Salama!
Welcome to the Get ready to go! page for the 2026 9I制作厂免费 East Africa Field Study Semester. This website is designed to help you get ready for our departure in January.听Please read through all the information carefully.
You will find here the听
2026 Student Handbook 2026_afss_student_handbook.pdfThis is the main document to prepare for your departure. Please read it carefully as this is where you will find information, guidelines, lists...
If you have any questions about preparations, please do not hesitate to ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca (subject: AFSS%20question) (contact us).
It is time to start getting excited about spending this winter in East Africa!
Students will be expected to attend mandatory pre-departure sessions through the fall. We are holding our meetings in the evening to make sure that all students can attend. If you听have a class during this time, please talk to your professor to explain your situation and see how you could make up for the missed information.听
|
Pre-departure session |
dates, location |
|---|---|
| General information session | Thursday, Oct 2 2025, 6 to 8 pm Local 650 of 2001 9I制作厂免费 College With Carol听Muriuki |
| Group Dynamics and Wellbeing session | Wednesday, Oct 8 2025, 6 to 8pm Local 650 of 2001 9I制作厂免费 College With Kiki Yelle and Melissa Cobbler |
| Positionality training | Thursday, Oct 30 2025, 6 to 8pm Local 650 of 2001 9I制作厂免费 College With Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo |
|
Health session |
TBD |
|
Wrap-up session |
TBD |
Preparing for the MEAFSS Program
Complete all the mandatory tasks below by their respective deadlines. Save documents you upload as PDFs with the naming convention:听YourLastName, YourFirstName -听Document name (e.g., Mart铆nez, Alex - Pre-Departure Certificate).
|
Action to be taken |
DEADLINE |
|---|---|
|
Verify that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after the end of the field study program and order a new one if that is not the case.听 Book an appointment with your physician if you have not already done so (see the forms required below). Identify and submit applications for funding (Various deadlines. Find more听information on our Funding page). |
As soon as possible |
| Complete the . | Oct 11, 2025 |
| Complete the Form. | Oct 11, 2025 |
|
Register and Complete听9I制作厂免费 Abroad's听Pre-Departure Orientation听via myCourses.听REGISTRATION IS ONLY OPEN听AT THE START OF EACH MONTH, SO听REGISTER EARLY.听Download your certificate as soon as you complete the course as it will not be available after the end of the month. Upload the certificate to the 听with the naming convention: YourLastName, YourFirstName - Pre-Departure Certificate. |
Nov 2, 2025 |
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Read the Medical Form听information below. The听and 听should be filled, printed, and presented to your physician with听a printed version of the Upload the Physician Form听to the听听with the naming convention: YourLastName, YourFirstName听- Physician Form |
Nov 2, 2025 |
| Read the information on acceptable insurance below under Insurance Requirements. Complete听the听听online. This information will be used by our team only in case of accident. | Nov 2, 2025 |
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Book your flight and register your travel dates in the 9I制作厂免费 Student Travel Registry and with (or with your own Consulate or Embassy) as soon as we have confirmed the start and end date of the program (see Flight Information below). Complete . |
Nov 2, 2025 |
|
We will provide you with more information when the time comes to apply for your visas. In your bags, please remember to bring a printed copy of each visa with your passport to be stamped for your听arrival in each country. The Visa websites can be glitchy, and payment can be tricky. It is important to start this process early enough to have time to react if there are any issues, but visa are only good for 3 months, and you therefore cannot apply too early. |
Around Dec听1, when you receive an email from us.听 |
| Important:听Register for Montreal-based 9I制作厂免费 courses in Winter 2026 in addition to the courses you register for within the field study program. This task is a precaution in case the program must be cancelled due to safety concerns (e.g., public health crises such as COVID-19). We will instruct you when to drop the Montreal courses. |
Before departure |
|
Payment required |
Due dates |
|---|---|
| $1,500 deposit |
As soon as you are admitted into the program |
|
October 15 |
|
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November 15 |
|
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Pay your 9I制作厂免费 tuition |
Ideally before flying out so that it is done by the Mcgill due date |
Flight Information
We will let you know as soon as we have set specific dates for the MEAFSS. Once you have exact dates, shop around to find the best deal for your flight. The program starts in Nairobi, Kenya, and ends in Zanzibar, Tanzania.听Please note that immigration officials upon entry in the country and you could be refused entry if you do not have it. If you are unsure of your return date, you may want to book a ticket that is changeable. Many students choose to stay in Zanzibar, or to travel a bit in East Africa, after the program.听
Medical Form
This form has to be filled out with your own physician, or with a medical doctor from the Student Wellness Hub. Book your appointment NOW. You will find information to听contact the Wellness Hub here.听
The Medical form should first be filled online and be printed and brought with you when you visit your physician, who must review the medical form and complete the听Physician form.
