Thaindian News

Toronto, June 13 (IANS) A leading educationist here has called for a 3E “super partnership” - involving energy, entrepreneurship and education - between India and Canada in mutual interest.
Indira Samarasekera, who is the president of the University of Alberta, said India and Canada can forge this super partnership by strategically focussing on energy, entrepreneurship and education as their interests complement in these areas.

“With a focus on the three Es, Canada and India (can) lay the foundations of a formidable super-partnership,” she said while delivering the keynote address on ‘Exploring Possibilities, Achieving Heights’ at a function where the apex Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce honoured 11 Indo-Canadians and organizations for their accomplishment in various walks of life.

As millions of Indians rise out of poverty thanks to the country’s growth rate, she said, India would need huge energy resources in the coming years. Canada, with the world’s second largest supply of oil, can be “a reliable energy supplier” for India, she said.

With India importing 70 percent of energy resources, she said Canada could help the rising South Asian giant with its world-class energy research facilities.

Her own University of Alberta, she said, has already forged energy partnerships with IIT Mumbai, the Indian Institute of Science, and Petrotech and Tata Consultancy Services and was in talks with IIT Kharagpur and the University of Hyderabad.

Praising India’s rising entrepreneur class, she said, “Few countries are so rife with creative, risk-taking entrepreneurs as India..and the award winners celebrated this night exemplify the impact of this spirit of entrepreneurship on the prosperity of Canada.”

Entrepreneurial collaboration between the two countries can help meet Canada’s need for “more entrepreneurial knowledge energy lie this,” she said.

Highlighting India’s higher education deficit, she said Canadian universities can help India nurture its young talent by enrolling more students as against just 7,000 now. Canadian universities need to raise their profile in India and the large Indo-Canadian community can help build Canadian brand in higher education in India, she said.

Among those honoured at the annual gala dinner here included Ontario provincial minister Harinder Takhar and Montreal businessman Baljit Chadha.

Various artists enthralled the gathering which included government and opposition leaders, MPs and MLAs, Indian High Commissioner Shashshekhar Gavai and top Indo-Canadian businessmen.