International Education and Youth Division Leveraging the MOU between Canada

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International Education and Youth Division
Leveraging the MOU between Canada India
Presentation by Claude Bibeau, Deputy Director,
International Education and Youth Division,
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
(DFAIT)September 23rd, 2010claude.bibeau_at_inter
national.gc.ca
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Key Dates

• November 2009 Prime Minister Harper visits India
  and holds an Education Roundtable.
• February 2010 Discussions in Ottawa with Indias
  Universities Grant Commission (UGC) regarding a
  Canada-India memorandum of understanding (MOU) on
  cooperation in higher education
• June 27, 2010 Prime Minister Harper and Prime
  Minister Singh welcome the signing of a
  Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education
  Cooperation. This framework will facilitate
  academic exchanges, partnerships and mobility
  between higher educational institutions in the
  two countries.

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MOU between Canada India

• Memorandum of Understanding between the
  Government of
• Canada and the Government of the Republic of
  India Concerning
• Cooperation in Higher Education
• The MOU will strengthen bilateral relations
  through cooperative activities and increased
  academic mobility as well as synergies between
  institutions of higher learning in Canada and
  India. 

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MOU between Canada India

• MOU represents an umbrella arrangement for a wide
  range of institution to institution
• activities
• Exchanges of undergraduate, graduate and
  vocational students, and post-doctoral fellows
• Short-term awards, Graduate studies at Canadian
  and Indian universities
• Joint organization of workshops, seminars,
  special technical programs
• Exchange of research materials, publications,
  educational literature, teaching aids,
  demonstration material and information
• Twinning arrangements between institutions of
  higher learning
• Training programmes in technical, vocational and
  higher education
• Promotion of teaching and research in Canada
  about India and in India about Canada
• Providing mutual assistance in education in the
  fields of educational planning and management,
  social sciences, information technology, computer
  science, mathematics, science, nanotechnology and
  bio-technology
• Reciprocal internship programs

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Key Indian Players

• The Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD)
  is comprised of two departments, i.e. the
  Department of School Education and Literacy and
  the Department of Higher Education, the latter
  being in charge of secondary and post-secondary
  education and empowered to grant deemed
  university status to educational institutions on
  the advice of the University Grants Commission of
  India (UGC).
• The UGC is a statutory organisation for the
  coordination, determination and maintenance of
  standards of university education. It provides
  recognition for universities in India and funds
  for government-recognised universities and
  colleges.

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Leveraging the MOU

• Through
• International Scholarships
• Policy and Planning
• Understanding Canada Program
• International Youth Program
• Canada as a study destination
• Internships
• Exchanges Faculty and students
• Institutional partnerships

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International Scholarships Program

• Graduate Student Exchange Program (GSEP)
• DFAIT international scholarships program has
  expanded the number of Indian short-term awards ti
  ed to institutional linkages under the Canadian
  Commonwealth Scholarship Program, for a total
  of 50 awards spread across at least five
  universities at the graduate level in 2009-2010
• GSEP requires a formal tie-up to be operational
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
• new Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

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DFAIT International Scholarships Website
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Understanding Canada Canadian Studies Program
Over the past 34 years, the Canadian Studies
Program has been instrumental in building a core
of experts at foreign universities and think
tanks with an in depth knowledge of
Canada. Funding is available to eligible parties
for conferences, collaborative research including
faculty doctoral research, curriculum
development, and student mobility
exchanges. India is home to a vibrant Canadian
Studies network including an association with
more than 800 members and 25 Canadian Studies
centres. UGC has recognised 4 centres (Delhi,
Mumbai, Baroda Kerela) as Area studies centres
these centres are funded by UGC.

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International Experience Canada (IEC)

• The IEC initiative, previously named the
  International Youth Programs, negotiates and
  establishes bilateral arrangements on youth
  mobility with other countries.
• Bilateral arrangements ease administrative
  process for young Canadians and international
  youth (18 and 35 years) to gain unique travel,
  work and life experiences abroad, for up to one
  year.
• To date, Canada has 30 such arrangements (MOUs
  and treaties) on youth mobility.
• In 2009, more than 73,000 youth from Canada and
  around the world participated in the initiative.
• 25 students from India are expected to
  participate in partnership with SWAP this year.

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Education Promotion
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DFAIT Initiatives

• Focus India Education Working Group Meeting
• Bilateral visits
• Special events Canada-India Education
  Partnership Forum (2008)
• Education Partnership Forum is an annual event
  featuring a different country of honour each
  year, supported by DFAIT in cooperation with our
  external scholarship administrator, the Canadian
  Bureau for International Education.

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Innovation, Science and Technology

• Canada-India Science and Technology Agreement
  since 2005
• Provides framework for ST collaboration in areas
  of mutual interest
• International Science and Technology Partnerships
  Program (ISTPP)
• 2005-2010 program to promote international
  collaborative research projects which have the
  potential for commercialization with India,
  China, Israel and Brazil
• Budget 2010 provides 8M to extend the program
  for 2 years
• Going Global Innovation (GGI)
• Supports Canadian researchers in accessing
  international RD collaborative opportunities
  through the development of partnerships with key
  players in other countries
• Reimburses up to 75 of Canadian eligible
  expenses (hotel, accommodation, etc) to a maximum
  of 75,000 per project

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High Commission in India

• Close collaboration with the International
  Education and Youth Division at DFAIT
• Liaison with the Ministry of Human Resources
  Development (HRD)
• Outreach activities/education promotion
• Support for bilateral visits
• Promotion of Understanding Canada other
  Government of Canada-funded programmes.

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Cooperation with Stakeholders

• AUCC
• Cooperation with DFAIT
• Bilateral visits, e.g. University Grants
  Commission visit in February 2010
• Graduate study mobility and degree recognition
• University Presidents Mission in November 2010
• Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
• The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute is an
  important partner in the administration of the
  Understanding Canada program in India. It also
  works closely with the 25 Canadian studies
  centres and its over 50 institutional members in
  India.

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RECENT ACTIVITIES

•  DELHI is working toward the launch of the Joint
  Working Group (JWG) which is a pre-requisite for
  the MoU to make any progress.
• DELHI has on behalf of AUCC invited HRD Minister
  Kapil Sibal for the AUCC roundtable on November
  9.  The Minister has agreed to participate. 
  In the letter to the Minister DELHI has expressed
  interest in pursuing the creation of the JWG.
• Consultations with HRD / SICI/ DELHI TD
• SICI last week resumed its Focus Canada forum. 
  This was an effort to revive the Focus Canada
  forum after a period of 3 years.   DELHI
  participated.  Joint Secretary Amit Khare and UGC
  Chairman Sukhadeo Thorat were present. 
• DHOM Jim Nickel recently made outcalls to the
  Delhi University and the Jamia Millia Islamia and
  met with the Vice Chancellors. Discussions
  focussed on strengthening collaborations and
  student mobility.  MoU was identified as an
  important medium to do this.  DELHI-Cridland and
  Francis also met with the International Deans of
  Delhi University last week to take the
  discussions forward.     
• DELHI has been pursuing an aggressive media and
  communication strategy with the objective of
  building a profile for Canada and to promote
  key awards such as Vanier, Banting, MITACS and
  GSEP. 

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International Programs and Scholarships

• Department of Foreign Affairs and International
  Trade http//www.international.gc.ca
• International Education and Youth
  http//www.international.gc.ca/education/index.asp
  x?langeng
• International Scholarships (includes major
  federally funded awards), database searchable by
  country
• http//www.scholarships.gc.ca

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Some Questions for Discussion

• Canadas
• approach