Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will visit Waterloo on Thursday, May 28, 2015
Media wishing to attend any portion of the royal visit MUST register in advance by contacting Nick Manning (519-888-4451) at the University of Waterloo no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. Space is limited for media for parts of the event program.
The king and queen will be joined in Waterloo by Bert Koenders, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jet Bussemaker, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, and more than 20 Dutch higher education institutions and a business delegation from Eindhoven region to solidify the ties between Canada and the Netherlands.
The visit will include the announcement of an historic scholarship program celebrating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. The Liberation Scholarship Program will award the first six Canadian students of 70 scholarships to study at a Dutch university or college.
The royal couple will also be present for the signing of memoranda of understanding between Delft University of Technology and the University of Waterloo – with a focus on quantum information research – and between BrainportEindhoven region and the Region of Waterloo – reinforcing a bilateral strategic alliance between two innovation communities.
Following formal ceremonies including a presentation on quantum information science, the king and queen will tour a laboratory in the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-NanoCentre at the University of Waterloo.
Prior to the arrival of Their Majesties, Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo will host the delegation of Dutch higher education institutions and leaders from across the Canadian post-secondary education sector for formal seminars and networking.
Max Blouw, president and vice-chancellor of Wilfrid LaurierUniversity, and Jet Bussemaker will host the delegation of higher education institutions to continue seminars and networking following the royal visit.
