This winter, Montréal’s world-class McGill University (ranked in the Top 100 Universities internationally) announced a historic $200-million gift from John McCall MacBain and Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain and the formation of the McCall MacBain Scholarships. This record-breaking funding will give full scholarship funding to students from around the world selected for their community involvement and leadership potential.
MTL by the books
Montréal is a city of learning, ranked first in North America – and fourth in the world overall – as the best city for students to live, and top of the list as most reputable city in the Americas. This attachment to education and research has put the city on the forefront of Artificial Intelligence, neuroscience, oncology and cancer treatment – also guaranteeing Montréal’s place as the highest funded research centre in Canada.
A scholarly history
John McCall MacBain’s higher education began at McGill, where he graduated as Valedictorian in 1980 having also served as President of the Students Society of McGill University. His subsequent schooling includes a law degree from the University of Oxford, an MBA from Harvard Business School and an honorary doctorate from McGill. In 2016 he was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada. Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain holds an Honours Bachelor of Kinesiology from McMaster University, a Master of Science in International Health Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a DPhil in Evidence-Based Health Care from the University of Oxford.
The McCall MacBain Foundation is no stranger to education-based donations, as demonstrated by past gifts to the Loran Scholars Foundation in Canada, the Kupe Leadership Scholarships at the University of Auckland, the Mandela Rhodes Scholarships in South Africa and a £75-million addition to the Rhodes Trust in Oxford towards the international Rhodes Scholarship. Their $200-million gift to McGill is unprecedented in Canada, and the McCall MacBain Scholarship is the most comprehensive and generous graduate scholarship in the country.
A scholarship unlike any other
Based on recommendations from international panels, up to 75 students will receive funding including full tuition and a living stipend to complete their studies, with the first batch of McCall MacBain scholars arriving in Montréal in 2021. Selected students will have the opportunity to select their field of study – including McGill’s new Master of Arts and Science program also set to launch that year.
McGill up close
McGill’s glittering campus in the heart of Montréal’s Golden Square Mile contains over 80 buildings on 80 hectares of land, and was once nicknamed, ”the Harvard of Canada” in an episode of The Simpsons. Founded in 1821 by James McGill, McGill will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2021 with the McCall MacBain Scholarship a shining exclamation point on the university’s history.
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