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.
Donald Ipperciel
"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 masters 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 at www.glendon.yorku.ca/about.