The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) program’s Canadian university partners are working hard in preparation for a return to international mobility through their QES projects. The past two years have been replete with learnings about best practices in orientation, administrative support and safety measures.

The program’s success in 2021-2022 reflects the resiliency of participating universities and QES partner organizations in the Global South and Canada. Lessons learned during the pandemic have informed project enhancements, positioning QES partners for even greater impact in the month and years ahead.

Over the past year, our university partners have been in ongoing communication with their international partners in preparation for the long-anticipated return of international opportunities.

As preparations continue, the importance of personal relationships is highlighted time and again – especially when it comes to QES alumni engagement in current projects.

The QES program is managed through a unique partnership of the Rideau Hall Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada,

Universities Canada and Canadian universities. Since 2015, 2291 scholars have been funded through 106 projects with participants coming from/going to 76 countries. Projects have been designed and led by 46 Canadian universities.

In Scholar Narrative Reports, scholars report improvements in their knowledge and skills, particularly their communication, technical and leadership skills thanks to their QES experience. They also report an increase in their awareness of the issues facing local and global communities.

This report looks at the QES program over the past year and its success to date in developing a global community of scholars through leadership, networking, work-integrated learning, study and research opportunities.