The late Werner H. Graupe was a successful businessman in the field of manufacturing engineering who emigrated to Montreal in the 1950s. While a student at the Technische Universität in Berlin, he had the chance to participate in an exchange program at an American college. The experience convinced him of the importance of an international education to the academic and personal development of students.
In 1999, Werner Graupe established a foundation that offers students in France or Germany the opportunity to study at either McGill University (Montreal, Quebec) or the University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta).