Philanthropist Sylvan Adams provides $2 million to the Graduate School of International Studies at Université Laval

Québec City, June 1st, 2022 – The Marcel and Annie Adams scholarships in international studies are being established at Université Laval through the generosity of Israeli-Canadian real estate developer and philanthropist Sylvan Adams. These scholarships will help recruit and support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in international studies at the Graduate School of International Studies (ESEI). Sylvan Adams’ endowment, a tribute to his parents, will support six students (three master’s students and three doctoral students) and one postdoctoral fellow starting next fall. 

“ESEI is a centre of excellence in multidisciplinary research and education on international issues. It contributes to the advancement of knowledge on international affairs and helps train top experts capable of understanding and debating global issues and effecting change on the global stage. With more than 80 contributing professors from 6 faculties and 9 research centres, the school plays an important role at the university and the country as a whole. I am delighted to see leading business people and philanthropists like Sylvan Adams support the education of current and future generations,” said Sophie D’Amours, Rector of Université Laval. 

A gift inspired by family values
For Sylvan Adams, who took over the family business, Iberville Developments, in 1990, this gift is in keeping with the values of openness and equality instilled in him by his parents.  

“My parents were from Romania. My father, a concentration camp survivor, immigrated to Canada. He landed in Montréal, and that’s where he met my mother. They finally settled in Québec City. My father really loved it here. He worked on many projects in the city, such as the Galeries de la Canardière shopping centre. My mother studied at Université Laval. They were bold, confident, passionate people, and they truly inspired me. Today, it is a great honour for me to endow a fund in their name for future generations,” said philanthropist Sylvan Adams. 

“I am very proud to support Université Laval, the oldest French-language university in North America. The university’s values resonate with me. They’re reflected in its global outlook, its diverse and inclusive programs, the balance it strikes between its origins and modern form, its social commitment, its sustainable development mission, and its quest for excellence and innovation,” said Adams.   

A gift recognized by Université Laval and its foundation
Sylvan Adam’s gift has earned him a place in Université Laval’s prestigious Les Cent-Associés philanthropy program. He dedicates this honour to his parents, who left their mark on the development of Québec City. A lighting fixture with a custom ring plaque will be erected on campus in honour of Marcel and Annie Adams.

“The Fondation de l’Université Laval warmly thanks Sylvan Adams for his generous contribution in support of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the Graduate School of International Studies. This commemorative gesture of love and recognition will help perpetuate Marcel and Annie Adams’s vision of a strong, inclusive, and outward-looking Québec,” said Alain Gilbert, President and CEO of the Fondation de l’Université Laval.