remains active, relevant and connected to the wider world. They also make possible public conversations that bring ideas beyond the classroom. Last March, the Chan Centre hosted An Evening with Jordan Abel, David Chariandy and Stephanie Sinclair—three influential voices whose work spans Indigenous storytelling, contemporary literature and cultural critique.

For Dr. Mahtani, events like that are central to the program’s mission.

“It was about the power of storytelling … how stories shape who we are as Canadians—and how we might tell those stories differently,” she says.

Through these gatherings, students and community members can engage directly with writers, artists and thinkers. The result is a shared space for learning—one that connects academic ideas with real-world experience.

In the classroom, that same spirit continues. In Dr. Mahtani’s course The Canadian Creative, students meet guest speakers each week and explore how culture, politics and identity shape creative work in Canada. They leave not only with knowledge, but with the ability to question dominant narratives, listen across difference and contribute thoughtfully to public conversations. The goal is not just to study the country, but to think about how it is changing—and how they can shape that change.

“It gives us a chance to think critically about what kind of country we want to live in,” Dr. Mahtani says.

With continued donor support, Canadian Studies at UBC is helping students—and the wider community—engage in those questions. That means preparing graduates who can navigate complexity, challenge misinformation and help build more inclusive, informed communities across Canada.

“We see Canada as a dynamic and contested project … always in flux,” Dr. Mahtani says.

By creating space for dialogue, reflection and new ideas, the program is helping shape the conversations that will define Canada’s future. And—In a time of division and uncertainty—the impact extends far beyond the university—equipping people with the tools to participate in a stronger, more thoughtful public life.