This fall, the University of Ottawa will welcome its first BCDI 2030 scholarship recipient, Kouessi Anthelme Agbodande, a dedicated health professional from Benin preparing to begin a Master’s in Education with a concentration in Health Education. His journey reflects both academic ambition and a deep sense of purpose to bring lasting change to health education in his home country.
Anthelme’s story is part of a larger initiative. The University of Ottawa is among Canadian institutions selected to deliver the Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 (BCDI 2030) program, an eight-year, $80 million Global Affairs Canada initiative implemented by the Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and Universities Canada (UnivCan) consortium. The program will support over 500 individuals from sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in francophone communities, with more than half of the scholarships awarded to women.
When asked what he hopes to gain from his time at uOttawa, he emphasizes the combination of advanced pedagogy and cultural immersion. As Anthelme explains, “This stay at uOttawa will allow me not only to acquire new skills in pedagogy, but also in an environment that embodies remarkable linguistic and cultural diversity.” For him, studying in Ottawa is also about refining English language skills, engaging with diverse peers, and broadening his perspective through new experiences.
Currently a member of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Université d’Abomey-Calavi in Cotonou, Anthelme wants to be actively involved in reforms to reshape health education programs. He plans to use his time in Canada to develop degree and certificate-level training options, advance online teaching, and refine evaluation methods, preparing to return home equipped to meet Benin’s evolving health system needs.
“This will allow me to develop interactions that help me master communication techniques in English and to meet new people.”
Kouessi Anthelme Agbodande
— BCDI 2030 Scholar from the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
Looking further ahead, his goals are firmly rooted in strengthening capacity at his home institution. Upon returning to Benin, he plans to spearhead a project designed to enhance the competitiveness of the faculty of health sciences by addressing pedagogical gaps, updating training programs, and ensuring that new offerings respond to the qualifications most urgently needed in the country’s health workforce.
He also points to the exceptional alignment between the scholarship and the real needs of Benin’s health sector, as well as the decades of collaboration that have built trust and success between his faculty and uOttawa. For him, the scholarship is more than an academic milestone, it is a responsibility to turn learning into impact for his community, opening doors to global collaboration while laying the foundation for meaningful, lasting change in Benin’s health education system.