The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global center for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the best universities in the world. UBC’s vision is to create an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada, and the world.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC will take place over a ten-year period with a total of 171 Mastercard Foundation Scholars, including undergraduate and masters students.

Beginning with five undergraduate students in 2013, UBC currently has 53 Mastercard Foundation Scholars on its Vancouver campus. In addition to their curricula engagement, the scholars will be mentored, engaged in leadership capacity building, participate in local and international community service learning, and take up summer internships in Africa to foster their interest and capacity to return to Africa to give back to their communities.

Reflecting UBC’s strategic commitment to supporting international students, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars will benefit from academic and social support programs such as Jump Start, programs focused on student wellbeing and personal development, while benefiting from the direct support of a newly created program director and a full range of academic success programs.

About UBC
UBC Facts and Figures

Professor Stephen J Toope
Former UBC President and Vice-Chancellor

Terry Sunderland
Academic Director

Terry Sunderland is Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences and has nearly 30 years of experience in tropical forestry and research. His academic career has showed a gradual transition from a focus on botany and ecology towards the social sciences. He is a graduate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (horticulture and botany) the University of Oxford (MSc in forestry) and University College, London (PhD biology and anthropology). After more than 15 years living and working in Cameroon, he moved to the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in 2006 and was based in Indonesia for the next 12 years. He originally led the Centre’s research theme on Landscape management for environmental services, biodiversity conservation and livelihoods. In the last five years of his tenure at CIFOR he led the development of a program of work on forests and food security that evolved into the research theme Sustainable Landscapes and Food Systems. In January 2018, he joined the Faculty of Forestry and leads their programme on international cooperation and engagement.

Shanda Williams
Program Director 

Shanda is the Program Director of Global Campus Initiatives at the University of British Columbia. She is originally from Belize in Central America and immigrated to Canada in 2003 where she completed a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Psychology and Minoring in Business Administration. Shanda has been working in international education since 2011 and enjoys meetings and supporting students from around the world. Additionally, she is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and prior to working with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC, she worked as a part of the International Student Advising team at UBC where her team supported more than 17,000 international students from over 150 countries. In her work with the Scholars Program, Shanda seeks to support students to continue to aspire to their highest potential as well as to find and develop fulfilling and meaningful experiences throughout their academic journey and beyond UBC.

Diane (Dee) Mutabaruka
Experiential Learning Advisor

Diane (Dee) Mutabaruka is the Experiential Learning Advisor for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of British Columbia. Dee is a highly motivated and experienced advisor and project manager with a strong background (6 years in Higher Education) in student development and experiential advising. With her leadership and relationship-building skills, Dee aims to design, deliver, and evaluate innovative programs that foster career, professional, leadership, transition, and community-based learning experiences for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars. She is dedicated to advising students on career development practices, facilitating internships and mentorship programs, establishing cross-campus partnerships, and enhancing the academic and professional journeys of students and alumni. Her intercultural competence, critical thinking abilities, and passion for fostering inclusive learning environments enable her to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders, ensuring the achievement of our program goals and objectives in empowering Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Africa.

Munatsi (Muna) Mavhima
Program Assistant

Muna Mavhima is the Program Assistant for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of British Columbia. Muna a is Shona immigrant settler who comes from Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, and has a BA in Political Science from SFU. Before joining the team, Muna worked in Financial Operations at UBC. Having been an international student, he is passionate about the care and guidance of Mastercard Foundation Scholars and is pleased to play an important role in that. Apart from working with international students, Muna enjoys volunteering with a Black-owned non-profit in Vancouver as well as creative writing in his spare time. Muna helps to oversee admission, coordinates events, and acts as the first point of contact for scholars.