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OTTAWA, June 10, 2010 – When the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada’s two-day workshop on strategic engagement with India wraps up today, participants from more than one-third of Canada’s universities will return to their campuses equipped with strategic and practical approaches to nurturing productive, long-term, value-added relationships with Indian counterparts.

“Canada’s universities are pursuing opportunities in India that will enrich experiences for students, strengthen links between Canada and India, and advance international research collaboration,” said Paul Davidson, President of AUCC.

Coupled with its rapid economic rise, India is dramatically expanding its higher education system and is on track to surpass the research capacity of each G8 country within the decade. It is vitally important that Canada engages with India, and Canada’s universities are well placed to promote Canada and develop effective partnerships.

With its international partnership and internationalization expertise, and with the strong support of university presidents across Canada, AUCC has made strategic engagement with India a priority.

The workshop entitled Advancing Excellence in Strategic Engagement with India, builds on AUCC’s involvement with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s Higher Education Summits in 2008 and 2009 and a graduate mobility workshop held in Delhi in 2009. The two-day session in Ottawa drew over 50 participants from over 30 Canadian universities and included leading experts form India and the private sector.

It follows recent missions by Prime Minister Harper, and Premiers McGuinty and Charest, where higher education featured prominently on the agenda. The event also sets the stage for a mission of 15 university presidents to India later this fall.

Workshop participants were unanimous that Canadian universities can help ensure Canada becomes a partner of choice for India and that they have great value to bring to the Indian higher education sector. “While there are many distinct models of engagement being utilized by the Canadian universities, the underlying goals for their commitments are the same: reciprocity, longevity and productivity. We see vast potential in what Canada is doing – mobilizing its expertise from diverse institutions and setting the pace for engagement that is in the best interest of both nations,” said Pawan Agarwal, Secretary to the Government of West Bengal. “We look forward to welcoming the Canadian delegation to India this fall,” he added.

Key note and other speakers urged participants of the workshop to think about long-term, substantive and sustained efforts with Indian partners as a means to create opportunities for Canadian students and faculty to gain first-hand experience. As India’s importance in the world grows, individuals skilled with engaging India will be in high demand.

To conclude the AUCC workshop this evening, the Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Shashishekhar M. Gavai, will welcome participants to his home, a networking opportunity also marking the kick-off to the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute’s annual members’ meeting commencing Friday. Earlier in the workshop, he congratulated AUCC for reaching out to India on behalf of the Canadian universities and for making major contributions to bridge the higher education sectors of the two countries.

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AUCC is the national voice for Canada’s universities. It represents 95 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities.

For more information:

Alison Hebbs
Assistant director, Communications
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

by Paul Davidson
President and CEO
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

This op-ed was published in the Embassy newspaper on June 9, 2010.

A recent call for building a “Canada brand” in India by the former Clerk of the Privy Council, Kevin Lynch, is being pursued by Canada’s higher education sector. In his article, “India: An Emerging Economic Power”, published in Policy Options in April, Mr. Lynch argues there is vast opportunity for Canada to create a niche and the potential for benefits is high.

India is constantly characterized as an unparalleled innovation hub and an “emerging economic powerhouse” these days, with its population reaching well over 1.15 billion people (a full 17 percent of the world’s population), and therefore the largest democracy on the planet. India achieved steady average real annual growth of almost nine percent from 2003 to 2007. Even in 2009’s recession, according to Canada’s Export Development Corporation, the country’s economy grew by six percent in the final quarter.

This translates into a burgeoning Indian middle class, many times larger than the entire Canadian population, which is driving strong domestic demand. This demand is not limited to consumer goods – the list includes better infrastructure, more effective and transparent local government, efficient and effective application of the rule of law and better higher education opportunities.

Over the next decade it is anticipated that 1,400 new postsecondary institutions will be created to serve seven million more students. India is opening its doors and inviting more international partnerships to help mount the response.

Canadian universities are answering the call. There’s no doubt that now is the time to create opportunities for successful engagement and dialogue with key Indian government decision-makers, business leaders and universities to underscore the excellence of Canadian universities.

Canada’s universities are pursuing opportunities in India that will enrich experiences for students, strengthen links between Canada and India, and advance international research collaboration. There is much to do. For example, while there are 28,000 Indian students studying in Australia, there are only 2,800 Indian students in Canada. Thomson Reuters reported last fall that India is on track to surpass the research capacity of each G8 country within the decade. And there are many opportunities for linkages with the Indian private sector.

This is precisely why the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada is gathering national, international and India experts in Ottawa on June 9th and 10th to discuss some of these successes with an aim of advancing strategies for engagement with the Indian higher education sector. The workshop is being held in preparation for a November 2010 university presidents’ mission to India that AUCC will lead.

The AUCC mission forms one building block in a series of ongoing efforts to develop a strategy for improving Canada-India academic relations that is focused and sustainable and will achieve concrete results for the benefit of both nations. During his visit to India last November, Prime Minister Harper convened a roundtable on higher education underscoring the importance of this sector to Canada’s India strategy.

More recent missions led by Premiers McGuinty and Charest also reflect Canada’s ambitions. An upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Harper and Prime Minister Singh on June 27th following the G20 may also advance the higher education agenda.

