Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships

OTTAWA – Canada’s universities, the Rideau Hall Foundation and Canada’s community foundation network are pleased to announce that more than 1,900 scholarships for university students will be funded through the new Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships. With initial investments of more than $40 million, including $10 million from the Government of Canada, this initiative will build a dynamic community of young global leaders in Canada and throughout the Commonwealth over the next four years.

Jointly announced in June 2014, by Governor General David Johnston, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships will help develop the next generation of innovative leaders and community builders, both locally and globally. Canadian students at the undergraduate and graduate levels will participate in internships or academic study for periods of three months to one year in another Commonwealth country. Scholarships will also be available to students from Commonwealth countries to attend a Canadian university for masters or doctoral studies. The Scholarships form part of university-designed projects that address pressing local, national and global issues. Some examples of these projects include:

• Innovative Solutions for Developing and Managing Climate Resilient Transport Infrastructure in South Asia Region: A Lifecycle Thinking Approach, University of British Columbia
• Integrating Innovative Research and Training Methods for Improved Sustainable Livelihoods of Smallholder Dairy Farms, University of Prince Edward Island
• Building Resilience in Coastal Communities, Vancouver Island University
• Quantitative biology and Medical Genetics for the world, McGill University
• The Mining Life Cycle; Discovery, Development, Remediation, Social License and the Environment, Laurentian University
• Formation scientifique d’étudiants indiens pour la recherche en énergie durable et en sciences biomédicales, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program is a joint initiative of the Rideau Hall Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. It was created through unique contributions from the Government of Canada, provincial governments, the private sector and individuals worldwide.

Quotes:

“We deeply appreciate each supporter who, through their tremendous generosity, will assist Queen Elizabeth Scholars as they engage with communities across the Commonwealth and create projects and actions that impact the world,” says Ian Bird, president of Community Foundations of Canada and Executive Director of the Rideau Hall Foundation. “The program’s focus on community collaboration has also created an incredible opportunity for community foundations to partner and share our philanthropic expertise with local universities.”

“The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships will provide students with transformative international study and research experiences,” says Paul Davidson, president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. “By sending young Canadians overseas to study and bringing international students to our campuses, this visionary program will help build economic, diplomatic and cultural ties that benefit all Canadians.”

Key facts:

• Students selected for the scholarships will be named “Queen Elizabeth Scholars.”

• Through the first wave of this initiative, 34 Canadian universities will manage projects that will offer scholarship opportunities to more than 1,900 university students in the Commonwealth; 46 Commonwealth countries will be involved in this wave.

• Successful universities were selected by an independent committee comprised of representatives from Canadian and Commonwealth academic organizations, private sector companies and non-governmental organizations.

For additional details including donors to the program and participating universities please visit www.queenelizabethscholars.ca and the  winning proposals.

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For more information on the Community Foundation of Canada

David Venn
Communications Manager
Community Foundation of Canada
[email protected]
613-236-2664 ext. 302 or cell: 613-266-6917

Community Foundations of Canada is the national network for Canada’s 191 community foundations, which help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work and play.