News

New scholarships for tomorrow's leaders

Published: 21 January 2003

Twelve dynamic intellectuals from a variety of disciplines are being sought by the Sauvé Scholars Foundation and ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ University to help change the world. In a Canadian first, a new residential program called the Sauvé Scholars has been created to empower and sharpen the skills of young adults striving to improve societies around the globe. The first Sauvé Scholars, the majority of whom will be recruited from developing countries, will arrive at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ in September 2003. Deadline for applications is March 1, 2003.

Heather Munroe-Blum, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ principal and vice-chancellor, is delighted that the University has been selected as the launching pad for the Sauvé Scholars program. "These new scholarships, based at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ, will give young people from around the world an extraordinary opportunity to broaden their horizons, as well as deepen their educational experience," she says. "Moreover, this initiative is sure to heighten the international profile of Quebec and Canada among the young leaders of the future."

Sauvé Scholars will benefit from open-door access to all courses and programs at ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ. The Sauvé Scholars Foundation was modeled on two comparable programs in the US: Harvard University's Neiman Fellowships and the Journalism Fellows of the University of Michigan. Sauvé Scholars applicants will be expected to have strong interest in media and be in the early stages of their career. Scholars will not write exams and they will not earn academic credit. Instead, scholars will be invited to ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ for nine months to research, reflect, question and enlarge their understanding of the world and their roles in effecting positive change. The program will provide intimate weekly seminars with eminent journalists, political figures and innovators in business, academia and the arts.

"Above all, the program will be a fun, challenging experience in an intellectually stimulating environment," says Harry Parnass, president of the Sauvé Scholars Foundation. "It will be a year of incredible personal growth."

Where and how

Sauvé Scholars will be awarded a stipend valued at about $30,000 (Cdn) for travel, tuition, housing, meals and supplies. The scholarship program will cover the costs of group excursions to academically and culturally stimulating sites in the northeastern United States, as well as adventures in Canada's north. As for housing, Sauvé Scholars will live in an old mansion on Dr Penfield Ave. Owned by the Sauvé Scholars Foundation, the home is currently being refashioned into 12 studio apartments and common rooms for scholarly exchange.

According to the wishes of the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, about 75 per cent of Sauvé Scholars will be recruited from outside North America and will be 30 and under. "We're searching for a diverse group of young people from all continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa and East Asia," says Parnass. "We're especially keen on applicants from developing countries to give each of the Sauvé Scholars an opportunity to mix with people of varying backgrounds."

Sauvé Scholars will be expected to publish during or immediately after their residencies. Materials will be published on the that will become a platform for the broadest range of critical discourse. Other Sauvé Scholars will generate hard-copy documents - videos, texts or photo essays - for worldwide dissemination and discussion.

"Using the web to publish the work of scholarship fellows is a brand new concept," says Parnass. "Our scholars will not only be scholars, they'll be communicators. They will produce materials at that will shake things up!"

About the Foundation

The Sauvé Scholars Foundation was established following a $10 million bequest by the late Jeanne Sauvé, a pioneering journalist and politician who was Canada's first female governor general, the country's first female speaker of the House of Commons, and Quebec's first female member of Parliament. Before her death, Sauvé created the foundation to address one of her chief concerns: "To provide young leaders of the future with an outlet to be heard; a place to develop their potential."

The Sauvé Scholars Foundation, created by the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, is under the direction of the late Jeanne Sauvé's son, Jean-François Sauvé. Its mission is to develop promising youth from around the world into tomorrow's leaders. The Board of Directors of the Sauvé Scholars Foundation comprises chairman Jean-François Sauvé, Diane de Mailly-Nesle-Sauvé and Harold P. Gordon. The president is Harry Parnass.

About ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ University

Located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ has earned an international reputation for scholarly achievement and scientific discovery. Founded in 1821, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ is one of two Canadian members of the American Association of Universities, which it joined in 1925. ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ's 22 faculties and professional schools offer more than 300 programs, from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. The University's professors have earned graduate degrees and completed their training in leading academic centres around the world. In 2000-2001, ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ led all Canadian universities in terms of research funding per full-time faculty member and its scholars published more frequently than any other Canadian university. ºÚÁϲ»´òìÈ attracts top students from over 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse student bodies in North America. The University has approximately 22,711 undergraduate students and 6,362 graduate students.

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