The djavad mowafaghian foundation has contributed $4 million toward biodiversity outreach and early childhood development research at the University of British Columbia.
The gifts are the foundation's inaugural contributions to the university.
The foundation is contributing $3 million to the new Djavad Mowafaghian Atrium, a two-storey glass gallery that will soon showcase the Beaty Biodiversity Museum's flagship exhibit, the skeleton of a blue whale. The exhibit and the Museum's educational programming are expected to be a major draw for the region's schoolchildren.
An additional $1 million foundation contribution will establish a new four-year program to hire young scholars for UBC's innovative Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) to carry out research into children's health and education across UBC faculties.
"I'm very proud to support these two key UBC initiatives," says Djavad Mowafaghian, whose foundation is dedicated to bettering children's lives through health and education.
"The museum’s atrium will become a focal point for outreach and educational activities that will help school children and the general public gain a better understanding of, and appreciation for, the interconnectedness of all living things on earth. The knowledge of where we come from and where we are going will entice us to be more active in helping to improve our environment for our children."
"Our gifts will also provide young researchers with the tools to understand more clearly how children grow, develop and learn," says Mowafaghian.
"As one of the world's leading research universities, UBC is very appreciative of these gifts from the djavad mowafaghian foundation," says UBC President, Prof. Stephen Toope. "As our understanding of the natural world becomes increasingly sophisticated, these gifts play a vital role in building capacity to improve the world for our children."
More about the foundation:
http://mowafaghianfoundation.com
