Prince George, BC – The University of Northern British Columbia will receive more than $392,000 in funding over three years to support student travel through the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program.

The program is a partnership between UNBC’s Department of First Nations Studies and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, a Maori University in New Zealand. Senior UNBC undergraduate students will be able to study or complete an internship in New Zealand as part of the program. The program will also fund graduate students from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi to study at UNBC.

The purpose of the exchange is to allow students from both institutions to exchange knowledge and experiences in the revitalization of Indigenous health, languages, cultures, and community well-being.

The UNBC project is one of nine funded as part of the scholarship program in British Columbia and one of 49 nationwide.

The scholarship program is a joint initiative between the Rideau Hall Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada, and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. It is funded through contributions from the federal government, provincial governments as well as private sector and individual contributions. It is intended to foster cross-cultural exchanges between students from Commonwealth countries. Students selected for the awards will be named Queen Elizabeth Scholars.

The details around the application process for UNBC students will be released at a later date.

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