A Scholarship Allows Canadian Students to Follow Sciences Po’s Master in Environmental Policy & Master in International Energy Transitions

Caitlin Grady: I grew up near Ottawa and spent much of my childhood running, skiing, hiking, and camping in the woods. I have always loved the environment and have felt a calling to work toward its protection. I completed my undergraduate studies in Sustainability and Biology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Upon graduation, I spent three years working for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, a national conservation charity, on the establishment of protected areas. I came to Sciences Po in order to build on my experiences in the environmental field and deepen my knowledge of environmental policy solutions.

Dorothy Settles: I completed my undergraduate degree in International Relations and History at the University of British Columbia in 2020. Graduating right into the pandemic, I co-founded Spheres of Influence, a non-profit youth-led global affairs publication. Since then, I have essentially spent the last two years growing this organisation, which has provided opportunities to 100 young journalists, and enabled the publication of 400 articles on crucial underreported issues in global affairs. My academic and professional career is dedicated to understanding the relationship between resource extraction, Indigenous rights, and corporate abuse, which I am focusing on here at Sciences Po.

Caitlin Grady: It is an honour to be a part of this program, as one of its first scholarship recipients. The CARE Program has significantly eased the financial burden of pursuing my graduate studies in France, leaving me the mental space to focus wholeheartedly on my education. 

Within the context of building cross-cultural connections between Canada and France, the CARE Program aims to enhance knowledge-sharing in the environmental field between the two countries. I hope to contribute to the CARE Program’s goals of building bridges by connecting Sciences Po to Canadian institutions and eventually bringing the skills I acquired during my degree in France back to Canada.

Dorothy Settles: Words cannot express how grateful I am for the CARE Program and the DRG Foundation. The work of the foundation and the program is truly incredible and deeply important – in the face of climate change, global cooperation is critical, especially between countries such as France and Canada that have taken innovative and admirable measures towards combating it. I think there is a lot of potential for joint learning and progress through this program, and I am excited to see all of the great work that will be done in the years to come.

On a personal level, this program has helped me tremendously, as one who has spent the past years quite concerned about money, working freelance and gig jobs to sustain myself while running a non-profit start-up. Receiving the scholarship and participating in this program has been deeply affirming and validating and I have never been so sure of my trajectory and goals in the field of environmental justice.

Caitlin Grady: Sciences Po sparked my interest because it offers an international, interdisciplinary, and bilingual graduate education. I was looking for a Master’s program that simultaneously considers economic, legal,  political, and scientific perspectives on a range of environmental issues, and I found that in Sciences Po. I highly recommend the Master’s in Environmental Policy and the CARE Program to any prospective Canadian students seeking a graduate programme with a comprehensive approach to environmental policy challenges delivered in a diverse international setting. 

My advice to future students is to explore lectures, concentrations, and courses at Sciences Po that are unfamiliar because that’s how well-rounded environmental policymakers are made.

Dorothy Settles: Sciences Po sparked my interest for many reasons. For one, the ability to learn from and alongside global changemakers is an unparalleled opportunity. I was attracted to the environmental policy program because it effectively combines the scientific and political aspects of climate change, which I think is crucial for gaining a holistic understanding of the issue. Sciences Po is full of opportunities to learn from a diverse range of people, immerse yourself in new subjects, and have your perspectives both challenged and enriched. 

My advice to future students: first, be open to all. Second, I think it’s important to remember that attending Sciences Po (especially with the CARE scholarship) is a tremendous, wonderful privilege. It is an honour to be here, and the education you receive, and what you choose to do with it, has the potential to greatly impact people’s lives, which is not something to be taken lightly.