NEW AGREEMENT TO STRENGTHEN UKRAINE-CANADA RESEARCH NETWORKS
Shevchenko Foundation and Mitacs partner for undergraduate research internships
Toronto, ON — The Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko (Shevchenko Foundation), and Mitacs, a national not-for-profit research and training organization, announces a new partnership that will allow Ukrainian undergraduate students to participate in research internships at Canadian universities for the first time.
The agreement was signed at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology, University of Toronto by Shevchenko Foundation President Andrew Hladyshevsky and Mitacs CEO and Scientific Director Alejandro Adem.
From June to September each year, top-ranked Ukraine students will participate in a 12-week research internship under the supervision of Canadian university faculty. Students are provided with professional skills training and gain valuable knowledge about Canadian industry and innovation. Interns interested in returning to Canada for graduate studies will be eligible for a Mitacs Globalink Graduate Fellowship.
Mitacs Globalink Research Internships are currently available at over 60 universities across Canada.
A generous donor will sponsor ten students from Ukraine for the program in its inaugural year.
“By formalizing this partnership between Canada and Ukraine, we are encouraging the exchange of research knowledge and innovation between our two countries. The agreement with the Shevchenko Foundation will provide new opportunities for Canadian faculty and universities to benefit from students’ international perspectives, while demonstrating a range of Canadian research opportunities,” Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs.
The Mitacs partnership is one component of the newly established Shevchenko Foundation Future Leaders Fund, a broader initiative designed to identify and foster new generations of young scholars who will become the leaders of tomorrow.
The Future Leaders Fund will complement the educational activities of the Shevchenko Foundation which include raising awareness in Canada of the Ukrainian heritage through traditional and non-traditional educational programming at all educational levels, funding the advancement of Ukrainian Canadian studies and promoting Ukrainian studies in educational institutions across Canada.
The Shevchenko Foundation is a leader in advancing the Ukrainian community across Canada and through its partnership with the community inspires the arts, education, heritage and community development. Over 54 years, the Shevchenko Foundation has awarded $11.5 million to projects within the Ukrainian community and beyond with the goal of enriching a lasting cultural legacy for future generations.
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Andrew Hladyshevsky, President, Shevchenko Foundation:
“As president of the Shevchenko Foundation, we are pleased to sign this agreement with Mitacs because it will allow university students from Ukraine to participate in prestigious post-secondary research projects. The new program dovetails with our recent ‘Shevchenko Foundation Youth Initiative’ to further strengthen our record of providing scholarships to students of Ukrainian–Canadian ancestry for attendance at post-secondary institutions in Canada. We have also enhanced funding for Canadians studying in Ukraine by providing subsidies for enrolment at post-secondary institutions. With a focus on strengthening their linguistic, historical, and cultural knowledge of Ukraine, students can enrich Canada upon their return home.
“Further, our recent agreement with the Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union (SUSK), which represents university student clubs across Canada, will establish a permanent endowment to assist in promoting programs. This will provide learning and mentoring opportunities to produce the next generation of leaders — not only within the Ukrainian-Canadian community, but in the broader Canadian society. Today’s ceremony underscores and advances the vision of the Foundation’s Youth Initiative.”
About The Partners:
• The Shevchenko Foundation is a national, chartered philanthropic institution dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and development of the Ukrainian cultural heritage for the enrichment of Canada.
• Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit organization that has designed and delivered research and training programs in Canada for 17 years. Working with 60 universities, thousands of companies, and both federal and provincial governments, Mitacs builds partnerships that support industrial and social innovation in Canada.
Links:
• For information about the Shevchenko Foundation, see www.shevchenkofoundation.com
• For information about Mitacs and its programs, see mitacs.ca/newsroom.
