Ottawa, February 27, 2008

The government’s two-year, $25 million commitment to the Georges Vanier Scholarships will support 500 PhD students from Canada and abroad for up to three years at $50,000 per year.

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has advocated since the early 1980s for a prestige scholarship program to rival the Rhodes and Fulbright plans.

"We are pleased to see the Vanier Scholarship announcement," said Jim Fox, CBIE President. "But we hope that 500 awards is just a starting point, and that we will see 500 to 1,000 each year on an ongoing basis."

CBIE will also be looking for a high proportion of the Vanier awards to go to international students, while at the same time supporting a substantial number of Canadians.

CBIE is pleased to see new study abroad stipends as part of the Canada Graduate Scholarships. Many students want the opportunity to internationalize their education but their plans have foundered due to lack of financial support. The program offers $6,000 one-semester study abroad awards to 250 students. This initial program will need to be expanded significantly and include cegep, community college, institute and university undergraduate levels over the years ahead, if young Canadians are to be encouraged to study abroad in numbers similar to other OECD countries.

CBIE is a national non-governmental organization comprised of 200 colleges, universities, school boards, educational organizations and businesses. CBIE is dedicated to the internationalization of education and the expansion of educational partnerships between Canada and countries across the globe.