An Ambassadorial Scholarship allowed Joanne Pawluk of Edmonton, Alberta to attend the University of Lancaster, England in 1985.  She attributes her career, many of interpersonal skills, and most importantly her viewpoint about the world to her experience.

During her year in England, she completed a master’s degree in International Politics.   She became good friends with her Rotary coordinator and his family.  He arranged numerous speaking engagements at Rotary clubs. 

She made study tours to the NATO headquarters in Brussels and to East Germany.  As a guest of the East German government, she heard talk about the reunification of Germany, but ignored it.  A few years later Germany was reunited.  “It shows how important it is to understand history to know where the world is going.” 

She studied with students from all over the world. The highlight was the great conversations on many topics.  She learned about African resistance in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and heard about what it was like to be a bomber pilot in Malaysia.  A discussion on polygamy in Africa made her challenge and develop her own beliefs.

Following her studies she worked for CBC and Alberta Tourism.  Then she joined the Canadian Foreign Service, serving in Hong Kong from 1991-1995.

“It was an interesting time,” she recalls.  “Tensions increased as the transition from British rule to China became more imminent.”  As part of the Canadian Club she arranged charitable donations and saw areas of Hong Kong that few foreigners visit. 

She also organized three annual cycling trips into south China.  Each trip was three to four days long.  “It’s quite an image to think of 25 Canadian cyclists in Spandex  riding the rural roads of China.”

Today, the Ambassadorial Scholarships Program of The Rotary Foundation is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. More than 1,300 scholarships were awarded for study in 1998-99. Through grants totaling approximately US$24 million, recipients from some 65 countries will study in more than 50 different nations.

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships Program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. Today, the program sponsors several types of scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with local Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.

A benefit not found in other scholarship programs is the scholar's association with Rotary clubs and Rotarians. Each scholar is assigned both a sponsor and a host Rotarian counselor who provide orientation, advice, and assistance.

Scholarship availability is determined by local Rotarian contributions to The Rotary Foundation. As a result, not all Rotary clubs will offer scholarships. Prospective scholars must apply through a local Rotary club.
 

Types of Scholarships

Currently, three types of scholarships are offered:

Academic-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships provide funding for one academic year of study in another country. This award is intended to help cover round-trip transportation, tuition, fees, room and board expenses, and some educational supplies up to US$23,000 or its equivalent. It's the most common type of scholarship offered; more than 1,000 Academic-Year Scholarships were awarded for study in 1998-99.

Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships are for either two or three years of degree-oriented study in another country. A flat grant of US$11,000 or its equivalent is provided per year to be applied toward the costs of a degree program. Mainly offered by Rotary districts in Japan and Korea, 138 Multi-Year Ambassadorial Scholarships were awarded for 1998-99.

Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarships are for either three or six months of intensive language study and cultural immersion in another country and provide funds to cover round-trip transportation, language training expenses, and homestay living arrangements, up to US$10,000 and US$17,000 respectively. Applications are considered for candidates interested in studying Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, and Swedish.

Some Rotary districts may only offer one type of scholarship; applicants must check with the local club regarding availability.

More information about the scholarships is available at Rotary’s website http://www.rotary.org.