Scholars at UQAM publicly oppose a scholarship initiative that accommodates Israeli students.
In a notable development, a group of professors at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) have expressed their desire to see a shift in the scholarships reserved for Israeli students, with the aim of providing more opportunities for Palestinian students.
Anne Latendresse, one of the leading figures in this movement, believes that the scholarships should be adapted to the realities of Palestinians, who are often less wealthy. This call for change echoes the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, with the goal of putting pressure on Israeli universities to influence their government.
The PBEEE program, managed by the FRQ and funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, has sections reserved for education agreements between Quebec and specific territories, including Israel. UQAM offers scholarships for students from all countries, as well as scholarships reserved for Brazilian, Indian, Walloon, and Israeli students.
However, it is important to note that the final decision on the scholarships belongs to the institution that offers them. As of now, there is no publicly available evidence or report from the provided sources that some UQAM professors are making such a demand to replace the Israeli student quota with a Palestinian one in the Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students program.
The main objective of the Quebec-Palestine agreement, signed in 2024, is to set up a welcoming program in Quebec universities for researchers from Palestinian universities. This agreement lasts for five years.
The group led by Anne Latendresse is not limiting their efforts to UQAM. They are aiming to make their demands heard by student associations, unions, and professors from other universities to expand beyond the walls of UQAM.
This issue, if it relates to recent or ongoing controversies or academic discussions, might require consultation of news sources, official university statements, or academic communications beyond the provided scholarship program descriptions. As of now, the scholarship programs aim to support international students broadly, with no mention of nationality-specific allocations or changes thereof.
For more information about the scholarship opportunities and eligibility criteria for international students at Quebec universities, please refer to the respective university websites.
- The group led by Anne Latendresse, in their aim to broaden their influence beyond UQAM, intends to voice their opinions about scholarship policy and legislation to student associations, unions, and professors from various universities, reflecting their interest in online education and general news.
- In an effort to align with the objectives of the recently established Quebec-Palestine agreement, the group is advocating for a shift in the scholarships' focus towards education-and-self-development opportunities for Palestinian students, aiming to influence policy-and-legislation and promote learning for this demographic.
- With the ultimate goal of shaping the academic landscape in Quebec, this movement advocates for a more inclusive education environment that empowers students from diverse backgrounds, including those from Palestine, further fostering the culture of learning and global connectivity within the university system.
