THUNDER BAY – Lakehead University’s Faculty of Business Administration is the recipient of a $50,000 gift from the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation to establish The J. Armand Bombardier Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Business.
The purpose of the scholarship is to support eligible students in the University’s business graduate programs, including its Master of Science in Management and Master of Business Administration programs.
“Ever since its inception, the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation has placed education at the core of its actions, firmly believing that high-quality and accessible education is the driving force of society,” said Ode Belzile, Director, Philanthropic Activities, J. Armand Bombardier Foundation. “We are very proud to collaborate with Lakehead University to create two new scholarships that will help attract and retain the best students in Thunder Bay.”
“Lakehead continues to attract high quality business graduate students from around the world,” said Lakehead’s President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson. “The J. Armand Bombardier Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Business will provide even more incentive to prospective graduate students who are considering Lakehead’s world-class business programs.”
Dr. Stevenson explained that attracting more business students to Lakehead University translates into more business graduates contributing to our local and regional economies.
“This gift demonstrates the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation’s commitment to aspiring professionals and future business leaders in the region,” he added.
The gift from the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation, which will be matched 2:1 through the provincial government’s Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program, will generate $150,000 in student support to create two annual scholarships of $15,000 for the next five years.
“Scholarships give students the opportunity to obtain an education that helps to transform their future, and allows them to focus fully on their education and experiences that will help to enrich their time at Lakehead,” said Dr. Bahram Dadgostar, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration. “This new scholarship will also have a high impact on our ability to recruit top students from diverse backgrounds into our programs.”
“At Bombardier we believe in the importance of expanding access to education which develops a talented workforce in our communities,” said Carolyne Leroux, General Manager, Bombardier Transportation Thunder Bay. “I am proud of the long history of collaboration between Lakehead University and Bombardier Transportation Thunder Bay. This new scholarship will strengthen the connection between our two organizations while fostering the business leaders of tomorrow.”
The J. Armand Bombardier Foundation and Bombardier Transportation are long-time supporters of Lakehead University and have contributed significantly to the experiential learning opportunities available to students.
From site visits to its Thunder Bay plant to active development support of graduate projects, Bombardier has provided Lakehead’s graduate students with practical experiences that allow them to seek solutions to real-world industry challenges as they prepare for their professional careers.
