New Delhi, July 8 (ANI): With two new initiatives in research and higher education, Canada continues to forge new links and strengthen existing ties with India. David Malone, who was Canada’s High Commissioner to India from 2006-2008, and is now the president of Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a funder of global development research, has outlined a new capacity building initiative to increase the ability of research institutions to shape economic and social policy.

The IDRC is seeking applications from research institutions focussing on economic and social policy from five South Asian countries, including India.Under a second initiative, the University of Alberta has announced a partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay, that will see students and faculty from both institutions working closely on health and energy issues.

The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the top 100 teaching and research universities in the world.The agreement will enhance existing relationships between individual engineering and science faculties from both institutions. Students and researchers from the University of Alberta will also be able to travel and work in India and their counterparts will come to Edmonton.

Indira Samarasekera, U of A president, said partnering with IIT-Bombay is consistent with the university’s mission to connect with the world.

“We understand the importance of working collaboratively with other leaders in finding solutions that will make a meaningful difference in our global community,” Samarasekera said.

“Our partnership with IIT-Bombay also illustrates our commitment to serve Alberta and the country, as it makes it possible for our researchers to travel and work directly with their counterparts in India through summer school programs, joint research initiatives and our new Distinguished U of A-IIT-B Professorship in Nanotechnology/Energy exchange program,” she said.

Currently, IIT-Bombay is ranked 36th by Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings among engineering and IT universities, and produces about 20 per cent of India’s PhD graduates.

The U of A is in similar company, ranking 74th overall, 45th in lifesciences and biomedicine, and 46th in engineering and information technology. (ANI)