UPEI students to study abroad in Norway and the United States
UPEI students Kiana MacLeod, Leetia Eegeesiak, and Leah MacPhail have been awarded funding to spend a semester as exchange students in Norway and the United States in the 2025–2026 academic year. These opportunities are made possible in part by the UPEI Office of Study Abroad and International Partnerships.
MacLeod, a third-year biology student, is being awarded 75,845 Norwegian kroners (approximately Can$10,000) through the University of the Arctic’s north2north (N2N) mobility consortium to attend the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) this fall.
The University of the Arctic’s N2N mobility program gives students competence in topics related to the Arctic and experiences of other Northern regions that will benefit them in their future professional career and/or academic plans. Universities and colleges throughout the USA, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, France, United Kingdom, and Australia participate in the program.
“I’m incredibly honoured to receive the N2N mobility grant, and I cannot wait to study at NMBU this fall,” said MacLeod. “I’m really looking forward to learning in a new environment, connecting with people from different backgrounds, and seeing how biology is approached in another part of the world! I’m so grateful for this opportunity and the support that makes it possible.”
Eegeesiak, a first-year biology student, is being awarded Can$9,000 through the N2N mobility consortium to attend Bergen University in Norway in the winter of 2026.
“I am so honoured to be receiving the North2North award. I appreciate the opportunity to further my education at UPEI and to participate in an academic and cultural exchange in Norway,” said Eegeesiak. “I am an Inuk from Nunavut, so culture is an important aspect of my identity. This exchange presents a meaningful and unique opportunity to expand my knowledge of another northern indigenous culture and country.”
MacPhail, a first-year sustainable design engineering student, is a 2025–2026 Killam Fellow. She will attend Arizona State University in the winter of 2026.
The Killam Fellowships Program provides an opportunity for exceptional undergraduate students from universities in Canada to spend either one semester or a full academic year as an exchange student in the United States. The Fellowship provides US$6,000 per semester, a three-day orientation in Ottawa, a three-day spring seminar in Washington, a health plan, and the opportunity to apply for a mobility (in country) grant. The mobility initiative allows students to undertake an educational field trip that will give them a more comprehensive understanding of the culture of the United States.
“I am incredibly grateful for the chance to spend a semester at Arizona State University where I’ll have the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and engage in a new environment,” said MacPhail. “I believe that true education happens when you embrace new experiences, and this fellowship will allow me to do just that. This is a true adventure, and I’m excited to see how it will shape my future personally, academically, and professionally.”
Sherilyn Acorn, manager and international liaison officer, UPEI Office of Study Abroad and International Partnerships, said she is proud of the three students and is excited to support them through this international experience.
“Leetia and Kiana are the first UPEI students to receive funds under the North2North program and will be the first from our University to attend these two Norwegian universities. We are learning the process with them, which is extra exciting! We look forward to their feedback and hope that their stories and experience will encourage more students to take part in studying abroad during their time at UPEI.”
Acorn congratulated MacPhail on receiving the prestigious Killam Fellowship and believes she will represent UPEI and the Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering well at Arizona State University.
For information about study abroad opportunities at UPEI, visit UPEI Study Abroad.
