Scholarships an investment in Canada’s next generation of global leaders

Ram Balachandar, vice-provost international, and Patti Weir, dean of graduate studies, are pleased to announce the receipt of two Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships.

These prestigious three-year scholarships are funded through the Community Foundations of Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

AUCC president Paul Davidson says the scholarships will provide students with transformative international study and research experiences.

“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,” he says.

Nursing professors Kathy Pfaff, Laurie Freeman-Gibb and Linda Patrick, in partnership with Keele University and the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, received funding for a project entitled An international palliative care collaboration: Engaging scholars and communities to support best practices. Three Canadian master’s students and six undergraduate internship students will travel abroad, and two Commonwealth students will study in Canada for a master’s degree.

Engineering professors Tirupati Bolisetti, Rajesh Seth, Jerald Lalman, and Nihar Biswas—in partnership with the Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology; Sastra University; Aberystwyth University; Indian Institute of Technology; and GITAM University—were funded for a project entitled Canadian Commonwealth scholarships in water and energy. This project will see a total of four Canadian master’s students and eight undergraduate internship students travel abroad, and four Commonwealth students study in Canada for doctoral degrees.

With generous in-kind and financial support from the Windsor-Essex Community Foundation, the International Student Centre, the Office of the Provost, the dean of nursing, the dean of engineering, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, Windsor Regional Hospital, the vice-president research and innovation, and the project applicants, these scholarships are valued at $1.3 million, with $675,000 coming from the QEII Diamond Jubilee Scholarship program.