Undergraduate Research Forum

“Students will carry on the Indigenous-centered learning of SPAN 402, SPAN 302, and LAST 303 and engage with various Indigenous authors working in Argentina and Chile” 

About the program 

Dates: April 25-May 11, 2024
Location: Temuco and Santiago Chile, and Buenos Aires, Argentina  

This research forum is specifically for a small group of undergraduate students who have taken or are currently enrolled in SPAN 302 or 402 with Maria Carbonetti; or LAST 303 or LAST 315 and have a written and spoken level of Spanish at least equivalent to the completion of SPAN 302. The course is an extension of a broader research project that focuses on integrating Mapuzugun into the Spanish curriculum at UBC and the work of contemporary Indigenous writers and artists while decentring the colonial language of Spanish for cultural knowledge holders and creators in southern South America. 

Alongside Dr. Carbonetti and one graduate student, a group of three undergraduates will travel to Santiago, Chile, to visit relevant sites to learn about past and current political contexts affecting Indigenous peoples as well as art expressions. After Santiago, the group will travel to Temuco (on May 1) and the home of the Universidad de la Frontera and will be received at Centro Interdisciplinario de investigación y Creación Artística CIICA-UFRO and the Dirección de Cooperación Internacional. Students will engage with faculty, students and members of Mapuche communities and participate in presentations, lectures, panel discussions and create audiovisual resources for the project. Students will also travel South to visit Pucón, one of the most important natural areas with national parks and Indigenous communities as well as an artistic hub. There they will meet Indigenous leaders and artists and learn about the region. The end of the experience will be in Buenos Aires to attend the Buenos Aires Book Fair, where Mapuche authors will present their work. That event will be supported by the Canadian Embassy in Buenos Aires and the Canada Council of the Arts. As part of this, an Indigenous artist and writer, Lisa Boiven will be participating and engaging with the students and the public.  

This experience will offer students the opportunity to learn by engaging directly with Mapuche scholars, poets and artists, as well as provide an opportunity to connect with peers at UFRO from Santiago to Temuco. By participating in the largest Book Fair in South America, participants will not only have the opportunity of meeting with Mapuche authors but also, through the Canadian guest at the Book Fair, make connections between Indigenous experiences North and South.  

Students must be available to attend an online Pre-Departure lecture in April with Prof. Félix Acuto, an Argentine researcher to learn about the history of Indigenous peoples in Argentina and Chile and  the current situation of Original Peoples in the country. (Date TBD) 

UBC Academic Sponsor: Maria Carbonetti  

https://fhis.ubc.ca/profile/maria-carbonetti/ 

Maria Carbonetti is a lecturer of Spanish at UBC. She was awarded the Killam Teaching Prize in 2019. Beyond teaching, Maria designs and runs community-based and service-learning projects such as Spanish for Community, a hub for community engagement and service learning in the department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies Department. Through Spanish for Community, students can apply their linguistic skills and learn from local partners working with the Hispanic community here in Metro Vancouver and abroad. Maria’s research interests include linguistics, language teaching and learning, community engaged learning, cultural studies and gender studies. 

Additional Academic Support: Félix Acuto 

Professor Félix Acuto is a non-Indigenous scholar and a full-time researcher at the Argentine National Council of Scientific and Technical Research whose work is focused on the history, heritage and contemporary struggles and rights of Indigenous peoples in Argentina. For the last 20 years, he has worked closely with a number of Indigenous Peoples/Nations from Argentina.  

Student Eligibility 

Three UBC undergraduate students will be selected to participate: Successful applicants should demonstrate a strong understanding of the subject matter (particularly through the Palabras Madres project) and have an upper-intermediate or advanced level of Spanish. 

Students who are advanced in Spanish and completed SPAN 302 (or higher) or who are taking LAST 303: Indigenous Latin America or LAST 315 in 2023-24 are particularly encouraged to apply. 

Go Global Eligibility Requirements:  

• Full time undergraduate students (minimum 18 credits in the 2023-24 academic year) from the Vancouver campus 
• Minimum 70% academic average overall, and in Term 1 2023 
• Currently 2nd year status or higher (including students finishing their degree requirements this term and graduating in May) 
• Students from any faculty are eligible 
• Highly motivated students who possess a strong interest in Indigenous-centred learning and have upper-intermediate Spanish proficiency 

Fees & Funding 

Funding: This forum is supported by the Global Innovation Grant (GIG) 

The Forum will bear the costs for: 

• Accommodation (April 24 to May 11) 
• A few meals will be provided throughout the trip, but students should expect to bear the majority of food costs 
• Field trip fees 

Students are responsible for the costs of: 

• Flights 
• Meals 
• Incidental expenses at accommodation 
• Passport and visa acquisition fees 
• Travel insurance 

Estimated flight costs (to Santiago, Temuco, and Buenos Aires): $2400 

Awards: All students will receive a $1000 Go Global for participating 

How to Apply 

Application deadline: February 23, 2024

There is no application fee.  

Complete the application online through Go Global's Gateway system. Go to "Search Experiences" and search "UBC URF in Chile & Argentina" scroll to this program and press "Apply for" and select "Summer" to start an application. 

In your application you will be asked to respond to questions relating to:  

• Your motivation for joining this program 
• How this program will benefit you in your current academic program and support your career goals 
• Any experience working on a team 
• Your interest and/or experience in community engagement or service 

Please also upload your most up-to-date resume/CV.  

Selected students will be notified by March 1