Looking Eastward

Updated on: Monday, November 22, 2010

Besides bringing the largest ever delegation of university heads to India, Canadian universities recently announced scaling up their investment on India-specific initiatives. The investment, pegged at over $4 million, will be on the new Globalink Canada-India Graduate Fellowship Program, various scholarships for Indian students and two institutional partnerships funds.

Eight Canadian universities — the McMaster University, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, the University of Victoria, the University of Waterloo and the University of Western Ontario — will provide graduate fellowships to top Indian students who wish to pursue a Masters or Ph.D. in Canada. The Globalink Canada-India Graduate Fellowship Program will provide up to 51 awards valued at more than $3.5 million CAD for Indian students who have participated in the MITACS Globalink programme in 2010. The programme brings top undergraduate students from India to Canada for summer research internships, and aims to develop research links between the two countries.

A few Canadian universities have also announced their own India-specific initiatives worth over $500,000 CAD. These are the University of British Columbia, OCAD University, Queen’s University, University of Regina, Royal Roads University, Saint Mary’s University, Vancouver Island University and the Wilfrid Laurier University.

Under the newly funded institutional partnerships, the University of Saskatchewan will make a disbursement of an amount of $150,000 to establish a new partnership with Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana. The university has committed to doubling the amount for the project over three years.

The University of Manitoba, on the other hand, has partnered with the Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology (IICPT) and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India to build research capacity at the IICPT.

“The announcements show our continued interest and commitment to partnering with Indian universities and supporting Indian students,” said Paul Davidson, President, Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC), who was also in the Indian capital to attend the Higher Education Summit by the trade chamber, FICCI. “We are actively working with the Indian industry to know their needs and the skills universities must develop in their students,” he added.

The visiting university heads recognised the need for healthy partnerships with Indian universities and developing more programmes together. “Developing inter-disciplinary programmes together is the way to go. Besides, we are also working towards making the programmes more accessible and welcoming. Going ahead, we aim to develop online teaching and other innovative models to bolster the partnerships,” said Stephen J. Toope, President and Vice Chancellor, University of British Columbia, a varsity aiming to increase the number of Indian students on its campus.

Looking Eastward

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