As Mr. Lynch correctly points out, Canada has much to work with in undertaking these steps: strong cultural links; high-tech companies; a strong university research system; natural resource strengths; and a multicultural society and work force. Canada is home to over a million Indian immigrants. And we already have several well-established Indo-Canadian academic partnerships underway.

We recognize the commitment must be long term and that collaboration between the two countries’ governments, businesses and research communities will be key. This week’s workshop and the November mission are important steps in demonstrating our coordinated efforts to create stronger networks among university heads and to consolidate the impact of Canadian universities’ activities in India.

OTTAWA, June 3, 2010 — The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada welcomes the federal government’s efforts to modernize the current copyright law. The proposed legislation strikes a fair balance between creators and users of copyright works and will facilitate online learning.

“We are very pleased that the bill amends the fair dealing provision to include the purpose of education,” said Paul Davidson, president and CEO of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. “The bill contains many of the changes the university community suggested during the government’s public consultations last summer such as an exception for educational use of Internet materials that will permit educators and students to use publicly available Internet materials while teaching and learning.”

Canadian universities also welcome educational amendments that will allow the presentation of films in the classroom and the recording of lessons that can be made available for viewing by students at the time of their choosing. They also endorse the approach taken to limiting the liability of Internet Service Providers, including universities.

“Professors and students at Canadian universities are both creators and users of copyright works,” said Mr. Davidson. “Canadian universities recognize the importance of balance between the desire of creators to receive fair remuneration for the use of their works and the public interest in being able to use information for purposes such as research and education. This copyright law will result in a fairer treatment for both parties.”

However, AUCC is concerned about the overly strict prohibition against circumventing the technical measures used to protect works in digital format. We fear that this prohibition will diminish users’ rights that are an integral part of the proper balance in copyright law.

AUCC will be studying the bill in more detail and looks forward to expressing its views on the proposed legislation during hearings of the House of Commons Industry Committee. In the meantime, we will draw to the government’s attention the areas of the bill which we feel require amendment to ensure appropriate balance in the legislation.

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The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada is the voice of Canada’s universities. It represents 95 Canadian public and private not-for profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

For additional information on this release and AUCC, please contact:

Lyse Huot
Director, Government Relations and Communications
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

OTTAWA, June 2, 2010

National and international experts are gathering in Ottawa June 9th and 10th, 2010 to discuss success stories and strategies for engagement with the Indian higher education sector. Join us for this dynamic forum for peer exchange and dialogue to support Canadian universities’ efforts to form productive long-term partnerships with Indian organizations. The workshop is a key lead up event to a November 2010 university presidents’ mission to India that AUCC is leading.

What: The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada’s workshop, Striving for Excellence in Strategic Engagement with India. Journalists are invited to attend sessions except for small group discussions. Photo and interview opportunities can be arranged with presenters. The full agenda is attached.

When: June 9 and 10, 2010

Where: Pinnacle Room, Penthouse level, Crowne Plaza, 101 Lyon Street, Ottawa, ON (public parking available under Place de Ville or in the public lot between Queen and Albert Streets at Kent.)

Who: Attendees will hear from:

• Shashishekhar M. Gavai, Indian High Commissioner to Canada
• Pawan Agarwal, Secretary to the Government of West Bengal and author of the book Indian Higher Education: Envisioning the Future
• Kaustav Ganguli, Engagement Manager, Infocomm, Media and Education practice, Tata Strategic Management Group, Mumbai, India
• Parag Diwan, Vice-Chancellor, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, New Delhi, India
• Shobha Mishra, Director, Higher Education Group, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi, India

The event is open and free of charge to the media. Spaces are limited and journalists are encouraged to register by contacting Alison Hebbs at 613-563-3961 ext. 238.

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AUCC is the national voice for Canada’s universities. It represents 95 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

For more information:

Alison Hebbs
Assistant Director, Communications
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

OTTAWA, May 27, 2010 – On the week that marks Africa Day, the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada is proud to announce it has formed a new partnership with the Association of African Universities to strengthen African universities’ relationships with local and regional industries. This project will create 27 new university-industry partnerships, with about 250 AAU member institutions benefiting.

“Universities are critical members of today’s knowledge economy,” says Goolam Mohamedbhai, Secretary General of the Association of African Universities. “They not only generate the knowledge and a highly skilled workforce, they also create vital networks that bring people, knowledge and infrastructure together.”

Through this partnership, financially supported by the Canadian International Development Agency, African universities will be linked more closely with the private sector, positioning them to better develop the skills and knowledge to meet Africa’s economic needs. African universities have faced challenges in strengthening their linkages with the private sector due to under-resourcing.

“Higher education is one of the most powerful yet underestimated instruments of development,” says Paul Davidson, president and CEO of AUCC.

Professor Mohamedbhai says his association approached AUCC because Canadian universities have successfully pioneered effective linkages with the private sector and other key stakeholders over the past several decades.

AUCC and Canadian universities, in turn, will gain enhanced relationships with African universities. With these new relationships, Canadian institutions can continue to reinforce the pivotal role of higher education in economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa.

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AUCC is the voice of Canada’s universities representing 95 Canadian public and private, not-for-profit universities and university-degree level colleges.

For more information:

Liz Smith, Communications
Partnerships Programs
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada