Students from island nations will be supported in their graduate work at McMaster University to address climate change through new scholarships being introduced this Fall.
McMaster joins a network of other institutions, including the Universities of Cambridge, Toronto, Melbourne and Montreal, in this effort, which is inspired by Prince Charles.
These climate action awards recognize the disproportionate effects of climate change on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as defined by the United Nations, many of which are part of the Commonwealth. McMaster will be awarding two Masters of Science scholarships.
“McMaster is committed to prioritizing sustainability and climate action within our research and learning experiences and equipping our students with the knowledge and skills that they need to transform the world,” says president David Farrar. “These climate action-focused scholarships are in keeping with our core mission and values to improve human and societal well-being, and we are looking forward to welcoming the first cohort of students who will benefit from this program.”
Working with HRH The Prince of Wales, Stephen Toope, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, developed the initiative which will widen access by supporting students on courses that engage with sustainability, helping them develop their existing skills and knowledge to address the effects of climate change in their home countries.
Charles, Prince of Wales at the 21st session of the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris, France (2015).
“Climate change is a global challenge and we all have a role to play, as individuals and as organizations,” said Toope. “The launch of these new scholarships, in partnership with HRH The Prince of Wales, who has long been a champion of environmental causes, is an extension of our ongoing commitment.
“The students that these new scholarships are aimed at are likely to have experienced first-hand the severe effects of climate change, including flooding and erosion in their own countries and communities. The alumni of the program will form a cohort of talented people who will become future leaders and ambassadors in sustainability.”
More information regarding scholarship program can be found here.