Metro Regina – Saskatchewan invests $365,000 in research internships for graduate and international students

Saskatchewan’s Education Ministry is investing a total of $365,000 into research internships for graduate and international students through the non-profit, national Mitacs program.

An amount of $225,000 will go to 30 research and development internships for Saskatchewan graduate and post doctoral students, while $140,000 will fund 20 international research opportunities for international students and Saskatchewan residents interested in going abroad.

“It allows our Saskatchewan students to help meet their full potential by connecting them to industry, and that transition between learning to earning allows them to really hone their talent,” Advanced Education Minister Rob Norris said on Monday in announcing the investment at the provincial legislature.

In Saskatchewan, Mitacs has set up research internships for students with companies in the agriculture, forestry, mining and oil and gas sectors.

Mitacs intern and PhD student Richard Lomotey currently works for the Saskatchewan Bleeding Disorders Program and has helped develop its now globally recognized hemophilia injury recognition tool.

“As an international student, my initial concern was how to acquire experience to fit in the Canadian market,” Lomotey said, “and I feel like this program has certainly given me that edge.”

By: Sarah Taguaim