York University, Canada with O.P. Jindal Global University aim to strengthen higher education in India

York University has been working in collaboration with partners around the world. Canada’s third-largest university and ranked in the world’...

York University has been working in collaboration with partners around the world. Canada’s third-largest university and ranked in the world’s top 40 for its impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals offers high-quality programmes and leadership in world-class interdisciplinary research such as a $318-million Connected Minds Initiative that will enable industries to bring equitable technologies to market sooner and train the next generation of students. York University is proud to invest in several critical initiatives, including an India Immersion Programme with O.P. Jindal Global University as it’s important for Canadian students to understand India, its growth story and the impact of India on the world.

There will be a Pan-India entrepreneurship boot camp to expose talented students to the world’s largest business and consumer market; and the launch of a new global research seed fund that will invest in global research collaborations with leading universities, industries, government agencies and NGOs in priority countries such as India. York is prioritizing teaching, research, and knowledge mobilization in areas that will address equity and inclusion. It is the first Canadian University to have a United Nations CIFAL Training Centre dedicated to promoting intersectoral cooperation on policy development in areas such as disaster risk, emergency management, and humanitarian actions; health, development, environment and climate change and equity, diversity and inclusion. It is also the lead academic partner in a transformative new Global Water Academy that aims to tackle the water sustainability crisis in partnership with UNITAR.

O.P. Jindal Global University and Canada’s York University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic collaboration and supporting student mobility between the two countries. As part of the partnership, the two universities intend to focus on student and faculty exchange programmes, short-term study abroad programmes, dual-degree programmrs, and collaborative research projects.

Prof. (Dr.) Rhonda L. Lenton, the eighth President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, and Prof. (Dr.) C Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, announced a slew of joint initiatives as part of the MoU. These include launching an India Immersion Program for Canadian students to better understand India as a country and its growth story.

Highlighting the importance of progressive universities in today’s world, Prof. Lenton, said: “As the world recovers from a global pandemic, progressive universities like York University and O.P. Jindal Global University have an opportunity to play a greater role in facilitating global engagement to address incredibly complex challenges – from rising geopolitical tensions, economies destabilized by inflation, and surging temperatures that threaten the demise of our planet – all the while navigating the rapid deployment of advanced technologies such as AI and automation. India and Canada are natural partners to lead in this new global context.”

Prof C. Raj Kumar said: “In India’s quest to create a global arena of knowledge exchange and opportunities, Canada is an important partner. The collaboration with York University, Canada’s leading university, is a significant milestone in our institutional journey. Recent data from the Canadian Bureau for International Education shows that nearly 34% of Canada’s international students come from India. There is a need to encourage growth in the number of Canadian students visiting India in the near future. As India’s leading private university, this relationship will boost the association between our universities and strengthen the long-term educational relationship between India and Canada.”

He added: “In the field of education, India and Canada have a close and long-standing relationship. Higher education and research partnerships are critical to the Canada-India bilateral relationship. As is natural for two countries that share so many diplomatic and cultural associations, areas such as student mobility, research partnerships, and educational exchanges are of ever-increasing productive cooperation. Since our founding in 2009, our vision has been focused on building India’s first ‘Global University.’ We have proven our commitment to this vision by instilling internationalism in every aspect of higher education, ensuring a global learning experience in an international setting.”