The University of British Columbia is ranked among the top twenty public universities in the world. Its forty-five thousand undergraduates and ten thousand graduate students are taught by five thousand faculty. The library is the second-largest in Canada, and the campus also boasts the Museum of Anthropology, with a world-class collection of Pacific coast art, the Belkin Gallery of Contemporary Art, a mid-century Japanese garden, the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, a botanical garden, a renowned opera school, the Wine Research Institute and its library of twenty thousand bottles, and a stunning natural setting with deep forest to the east, the Fraser River to the south, and the Salish Sea to the north and west.
The philosophy department occupies the centre of campus, close to all amenities. The seminar will make its home in the department’s seminar room, and participants will have access to the departmental lounge and its private reading room, where they will find current issues of the philosophy journals and several thousand books.
Campus wi-fi is accessible through Eduroam, and those not in the Eduroam consortium will be provided with wi-fi credentials. Department staff will arrange library privileges and access to campus facilities.
Vancouver is typically dry and cool in July, with highs rarely topping thirty degrees. Public transportation to and from campus is efficient, and much of the city is accessible by bicycle, some of it along a network of AAA (all ages and abilities) paths. Cultural offerings are rich, and the summer calendar is loaded with festivals. Hiking, climbing, mountain biking, and water sports are all accessible by public transportation. The restaurant and bar scene is vibrant and adventurous.
Off-campus sublets tend to be available in Vancouver during the summer, and UBC campus housing is in the midst of a major revitalization. Facilities range from traditional single dorm rooms, to shared flats, to private one bedroom flats.
Those living on campus will have access to its sports facilities, which include a brand new set of swimming pools, several gyms and courts, and a vast domain of playing fields. Campus dining and shopping options are good, especially at Wesbrook Village in the south campus neighbourhood.
Travel to Canada
Seminar participants have sole responsibility for obtaining travel visas. Information for travellers to Canada can be found at the Canada Border Services Agency.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has direct connections to US hubs plus London, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Auckland, Sidney, and the large East Asian hubs.