Internships

The links between climate change, community resilience, and human migration will be explored by 23 Wilfrid Laurier University students and eight University of Ghana students through an exchange partnership made possible by $300,000 in funding from the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship program.  

The partnership applies a human rights lens to climate-induced migration. Laurier undergraduate students from Geography and Environmental Studies, Human Rights, and Global Studies (additional faculties and departments will be considered if need be) will travel to Ghana for 60-day internships (70 days total in-country) facilitated by two University of Ghana research centres: the Centre for Migration Studies and the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies. Graduate students affiliated with these centres will study at Laurier as international students for a semester, receiving faculty supervision for their research projects and enrolling in graduate courses. 

The QES scholarship is open to all students. Preference will be given to those engaged in academic study that includes one or more of the following areas: climate change adaptation, migration, human rights, and sustainability.

To apply you must:

• Be enrolled full-time and on track to have completed second year by the end of the winter 2027 term. Applicants should have completed at least 10.0 credits by the time their internship takes place. Please note that students who are more advanced in their degree studies may score higher in our evaluation of their applications.
• Have a minimum 7.0 GPA at the time of your application. 
• Be 35 years of age or under at the time of your application for the internship. 
• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. 
• Hold a valid passport or be willing to apply for a passport immediately upon being accepted for the program.
• Participate in the Internship in Ghana for a minimum of 60 days. You will spend up to 70 days in-country including orientation activities at the beginning. 
• During the internship, be at the partner’s office or field site for at least seven hours a day, five days a week (or 35 hours a week).
• Complete an academic credit related to the internship. The specific credit will depend on your program of study.  
• Agree to act in accordance with any Global Affairs Canada travel advisory in effect at the time while in Ghana. 
• Be returning to Laurier to study on campus in the fall of 2027 to complete required in-person engagement. Graduating students, students heading to Sussex program, and students who will be on Co-op or placement in Fall 2027 are ineligible.

In the application, you will be asked to:

• Confirm that you have attended the Information Session or reviewed the recording.
• Respond to the eligibility requirements outlined below.
• Submit a letter of motivation.
• Submit an up-to-date resume.
• Upload a photo or scan of the photo page of your passport.
• Provide a reference (Can be academic or non-academic). 

Successful applicants will be invited to an interview with Laurier International staff and Faculty connected to the QES Program. Students who are currently out of the country are encouraged to apply and, if selected for an interview, may be interviewed over Zoom, or similar. 

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us at globalengagement@wlu.ca.

The application deadline for Summer 2027 QES is Sunday, Nov. 8 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

If successful, commit to satisfying the following requirements:

• Participate in a pre-departure program with meetings scheduled in Winter 2027 term. 
• Sign Laurier International’s Acknowledgment of Risk and Responsibility Form. 
• Sign the QES participant agreement. 
• Participate in a debriefing/re-entry session after returning to Canada. 
• Participate in public engagement activities upon return to Canada. 
• Any other program requirements set by Laurier International. 

Upon acceptance to the internship you will be asked to sign a form authorizing Laurier International to perform a background check with the Laurier Special Constable Service, and the Laurier Care and Support Team. You will also be asked to submit a Police Vulnerable Sector Check within 60 days of your acceptance.