Establishment of ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at the University of Alberta

An academic chair for Indian Studies will be set up at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing the Chair was signed in Ottawa recently by Prof. Bill Flanagan, President & Vice Chancellor of the University of Alberta and H.E. Mr. Ajay Bisaria, the High Commissioner of India, on behalf of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

The University of Alberta has been a prominent destination for Indian students for several years and presently has over 850 resident Indian students pursuing various courses of studies, including 110 Doctoral students apart from over 200 students under its various exchange programmes, besides a sizeable number of faculty from India.

The MOU will be in effect for a period of three years from the 2022-23 academic year and has a provision for extension for a similar period.

Speaking on the occasion of the signing of the MOU, Prof. Bill Flanagan and High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria highlighted the longstanding relationship of the University of Alberta with India, through its various initiatives and exchange programmes. With the signing of the present MOU, a new link has been established to widen the collaboration with the University.

India and Canada share a longstanding partnership in higher education. More than 280,000 Indian students are enrolled in post-secondary education institutions in Canada, contributing significantly to the Canadian higher education system. The Chair on Indian Studies will further strengthen the academic exchanges in the India-Canada education corridor. This will be the third India Studies Chair that has been recently established in Canadian Universities, after the ones in Concordia and Simon Fraser Universities. Establishment of chairs in other universities are under process.

Ottawa

16 June 2022