Karen Chan, a fourth-year urban planning student at the University of Waterloo, is the recipient of the inaugural Mark Bain P3 Scholarship, provided by The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.
Chan was selected in July 2024 based on her essay, Balancing Contractual Freedom and Good Faith in Public-Private Partnerships, which the scholarship selection committee praised for its innovative approach to a unique topic and relevance to Canada's P3 model.
“The Council was pleased to receive multiple thought-provoking submissions for the Mark Bain P3 Scholarship,” said CCPPP President and CEO Lisa Mitchell. “Karen’s analysis of a crucial building block in P3 agreements reflects a deep appreciation for how mutually beneficial partnerships are strengthened. We wish her success in what promises to be a bright future in Canada’s infrastructure sector.
“We’d also like to thank all the students who applied – we had fantastic applicants and the choice was difficult to make. The Council believes strongly that supporting the next generation of talent is key to the growth and success of Canada’s infrastructure sector.”
At the time she was selected, Karen was taking part in an eight-month co-op at EY's infrastructure advisory practice, advising on procurement for the Lajoie Dam Improvement Project and Vancouver Street Furniture Program and reviewing project agreements for the Red Deer Regional Hospital redevelopment and new Edmonton Hospital.
The $5,000 annual scholarship is named after one of Canada’s leading infrastructure and project finance lawyers and a former Chair of the Council’s board of directors. The scholarship is open to undergraduate and post-graduate students entering their final year at a Canadian university who are enrolled in business, engineering, law or other relevant discipline.
Submission dates for the 2025-26 Mark Bain P3 Scholarship will be announced later this fall.
In addition to the scholarship, Karen will receive a complimentary student membership to The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships and a ticket to attend P3 2024, CCPPP’s Annual Conference, taking place November 4 & 5 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel.
