2004 Trudeau Scholar

margarida.garcia@trudeaufoundation.net

Profile

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa

"Having a Trudeau scholarship made a difference in my university career on several levels. First of all, the Trudeau Foundation actually applies and puts into action the values it embraces, and for this reason I was able to benefit from this scholarship despite the fact that I am not yet a Canadian citizen. I mention this because this spirit of openness and the Foundation's concrete interest in specific projects and ideas, no matter who is behind them, allowed me to work in the very best conditions and gave me access to advantages and benefits that would otherwise have been beyond my reach. In this sense, I believe the Trudeau scholarship is unique and exceptional. From another angle, I would like to point out that the Foundation greatly contributed to my understanding of Canadian society and, by extension, to my integration into this culture. Through the Foundation I had enriching and stimulating contact with people from civil society, the business world, the artistic community, political decision-makers, non-governmental organizations, academia and more. As I often told my friends, every Trudeau meeting was like a combined shot of adrenaline, inspiration and humility. The Foundation has the talent of finding exceptional researchers and human beings who create such a strong group synergy that it is impossible to leave this community untouched. The scholarship allowed me to work with determination and zeal, and with respect for Time (that rare commodity): my personal learning time but also the time of my research topic, an emerging phenomenon little studied at present. The annual travel allowance that is part of the Trudeau scholarship was essential for my doctoral research."

Trudeau Foundation Themes

Human Rights and Social Justice »