OTTAWA— As the representative of Her Majesty The Queen in Canada, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, warmly welcomes the creation of the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships, a program that will serve to honour the reign of Her Majesty.
Announced today by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, the scholarship program is made possible through the extensive leadership provided by the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, as well as through the remarkable contributions from the Government of Canada, provincial governments, the private sector and individuals. The program also benefits from important collaborations with Canadian universities, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and the Rideau Hall Foundation.
“Access to knowledge and learning shape a country’s future and advancement. As such, we have a duty to enable our youth to become engaged citizens and offer them fantastic opportunities to develop new skills and connect with others. This new scholarship program will do just that, by laying the foundation for our next generation of leaders with innovative minds and a sense of engagement to Canada and to the Commonwealth,” said the Governor General. “In achieving this goal, this program will be an incredible and tangible tribute to Her Majesty The Queen, who embodies this sense of service and commitment. I take this opportunity to thank Mr. Chrétien for diligently leading this initiative.”
The new program, to be launched this fall, will award 1 500 scholarships over five years to Canadian students at the graduate and undergraduate level for internships or academic study for periods of four months to one year in another Commonwealth country. The scholarship will also be available to students from Commonwealth countries to attend a Canadian university for up to two years of masters or doctoral studies.
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Julie Rocheleau
Rideau Hall Press Office
613-998-7280
julie.rocheleau@gg.ca
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