Explained : Canadian universities ink partnerships with Indian counterparts during Carney’s visit and Its Impact

Canadian universities signed 13 partnerships with counterparts in India Saturday during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit – part of a new talent and innovation strategy to deepen educational links between Canada and the subcontinent.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, speaking in Mumbai as the agreements were signed, said the pacts will expand joint research, student and faculty exchanges and Canada-India artificial intelligence centres of excellence.

Mr. Carney is trying to mend relations with India after a diplomatic rupture that saw Ottawa accuse New Delhi of murdering a Canadian citizen in 2023 and Indian diplomats of being part of a campaign of violence against Canadians.

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The Prime Minister is also trying to double non-U.S. trade in an effort to reduce Canada’s economic reliance on the increasing protectionist and unpredictable United States under President Donald Trump.

Ms. Anand told a Mumbai audience that education collaboration between countries is a “cornerstone of economic diplomacy” because it builds trust, opens doors across multiple industry sectors and “lays the foundation for long-term co-operation.”

The new strategy is being developed by Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada.

Partnerships signed Saturday include a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the University of British Columbia and OP Jindal Global University to support research as well as student and faculty exchanges. Another MOU, between the University of Toronto and the Indian Institute of Science, focuses on AI research and education. This partnership involves the Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine and other University of Toronto AI researchers.

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During the deep freeze in ties with Canada, the government of India issued a warning to Indian students in Canada about what it called “growing anti-India activities” and “politically condoned hate crimes.”

Then, in 2024, Canada also initiated a series of policy changes aimed at cutting the number of international students, a shift that affected many Indian students.

Universities Canada president Gabriel Miller, who led a group of more than 20 university presidents to India several weeks ago, said he found the bilateral diplomatic chill didn’t have lingering effects.

“When I came here three weeks ago. I thought there might be a lot of confusion and anger, but what I found were people who are so focused on the future and the practical opportunity there is – working closely with Canada – that I think if we stay on the road we’re on, we’re going to be able to turn the page.”

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He said India has ambitious plans to educate its population and Canada will benefit from being a part of this. The new partnerships could include Canadian institutions setting up a physical presence in India but also programs where students spend two years studying in India and another two in Canada, he said.

Mr. Miller said Canada wants quality over quantity when it comes to future Indian students.

“There’s no question that the country lost its way there for a couple of years: we were too focused on volume, and also there were people who were allowed to abuse our system,” Mr. Miller. “We can have a sustainable level of incoming students in Canada that’s completely compatible with sustainable immigration levels.”

Mr. Miller said he is looking forward to a more balanced relationship.

“It can’t just be students coming to Canada. It needs to be faculty coming here to help them build their capacity. It needs to be research partnerships. It needs to be programs that have people start in India and then finish in Canada, because they’re going to need all of the tools we offer to accomplish an incredibly ambitious group of challenges in terms of educating hundreds of millions of people.”

He said benchmarks to measure the success of this new effort will include whether Canada’s attraction of international students from India is sustainable, whether Canada makes progress in providing housing and other services for students and whether Canada is attracting students “who will make the biggest impact in our economy in areas like AI or energy or agricultural technology.”

University of Toronto president Melanie Woodin said in an interview that the school has agreed to a partnership with the Indian Institute of Science, to develop a centre of excellence that will build predictive artificial intelligence tools in health-care systems.

Dr. Woodin said the partnership will tap the strengths of each country to improve health systems and outcomes.

“Canadians have not been rapid adopters of artificial intelligence in the way that India has,” Dr. Woodin said. “We’re looking to bring together India’s expertise in innovation with our joint leadership in AI to drive change in health care.”

Dr. Woodin said U of T is also looking to recruit top students from India. Applications from India had dropped in recent years as tensions grew between the two countries but now appear to be rebounding, she said.

She expects the number of Indian students at U of T, presently around 1,800 at the undergraduate and graduate level, will continue to grow in the years ahead. The university has awarded $63 million in merit-based scholarships to students from India since 2020, she added.

“India has an exceptional education system, and some of the top thinkers in many fields come out of India. As a top, globally ranked institution, we’re always looking to have the best and the brightest.”