New scholarship program dedicated to the victims of the downed Ukrainian Boeing
The Canadian government will thus honor the memory of the victims.
Canada is launching a new scholarship program in memory of the victims of Ukraine International Airlines (UAI) Flight 752, which was shot down by Iran on January 8, 2020.
There were 176 people on board the plane that departed Tehran, 55 of whom were Canadian citizens and another 30 were permanent residents of Canada. The rest of the passengers and crew were from Ukraine, the UK and Sweden. All 176 died that day, and in their memory Canada will now award 176 scholarships to study at its universities and colleges.
Who is the program designed for?
The scholarship will be available to both Canadians and international students studying at Canadian colleges and universities. As each of the 176 scholarships will be named, those whose field of study matches the professional or academic experience of one of the victims will be eligible to apply.
In addition, the scholarship may be awarded to trainees who focus on research to prevent such airplane crashes. And, of course, priority will be given to applicants who are somehow related to victims.
The program will run for five years and the amount paid will average CA$ 25,000 per scholarship.
Government Commentary
Canadian authorities believe this is an appropriate and productive way to honor the lives lost. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly commented:
"The downing of Flight PS752 was a human tragedy of immeasurable proportions that truncated the futures of many academics and students who not only had strong connections with Canadian educational institutions, but also made important contributions to Canada."
The anniversary of the tragedy is marked in Canada as the National Day of Remembrance for the victims of airplane crashes. Iran was supposed to answer for what happened in accordance with the Montreal Convention, but this did not happen. In late 2022, Canada, Britain, Ukraine and Sweden said they would sue Iran in the International Court of Justice. Canada's move to create scholarships is another way to show the world that the tragedy of 176 innocent people has not been forgotten.
