Cameco donates $10 million to University of Saskatchewan campaign

Cameco, a nuclear fuel and energy company headquartered in Saskatoon, is investing in the future of education in the province with a $10 million gift to the University of Saskatchewan.

The funds, donated as part of the university’s “Be What the World Needs” fundraising campaign, will support an undergraduate nuclear fuel cycle program that will bring together engineering and geophysics students, as well as a graduate certificate in energy and resource management.

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“This gift will also foster northern and Indigenous students’ interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines, starting from the earliest learners through the Science Ambassador program and the Cameco STEM Pathways Initiative at the USask Prince Albert Campus,” the university said in a statement.

A portion of the funding will also be used for research and innovation projects though a mining and nuclear energy technology accelerator, the university added, along with a faculty research fund.

“At Cameco, we are incredibly proud to provide this gift to the University of Saskatchewan, which is the largest single donation in Cameco’s history,” Tim Gitzel, Cameco’s president CEO, said in a statement.

“This gift will support so many students in our province, especially northern and Indigenous students to pursue STEM disciplines that can lead to careers in mining, nuclear and other related industries.”

Peter Stoicheff, the university’s president and vice chancellor, said the donation will help ensure the University of Saskatchewan can be a leader in energy and mining research and education.

“Our supporters, alumni and friends from across Canada and around the world are coming together to invest in USask and in the projects and people who will find solutions to the world’s most complex issues,” Stoicheff said in a statement.

Christopher Hansen, a mechanical engineering student at the university, said the donation from Cameco will have a big impact across Saskatchewan.

“I chose engineering because it’s a chance to make a positive impact on our community by solving real-world problems,” Hansen said.

“The creation of new programs focused on nuclear energy here at USask will have a great impact on our province.”

The university noted that the gift is one of the largest donations received so far during the fundraising campaign, which has a $500 million goal.

“USask is poised to make a very strong finish when the campaign wraps up June 18,” the university added.