Recognizing the challenges facing Lebanon, including a complex political, social and financial context, the University of Ottawa today announces new scholarships to support Lebanese youth and contribute to the training of a new generation of francophone researchers and professionals.
These scholarships will be offered to students at the Lebanese University, the only public university in Lebanon, and at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. Both universities are members of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, of which the University of Ottawa is also a member.
Scholarships will be awarded to students who have excelled in their studies and who could benefit from financial aid. They will thus contribute to the strengthening of the international Francophonie and to French-language research; the Francophonie being a common denominator between the three universities and the two countries.
Two scholarships at the Master's level (one year) and one scholarship at the Doctorate level (four years) will be offered starting in 2021 at each of the two universities. A selection committee will be formed with each university to manage the scholarships.
Each scholarship amounts to $15,000 per year and an additional $2,500 per year to cover certain incidental expenses, such as insurance.
The official signing of the collaboration agreements between the University of Ottawa and the two universities took place on December 14, 2020 in the presence of the presidents of the three universities, the Ambassador of Lebanon to Canada, the Ambassador of Canada to Lebanon, as well as the Vice-Rector International and Francophonie at the University of Ottawa.
Jacques Frémont, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ottawa emphasized the relationship between the two countries and the three universities, "We want to help Lebanese youth build a better future and therefore contribute to the reconstruction of the country and its institutions on solid foundations. Science, knowledge, and education are the best foundations for building a society of today and tomorrow, a society that looks to the future without cutting itself off from its roots, a resilient society that continues to seize opportunities to bounce back and go further. “
"Today, we are awarding scholarships to Lebanese students from two French-speaking institutions that we particularly cherish in order to underline the strength of Lebanese youth, their will to succeed, their hope and especially their resilience. I am delighted to see this scholarship program particularly targeting French-language study programs, although our university is bilingual and we offer training and research programs in both languages," said Sanni Yaya, International and Francophone Vice-President.
The guest of honour was Amin Maalouf, an internationally renowned Franco-Lebanese author, member of the Académie française and Doctor honoris causa of the University of Ottawa (2019). Mr. Maalouf is also a member of the Strategic Council of Saint Joseph University in Beirut, from which he graduated. Mr. Maalouf praised the solidarity and fraternity of the initiative, and at its core, its message of hope.