Scholarships set up in name of 4 Western students killed in Ukraine Airlines tragedy

A year after the Iranian military shot down Ukraine Airlines Flight 752, a number of scholarships have been set up in the name of four Western University students who died in the tragedy. 

The passenger plane was shot down moments after departing Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020, killing all 176 passengers on board. 

Among the victims were 138 people of Iranian descent with close ties to Canada, including dozens of students and academics studying here to pursue careers in science and engineering. A year later, their friends and family members are still searching for answers.

The four victims who studied at Western University were: 

• Ghazal Nourian, 26, who was pursuing her PhD at Western in mechanical and materials engineering.
• Hadis Hayatdavoudi, 27, who was studying metal corrosion at Western where she was completing her PhD in chemistry. 
• Milad Nahavandi, 34 who had already seen his research published in top journals before coming to Western — was working toward his PhD in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering. 
• Sajedeh Saraeian, 26  who was on her way to Western for the first time with her husband and who dreamt of earning her master's and PhD in chemical engineering.    

Masoud Zakeri is pursing his PhD in chemistry at Western and was friends with Hayatdavoudi. He said two emotions continue to surface a year after the disaster: pain at losing so many young and talented people from his home country and frustration at the lack of answers about how and why the Iranian military shot down a civilian airliner. 

For three days after the tragedy Iran denied any responsibility. Only after evidence mounted worldwide did Iranian officials admit their military "mistakenly" shot down the passenger plane.

"It's been very hard for everyone of us that knew [the victims]," said Zakeri told CBC News. "We all ask each other 'Why? Why did this happen to our friends?' They were very bright people, very astonishing, and they were here to help people."

Today Western University announced details of a number of scholarships set up in memorial of the four Western victims. The aim is to help other promising science and engineering students with their studies. 

The Hadis Hayatdavoudi graduate scholarship in chemistry was created with a $30,000 donation from Western chemistry PhD alumna Nasim Bagheri. Like Hayatdavoudi, Bagheri is from Iran and flew the same route as Hadis during her time studying at Western.

The scholarship bearing Hayatdavoudi's name will help one chemistry student with $3,000 each year.

"It is something perhaps that may help her family feel that her name is kept alive and that part of her will remain with all of the students who will receive this scholarship," said Bagheri, who earned her PhD from Western in 1988.

"It will be a constant reminder of who Hadis was."

Bagheri now works in the chemical industry in California.

"So much happened in 2020," she said. "It was a horrific event, a tragic event in so many ways. I suppose I identified a bit with her. The fact that there would be so many students, other academic people, professionals on that flight was horrific for Canada as much as for Iran," she said.

"It seemed to me, what could one do? One could send condolences, but perhaps someone could also carry her name (in a scholarship)."

The Flight 752 memorial graduate scholarship in engineering and science was also established over the past year. The first recipient will be a science student in January, with an engineering student receiving the scholarship in 2022. This scholarship is funded in part by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization.

The Ontario government has also established a scholarship program in honour of the victims: four scholarships of $10,000 each will be given to undergraduate students based on merit and financial need. Applications will be submitted this month with recipients named in February. Details of those scholarships are here. 

Western University posted a video of president Alan Shepard, who expressed condolence for the victims and their families.  

"It was unthinkable then — and remains so today — that such promising young lives could end this tragically, this senselessly," he said. "I hope that a sense of community, compassion, and fond memories of your loved ones will offer comfort in your most difficult moments."

A memorial is being held in Toronto today and a number of online memorial events and tributes also being hosted here.