According to a Canadian government release, the new strategy, jointly introduced by Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada and representing more than 20 Canadian institutions, is built on four pillars: embedding Canadian capability in India’s priority sectors, translating knowledge and talent into economic outcomes, rebalancing the talent relationship, and delivering results quickly.
“This strategy includes 13 new agreements on research, hybrid campuses, and AI centres of excellence. It will create new opportunities for students and researchers, drive economic growth, and strengthen the ties between our two countries,” said Anita Anand, Canada’s minister of foreign affairs, who was in Mumbai to witness the agreements being signed.
The 13 MOUs signed between Canadian and Indian universities include agreements between the University of British Columbia and O.P. Jindal Global University to facilitate student and faculty exchanges and research.
They also include a nursing dual degree program between Dalhousie University and SRM Institute of Science and Technology supporting a potential pathway to nursing practice in Nova Scotia; and a collaboration between the University of Toronto’s Temerty Centre for AI Research and Education in Medicine and the Indian Institute of Science, which will support a centre of excellence (CoE) in AI research and talent development.
Further initiatives include an innovation campus involving Dalhousie University, the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, alongside an AI CoE led by McGill University to support joint research and talent development between India and Canada.
The strategy will also facilitate up to CAD$25 million in funding for more than 274 scholarships for Indian students in Canada, administered through the University of Toronto.
During talks, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships for Canadians program, under which more than 85 Canadian graduate students and researchers from 11 institutions will travel to India to collaborate with local academics in areas including AI, climate resilience and clean hydrogen.
Moreover, an MOU was signed between India and Canada to promote collaboration and exchanges in the performing and visual arts, music, books, entertainment technologies and other creative industries. An agreement between the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Mitacs will also expand the Globalink Research Internship program, enabling around 300 Indian undergraduate students each year to undertake research placements at Canadian universities.
The spate of MOUs follows a delegation visit by 21 Canadian institutions led by Universities Canada earlier last month, which met Indian universities, government and industry leaders to discuss partnerships.
Carney’s visit to India from February 27-March 2, marking 79 years of bilateral ties, also encouraged offshore campuses for Canadian institutions in India, and the revival of the Joint Working Group on Higher Education.
“This is a new chapter in a very important relationship, and it demands a new partnership on higher education and research, which is vital to the future of both our countries,” said Gabriel Miller, president and CEO of Universities Canada, which will lead development of the strategy with partners in India and aims to present recommendations within six months ahead of the next G20 meeting.
The most ambitious projects in clean energy, the digital economy, biofuels and the next generation of AI talent are all here in India. Canada shares this ambition and purpose
Mark Carney, Canadian Prime Minister
Canada’s strong pivot to transnational education and research comes as the country has seen a record over 60% dip in new international student arrivals, particularly affecting its largest source market, India.
Though over 400,000 Indian students were reported to be studying in Canada as of 2025, high study visa refusals and processing delays following policy changes aimed at reducing international students are now prompting a shift from “volume-driven student mobility to structured academic collaboration” with India.
Carney’s visit focused on several areas beyond education, including a 10-year nuclear energy deal and progress toward a free trade agreement by the end of 2026, as Canada and India seek to repair ties after both countries expelled diplomats following allegations by the Canadian government that Delhi was linked to the killing of a known Canadian Sikh activist.
Under Carney, the tone has shifted, with the Canadian government stating it sees no current link between India and violent crimes or threats in Canada, at a time when it is seeking to reduce dependence on the US amid an unpredictable Trump-led administration.
“There have been more engagements between the Canadian and Indian governments in the last year than in more than two decades combined. This is not just a renewal of the relationship, it is the expansion of a valued partnership with new ambition, focus and foresight. A partnership between two confident countries charting our own course for the future,” stated Carney in his remarks at a joint briefing with Modi.
“The most ambitious projects in clean energy, the digital economy, biofuels and the next generation of AI talent are all here in India. Canada shares this ambition and purpose.”
