Prime Minister Chrétien Announces Scholarship Program for Spain

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announced today, during his visit to Madrid to attend the NATO Summit, the creation of a scholarship program to enable young Spaniards to do post- graduate studies in Canada.

Contributions of $350,000 each from the Government of Canada and NORTEL ESPAÑA will be used to create a scholarship foundation. The annual proceeds from the foundation, matched by a contribution from a leading Spanish financial institution, will fund four annual scholarships of approximately $20,000 each.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of people-to-people contacts in the development of Canada-Spain relations. "International students bring new ways of thinking to classroom discussions and help give our students a better understanding of the world. And when foreign students go back home, they become great ambassadors for Canada."

The Prime Minister noted that participation in the program of a prestigious firm like NORTEL will guarantee its excellence. NORTEL ESPAÑA is actively engaged in the telecommunications field in Spain. The company's parent, based in Toronto, also finances a Chair in Hispanic Studies at the University of Toronto.

The Spanish government funds five annual scholarships for Canadians to study in Spain, and the Spanish private sector co-sponsors scholarship programs in the USA, the United Kingdom and Germany.

The program will begin with four annual scholarships and will increase in subsequent years. The scholarships are for post-graduate study at any university in Canada, with successful applicants chosen by selection committees. The first scholarships will be for the 1999-2000 academic year.

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