Of the 14 scholars selected by the Trudeau Foundation to receive scholarships this year, two are alumni of the Trent-In Ghana program, offered by the Department of International Development Studies (IDS).

Trent is pleased to congratulate Geoffrey Cameron '02 and Rebecca Sutton as recipients of this prestigious doctoral award for the social sciences and humanities. The scholarship supports outstanding students who are committed to solving issues of critical importance to Canada and the world.

"Geoff and Rebecca are both such remarkable young people," said Dr. Jacqueline Solway, who led the Trent-In Ghana program when the scholars attended. "They are go-getters -- they shine in the dark."

The Trent-In Ghana program provides students the opportunity to take Trent courses in Ghana, West Africa, studying alongside Ghanaian students. They also undertake placements in civil society organizations.

While Mr. Cameron (full bio) studied in Ghana in 2004/05 and completed his undergraduate IDS degree at Trent in 2006, Ms. Sutton (full bio) joined the Trent-In Ghana program in 2003/04 from the University of McMaster’s Arts and Science program.

"My time as a student with the International Development Studies program at Trent was a formative period," stated Mr. Cameron, who during that time, helped to found Undercurrent: Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Development Studies and InSight, the annual national students' conference on international development studies. He received the Symons Medal upon graduation.

In third-year, Mr. Cameron studied at the University of Ghana and interned with the Ghanaian Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the Canadian High Commission.

"These experiences enriched my learning by helping me to see how ideas find expression in the work of institutions, which in turn have real consequences for the well-being of people. These are interests and concerns that continue to animate my doctoral research on the politics of refugee policies," he said.

Ms. Sutton says it was the Trent-In Ghana program that led her to a master's degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, England and to take two years off during law school to work for War Child in Sudan.

"More than a decade later, I continue to apply the lessons and experience of the Trent-In Ghana program. My life would simply not be the same if I had not participated in this amazing program," said Ms. Sutton, who is now planning her doctoral research, which will bring together law and international development perspectives on armed conflict. "One of my favourite aspects of the program was that Canadian students studied together with Ghanaian students, under Ghanaian professors. I think if I had studied international development exclusively in Canada, I would have missed the richness of this experience. Our exchanges inside and outside the classroom have forever shaped my views of international development."

Speaking of the IDS and Trent-in-Ghana programs, Dr. Haroon Akram-Lodhi, current chair, said: "The department has a well-established reputation, and as a result, attracts very strong students from across the country. With such outstanding students, it is not surprising that they move into careers that demonstrate their credentials as global citizens."

In addition to an annual grant of up to $60,000 for a three-year period, the scholars will benefit from the expertise and knowledge of the network of Trudeau fellows and mentors.

For more information, visit www.trentu.ca/ids/ghana.php and www.trudeaufoundation.ca

Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.