York U receives $2M from BMO Financial Group to educate future global policymakers

Donation to Glendon School of Public & International Affairs will help create BMO Financial Group GSPIA Directorship and support BMO Visiting Fellows

TORONTO, May 16, 2017 – A $2 million gift from  BMO Financial Group to York University will be used to create academic leadership opportunities at the The Glendon School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA), the first bilingual graduate school of its kind in Canada.

“We are very grateful to BMO Financial Group for this generous gift, which will help us to develop dynamic new learning experiences to meet the emerging needs of tomorrow’s policymakers,” said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. ” I look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding will have, not only in the York and Glendon communities, but in our global community as well.”

This latest gift in BMO Financial Group’s ongoing partnership with York will be channeled into two academic leadership opportunities: the BMO Financial Group Directorship, which will be created from the existing BMO Financial Group Visiting Professorship in Public Affairs; and the BMO Visiting Fellows, a position that has attracted a steady stream of talented scholars and practitioners in Canadian public affairs since 2013.

“In this increasingly globalized world, the complexity of crafting intelligent and effective policy demands a higher level of research and teaching excellence – one that transcends borders, cultures and languages,” said Donald Ipperciel, Principal, Glendon Campus. “The continued generosity of BMO Financial Group will be instrumental in supporting The Glendon School of Public and International Affairs’ leading priorities in these areas for years to come.”

The GSPIA director will lead all aspects of research and graduate programming, including new program offerings and internships, and will continue to strengthen ties between the school and the public sector. The director will also expand GSPIA’s research and impact, with more debates, speakers and conferences addressing important issues in world affairs.

Visiting Fellows teach graduate seminars, participate in conferences, conduct public lectures and publish news articles with the goal of educating master’s students and the general public about important public policy and issues.

“We’re thrilled to be adding another chapter to our ongoing partnership with York University and contributing to The Glendon School of Public & International Affairs’ work in preparing the best and brightest to lead the discourse on important public policy issues that will impact Canadians for decades to come,” said Steve Murphy, Senior Vice President, GTA Division, BMO Bank of Montreal.

BMO Financial Group’s gift is the largest made to the Glendon Campus as part of York’s most ambitious fundraising and engagement effort to date, Impact: The Campaign for York University. The campaign’s goal is to raise $500 million in commitments to mobilize new ways of thinking, prepare engaged global citizens and build stronger communities.

To learn more about the country’s only bilingual liberal arts college, visit the Glendon Campus website.

York University is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contacts:
Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

Matt Duffin, Corporate Communications, BMO Financial Group, 416 867 5394, Matthew.Duffin@bmo.com