Delegation from 21 Canadian universities to visit India in February
A delegation comprising of the leadership from major universities in Canada will travel to India next month.
The announcement came from the apex organisation, Universities Canada, which said the delegation will include 21 university presidents from across the country. The organisation includes Canada’s leading institutions of higher education like University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Alberta and University of Waterloo, among others.
“Building on strengthened bilateral ties, increased diplomatic engagement, and a shared commitment to deepening knowledge exchange, the mission will advance research collaboration and expand partnerships with industry,” a release from Universities Canada said.
“The visit by Canadian universities presidents is a big step in our renewed collaboration on research and education initiatives, as guided by the New Roadmap for Canada–India relations,” Canada’s High Commissioner in New Delhi Christopher Cooter said. He was referring to the vision for renewal of the relationship that was agreed upon when Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand visited India in October and met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among others.
The delegation will arrive in India on February 2 for a five-day visit and meet leaders from India’s higher education sector, government and industry in Goa, New Delhi and Gujarat International Finance Tech-City (GIFT City) “to explore opportunities for research collaboration, academic exchange and sustainable models of transnational education”.
India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Dinesh Patnaik welcomed the initiative, as he said, “The visit of Canadian University Presidents marks an important step in deepening academic cooperation and advancing a forward-looking agenda for enhanced India–Canada collaboration.”
“As Canada and India renew their vitally important relationship, this mission reflects and advances our commitment to create lasting, shared success for both of our countries,” Universities Canada president and CEO Gabriel Miller noted.
The release added that the mission underscored the importance both countries place on higher education as a foundation for deeper collaboration and long-term partnership.
