Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program

Interns and scholars for a sustainable world!

SFU's Scholars for a Sustainable World program will support capacity-building and knowledge-sharing to further the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in five countries: Bangladesh, Ecuador, Iran, Nepal, and South Africa.

This project builds on the extensive experience, expertise, and established partnerships of the Faculty of Health Sciences, the School of Engineering Science, the Sustainable Development Program, and SFU International Co-op.

Project funding is provided by QUEEN ELIZABETH Scholars.

The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) is managed through a unique partnership of Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and Canadian universities. This program is made possible with financial support from the Government of Canada, provincial governments and the private sector.

SFU Undergraduates

SFU undergraduate students will work in Ecuador, Nepal, and South Africa with established partner organizations, including research institutes, health centres, and government departments. Internships will focus on health promotion, cultural tourism, and HIV policy.

Who is Eligible?

  • Internships for Canadian students must be a minimum of 90 days, excluding travel days as well as in-country orientation
  • Interns must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents
  • Interns must be 35 years of age or under at the time of their application for an internship. Under exceptional circumstances a request for exemption to this rule may be considered
  • Interns must be entering or enrolled in their third or fourth-year of undergraduate level studies, or be enrolled in a graduate program
  • Interns should be able to communicate in at least one of the languages of work used by the partner organization
  • Interns must be willing to participate in community engagement activities during the tenure of the award

Please contact the identified individual in each area you are applying to for application details and deadline dates.

Cultural Tourism

Focuses on fostering sustainable development in rural areas in the highlands, with a mix of indigenous (Quechan) and Mestizo (mixed) people. Key objectives are adding value to agricultural products and developing cultural tourism.

Interns will help with building a sustainable economy in the region. These include assisting the consultations with local indigenous communities, planning training workshops, analyzing data, and knowledge sharing on ways to improve social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

Organization: Autonomous Municipality of Sigchos

Country: Ecuador

Type: Municipal Government

Contact: Mary Pullen (pullen@communityevolutionfoundation.org)

HIV Policy

Focuses on conducting multidisciplinary research on HIV and Tuberculosis. The HIV Pathogenesis Program, a biomedical and clinical research initiative located at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, will serve as a principal site for training Canadian scholars.

Interns will be trained in reducing HIV infections. They will seek to understand host immune responses that are most effective in the control of HIV/AIDS, TB, and other infectious or noninfectious diseases.

Organization: University of KwaZulu-Natal

Country: South Africa

Type: University

Contact: Dr. Mark Brockman (mark_brockman@sfu.ca)

Health Promotion

Focuses on the development of Nepal's rural communities through equal access to basic human rights and standards of living. These include free antenatal and postnatal services, basic immunizations for children, and other primary medical services.

Interns will assist in health and disease prevention and provide first aid training in communities that lack proper medical care.

Organization: Partnership for Sustainable Development

Country: Nepal

Type: Non-governmental Organization

Contact: Amy Lee (icoop@sfu.ca)

Incoming Scholars

The scholars from Bangladesh, Ecuador, Iran, and South Africa will be studying in highly-recognized programs at SFU to develop their expertise on the theory and practice in Solar Cell Engineering, HIV Prevention, and Sustainable Economic Development.

Who is Eligible?

  • Scholars need to be graduate-level international students from eligible countries to undertake studies or research at a Canadian university, for a minimum of 90 days, excluding travel and orientation days
  • Scholars must be citizens of one of the QES Program eligible countries. NOTE: anyone who has applied for Canadian citizenship or for permanent residency is not eligible
  • Scholars must be 35 years of age or under at time of application. Under exceptional circumstances a request for exemption to this rule may be considered
  • Scholars must participate in community engagement activities while in Canada
  • All scholarship activities must be for academic credit

Please contact the identified individual in each area you are applying to for application details and deadline dates.

Bangladesh

A scholar from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology's Materials Engineering program will conduct research on flexible Si solar cells at SFU under the supervision of Dr. Michael Adachi.

Area of Study: Engineering Science

Contact: Dr. Michael Adachi (mmadachi@sfu.ca)

Iran

A scholar from the University of Tehran's Electrical Engineering program will conduct research on flexible Si solar cells at SFU under the supervision of Dr. Michael Adachi.

Area of Study: Engineering Science

Contact: Dr. Michael Adachi (mmadachi@sfu.ca)

Ecuador

The Autonomous Municipality of Sigchos will recruit and nominate graduate students from the Universidad Pontifica Catolica to spend one year at SFU's Sustainable Development Program.

Scholars will develop and carry out a research project that will support the implementation of one or more Sustainable Development Goals in Ecuador. This research will form the nucleus of their thesis for their degree in Ecuador.

Area of Study: Sustainable Economic Development & Sustainable Communities

Contact: Dr. Gretchen Ferguson (gretchen_ferguson@sfu.ca)

South Africa

The HIV Pathogenesis Program (HPP) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) will recruit and nominate South African scholars to conduct research on HIV/AIDS or related infectious diseases. Scholars will contribute to inter-disciplinary and team-based research collaborations, led by Drs. Ndung'u (UKZN) and Brockman (SFU).

Area of Study: Health Sciences & Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Contact: Dr. Mark Brockman (mark_brockman@sfu.ca)