The Liberal Party has introduced a scholarship program to commemorate the victims of the 2020 Iran plane shootdown of Flight PS752.
The program will award 176 scholarships, each dedicated in memory of those who lost their lives when the Ukraine International Airlines flight was shot down outside Tehran.
The victims included 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents, many of whom had significant educational achievements in Canada.
The scholarships will have an average value of $25,000 per recipient among the 176, with a total of $4.4 million to be distributed over 5 years, and each scholarship named after a victim.
The scholarship was first announced in January 2022. The applications for the first round opened on October 4 and will close after 28 days.
Both international and domestic Canadian students studying at a college or university in Canada can apply if their research focuses on aviation disaster prevention or a related field of study or work related to one of the victims.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Department aims to award approximately 30% of the scholarships to Canadian candidates and the remaining 70% to international applicants.
Applicants are required to write a letter explaining “how your chosen field of study relates to the victims” and “why you feel a connection to the victims.” The letter must also address the applicant’s understanding of the incident and how they plan to contribute to the legacy of those who lost their lives.
