Program Overview

Introduction to the Vancouver Summer Program

The Vancouver Summer Program (VSP) is a four-week program at the University of British Columbia (UBC) designed for international students who are eager to explore Canadian practices and culture. This program offers students the opportunity to take two courses at a world-renowned university, immerse themselves in Canada's diverse culture, practice language skills, and learn new perspectives in their field of interest.

Program Details

Signing up

The fee per student for each 2025 program package is $5,975 CAD, which includes:

• Course materials
• Medical insurance
• Group airport transfer and city tour
• Shared accommodation on UBC campus
• Orientation and farewell events
• Potential social activities (optional trips may require an additional fee) Students are responsible for the cost of food, transportation, and personal expenses.

Eligibility

To apply for the Vancouver Summer Program, students must be undergraduate students at a post-secondary institution outside of Canada and at least 18 years of age on the first day of the program.

Accommodations

Accommodations are in UBC's on-campus residences and feature:

• Easy access to classrooms, recreation, and campus amenities
• Free Wifi in lobby and wired high-speed Internet in guest rooms
• Laundry on site

Course Offerings

Transforming Cities for Just and Sustainable Futures

This course explores how emerging urban innovations and technological advancements can be designed to facilitate just sustainability transitions. Students will envision sustainable futures, explore practical pathways to achieve them, and gain tools to collaboratively design and drive change across environmental, economic, social, technological, and governance dimensions.

Cities Experimenting with Sustainability Transformations

This course examines key conceptual and practical aspects of sustainability transformations, focusing on global case studies of urban experimentations. Students will explore how urban labs foster collaborative solutions through innovative approaches to sustainability and gain insights into the methods and practices used to facilitate urban sustainability transitions.

Instructor Information

The instructor for these courses is Peyvand Forouzandeh, a SCARP PhD alum whose research investigates the governance dynamics within collaborative urban experimentations in Canadian cities.

Additional Information

• Prerequisites: No prerequisites
• Students aged under 19 at the start of the program are not accepted
• The program provides a unique opportunity to engage with sustainability transitions across sectors and disciplines, preparing students to influence the future of urban innovation and just transitions.