The Governments of Canada and of New Brunswick Invest $10 Million inTwo Projects at the Université de Moncton
MONCTON, August 19, 1999 -- Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps and Minister of Education for New Brunswick Elvy Robichaud announced today a grant of $10 million to the Université de Moncton for the creation of two projects: Teaching science in French in a minority community and the Doctoral program in education in a minority French-language community. This contribution, spread over five years, will be divided equally between the Government of Canada and the Government of New Brunswick."The investments announced today are proof of the Canadian government's commitment to promote the development of minority French-language communities," said Minister Copps. "In this Year of la francophonie canadienne, these announcements allow the Francophone communities in Canada to continue contributing to the prosperity of our country."
"New Brunswick is very pleased to be able to contribute to these Université de Moncton projects, because they are new measures that will enable the province to continue developing education in the minority language," pointed out Minister Robichaud.
The two projects will enable the Université de Moncton to become a major centre for university education for Canada's minority French-language communities and further build on its reputation internationally.
Under the Teaching science in French in a minority community project, the University will modernize its laboratory facilities and provide science students with better programs. As a result, the university will become competitive with other institutions teaching science in Atlantic Canada and in the rest of the country. The project will receive a federal-provincial contribution of about $6 million over a five-year period.
The University also intends to set up a Doctoral program in education in a minority French-language community, which will be dispensed in cooperation with a dozen Canadian universities. This doctorate will contribute to training first-rate educators, capable of working in a minority French-language social-cultural context. The federal-provincial contribution to this project will total $4 million over a five-year period.
The Department of Canadian Heritage has given financial support through its Official- Languages Support Programs. Financing for these projects was provided in the February 1999 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.
Information:
Catherine Gagnaire
Communications Assistant
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788
BACKGROUNDER
Université de Moncton Projects
--Founded in 1963, the Université de Moncton is the second largest university in New Brunswick and the largest completely French-language university in Canada outside Quebec. It has three campuses and an enrollment of about 6,000 students. The campuses are located in the three major Francophone regions of New Brunswick: Moncton in the southeast, Edmundston in the northwest, and Shippagan in the northeast.
--The University has two long-term goals: to become a major centre of university education for Canada's minority French language communities and to build on its reputation internationally.
--The University will be undertaking two projects with a view to realizing these goals. The Teaching science in French in a minority community project will help promote teaching science in French in the Acadian regions and acquire the facilities it needs to improve its teaching capability in sciences and, consequently, rank among those institutions recognized for science education.
--The University has also set up a Doctoral program in education in a minority French-language community. The program will be dispensed to students across Canada through the cooperation of other Canadian universities and train them to plan, promote, implement and evaluate educational initiatives adapted to the minority French-language socio-cultural context. The Université de Moncton will thus contribute to the development of the Canadian Francophonie in the field of education where there is a definite need for high-level expertise.
--The Canadian universities that would like to take part in this project are the Faculté Saint-Jean of the University of Alberta, the Faculty of Education of the University of Calgary, Laurentian University, Université Laval, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal, Université Sainte-Anne, Université de Sherbrooke, Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.
--The funding to be provided to the Université de Moncton is a result of collaborative efforts between the Canadian and New Brunswick governments in the area of official languages and teaching, in particular, in the area of special measures designed to improve the quality of education.
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