Vancouver, BC – In response to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, John Hepburn, CEO of Mitacs, and Serhiy Shkarlet, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine today signed a new memorandum of understanding to support the creation of up to 600 internships for Ukrainian students affected by the war. The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration of Canada and Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry and Dr. Oleksandr Romanko, Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto and Ukrainian Catholic University were present for the signing. Serhiy Shkarlet, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine joined by videolink.
This agreement renews the existing partnership between Mitacs and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and builds significantly on the number of students eligible for participation in Mitacs programs.
This summer, more than 60 students from Ukraine are expected to travel to Canada as part of the Globalink Research Internship.
Today’s announcement comes as part of additional measures Mitacs had undertaken to support students and postdoctoral fellows in Ukraine. These include steps taken to facilitate their travel to Canada through our Globalink and Accelerate International programs.
The Globalink Research Award (GRA) supports research collaborations between Canada and partner organizations in other countries. Post-secondary institutions are now able to use their existing GRA allocation to support students in Ukraine. Awards funded under the agreement signed today will be at no cost to Canadian post-secondary partners.
The Globalink Research Internship (GRI) is a competitive initiative matching top-ranked undergraduates with Canadian post-secondary faculty to conduct research. To date, Mitacs has endeavoured to maximize unmatched students from Ukraine to find faculty to work with this year, introduce flexibility around arrival dates and internship duration, and defer eligibility for students unable to participate in the program this year as a result of the war.
In all cases, Mitacs will expedite the research review process to ensure a swift approval.
International students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions are also eligible to participate in our flagship Accelerate and Elevate programs, including international students from Ukraine.
Mitacs continues to stand with Ukraine.
Quotes
Dr. John Hepburn, CEO, Mitacs
“Mitacs continues to condemn Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in the strongest terms. Today’s announcement is an important step towards helping students in Ukraine maintain or gain access to important innovation research opportunities despite the ongoing crisis. We are proud to play a role alongside other key partners in the research community to support Ukraine during this difficult time.”
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada
“Canada continues to strongly condemn Putin’s unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Through our government’s support, Mitacs is able to create these internships and show solidarity with Ukraine and their incredible scientific community – a community that needs support now more than ever. I welcome all the interns from Ukraine to Canada whose incredible work will not only elevate the international science and research community, but also help drive innovation and their future success.”
The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada
“Canadians from coast to coast have stepped up to welcome Ukrainians in their communities, and offer a safe haven from Russia’s illegal war. We applaud Mitacs on this renewed partnership with the scientific community, which will create valuable opportunities for both Ukrainians and Canadian post-secondary institutions. We’ll continue to support the people of Ukraine, before and after they arrive in Canada.”
Yulia Kovaliv, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada
“On behalf of Ukraine, I would like to express our gratitude to Canada for the support and solidarity. The internship programs announced today create amazing opportunities for Ukrainian students and postdoctoral fellows to explore the best Canadian practices and bring them back home. This experience will be so needed for the future rebuilding of Ukraine after this unprovoked war is finished. I am sure that these programs will build new significant joint initiatives for the benefit of the scientific communities of both countries.”
About Mitacs:
- Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from the best academic institutions in the world.
- Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.
###
