India and Canada Sign Several Education Agreements

Modi and his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper have identified education as a ‘key area’ for bilateral engagement and have signed several education agreements.

Under Canada’s International Education Strategy Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have recognized India as a ‘priority country’. The two leaders have identified education as a key area of engagement between the two countries.

In a joint statement issued by the two leaders, it is said that they both have agreed to focus on greater student, faculty and people-to-people exchanges, affirming that cooperation in education should focus on building the quality of human resources in both countries.

Canada’s partnership in the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) of India which gives opportunities to Canadian researchers to cooperate in learning, teaching and research at select institutions in India is also welcomed by PM Modi. The first co-funded student exchange programme which will be managed by the MHRD’s Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) and Canada’s Mitacs Globalink Program is also applauded by both Premiers.

Modi and Harper had earlier, discussed the opportunities inherent in India’s goal of skills development and had welcomed MoUs between 13 Canadian colleges and the Indian National Skill Development Council to offer skills-based courses in the fields of agriculture, apparel and textiles, automotive, aviation, construction, green economy, healthcare, hydrocarbons, IT, telecom and electronics, sports sector, and water.

The two leaders also agreed to renew the Canada-India MoU on Higher Education on a rolling basis.

Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Canada is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 42 years.