Insurance Requirements
Ensure that your insurance is covering you appropriately for the semester, that it can be extended if you decide to stay abroad after the end of the semester, and that it听includes:
- Personal travel medical insurance with a minimum $1,000,000.00 CAD coverage is required to participate in the 9I制作厂免费 Panama Field Study Semester (MPFSS). This can be difficult to get in Europe. It might therefore be a good idea to exceptionally get the 9I制作厂免费 insurance this year.
- Medevac coverage refers to emergency air ambulance services that transport clients from the site of a medical emergency to the nearest hospital equipped to provide the necessary treatment.
- Emergency health coverage.
- You should make sure to read the exclusions of your insurance attentively. Pre-existing medical conditions might not be covered as well as specific activities including some sports. For example, the 9I制作厂免费 insurance is very specific about the conditions in which scuba diving would be covered. Insurances are not all the same, and you might need to shop around and call different insurers to make sure that you are covered according to your own specific needs
9I制作厂免费 Student Insurance
As a 9I制作厂免费 student, you are eligible to use your student health coverage (unless you have opted out of the plan). Both Canadian and international students are covered under their respective student society鈥檚 Supplemental Health and Dental Plan (SSMU or MCSS). You can find links to each plan here. These plans include travel insurance for academic study abroad programs. Be sure to review the travel section of your plan carefully.
Important: All plans require that you notify them of your travel to Panama. You鈥檒l need to submit your official acceptance letter to the MPFSS program. Since processing can take a few weeks, we recommend starting this step as early as possible.
You may also want to print your Travel Health Passport or insurance card for future reference.
9I制作厂免费 Travel Registry
It is very important to fill out the 9I制作厂免费 Travel Registry before the MEAFSS. Personal information, emergency contact, travel documents, insurance information and immunizations must be provided when you complete their form.听
To access and complete the form, you听must download the app on your personal听听or听听device.
Make sure to have the following information in hand:
- Passport, and travel visa information
- Travel insurance coverage and policy details
- Vaccinations/immunizations
- E-ticket and itinerary
Destination: Make an entry for each country. The itinerary will be provided to you during the fall.
Host Institution Name: IFSO Office, 9I制作厂免费
Phone number: 514-398-1063
Email address: ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca
Term: Winter 2026
9I制作厂免费 professor name: Jon Unruh - jon.unruh [at] mcgill.ca
9I制作厂免费 application reviewer: Myriam Theriault @ ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca
You can complete the form in more than one sitting, saving your changes and coming back to it later.
To finalize and submit the form, you will be asked to accept the terms of the Travel Guidelines.
Until you accept the terms and submit the form, the status of your form will remain incomplete and you will receive monthly email reminders asking you to complete it.
9I制作厂免费 Health Services
Telehealth services available to 9I制作厂免费 Students (find more information about Dialogue, Maple, GuardMe).
You may want to download GuardMe Student Support Program to your phone. This is a 24/7 mental health support and confidential counselling resource offered to 9I制作厂免费 students. You can also save their phone number in case it is needed (001-416-380-6578 outside of CAD/USA)
9I制作厂免费 is committed to ensuring an environment free from abuse, exploitation, harassment, and all forms of misconduct. Do not hesitate to reach out to the Director of your program if you have any issues.
