Canada and India strengthen educational ties

Carleton University has established partnerships with two Indian universities for the benefit of furthering academic development and research.
Roseann O'Reilly Runte, president, Carleton University, who is in India, signed a memorandum of understanding on renewable energy and aerospace engineering with the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Delhi, and another on business management with the Jindal Global University, Haryana.

"These agreements target specific areas of strength for the partner institutions and provide a framework for exchanges of faculty and students for joint research projects, academic exchanges and collaborative programmes," her office said in a statement from Ottawa.

Before leaving for Delhi, Runte had told India Abroad that she would address several forums in India, including students at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, Rajasthan and their Hyderabad campus, in which she would outline the need for interdisciplinary thinking and an international team of researchers, as well as the role of post-secondary education in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by an increasingly global world.

Meanwhile, back home, Carleton University's newly created Canada-India Center is gearing up for two international summits. The first, the Canada-India Innovation Summit, in association with the International Science and Technology Partnerships Canada, will take place May 9 to 13 to discuss innovation strategies in key sectors of interest for Canada and India. It will feature Sam Pitroda.

For the second event, the university is liaising with the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute. "We are cooperating with them on organising a big education summit between June 17 and 18," said Runte. "It will be co-sponsored by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, department of foreign affairs and international trade and the Indian high commission. The Canada-India Education Summit will focus on a dialogue between vice chancellors from India and Canadian university executives on issues surrounding leadership and strategies for higher education," she added.

Photograph:
Image: Roseann O'Reilly Runte, president, Carleton University