India & Canada partner on research, academics

New Delhi: The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Canada on 21st February 2018 in New Delhi aims to foster cross-border partnerships focused on research excellence and industry-academic collaboration between two countries that brings robust innovation gains.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi has been apprised of the MoU that is aimed at igniting collaboration through talent mobility that is the core of the partnership. The MoU enables Indian and Canadian researchers to undertake graduate level academic research mobility and cross-border industry-academic cooperation.

Under the graduate level academic research mobility programme, both sides intend to support upto 110 Master’s and PhD student researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields in a three-year period from eligible universities in India to participate in 12 to 24 weeks’ research with Canadian university research laboratories. The same number of researchers from Canadian universities will also participate in 12 to 24 weeks’ research with research laboratories of eligible Indian universities.

Under the cross-border Industry-Academic Cooperation, upto 40 Master’s and PhD student researchers in three years from each side participate in 16 to 24 weeks’ research with industry partners located in the counterpart country.

The collaboration is expected to lead to new knowledge creation, joint scientific publications, Industrial exposure, IP generation, etc. This MoU will further strengthen the long-standing relationship in Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation with Canada.