April 3, 1998

Bombardier invests in U of A's bilingual commerce program

Canada's unique bilingual B. Comm. program closed its first business deal yesterday with a $500,000 gift from Bombardier Inc. The donation will establish the bilingual Bombardier Professorship in Entrepreneurship and comes from the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation.

The Professorship is part of the University of Alberta's new bilingual bachelor of commerce degree program, a joint initiative between the Faculty of Business and Faculté Saint-Jean.

Andre Bombardier, Bombardier's vice-chair of the board, traveled to Edmonton to make the announcement. "In supporting this project, the Foundation took into account the cooperation between the two Faculties, the unique nature of the Faculty of Business' program in entrepreneurship and the creation of North America's first bilingual bachelor of commerce degree." He added "At the same time, this gift recognizes the important contribution that Faculté Saint-Jean makes to French-speaking communities in Western Canada."

The Bombardier Professor will be a bilingual expert recognized internationally for a strong, well-established record in research and teaching related to entrepreneurship. While the Bombardier Professor will work out of the Faculty of Business, it is a joint appointment with Faculté and the holder is expected to play an active role in both Faculties.

Business dean, Michael Percy, believes the gift will strengthen existing programs in his faculty. "We have a strong tradition of teaching and research in the Faculty and have recognized expertise in the area of entrepreneurship. We are also delighted to add the bilingual bachelor of commerce program to our list of language majors." The business program already includes Chinese, Japanese, German and Spanish language majors.

Claudette Tardif, dean of Faculté Saint-Jean, agrees with the importance of the new program. "As the only French faculty west of Winnipeg, Faculté Saint-Jean takes a leadership role in promoting French language and culture in Western Canada and beyond. Our alliance with the Faculty of Business enables us to create a unique program that both promotes French language learning and prepares students for the realities of the business world."

The J. Armand Bombardier Foundation is a private foundation that has supported numerous other educational initiatives, including chairs and professorships at four other universities in Quebec. Their $500,000 gift will be made over the next five years with the possibility of renewal.

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