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New Canadian study centre at Panjab varsity

Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH: The cash-strapped Panjab University here has received a virtual shot in the arm with the Canada-based University College of the Fraser University presenting a cheque for 30,000 Canadian dollars (Rs.10 lakhs) to the PU Vice-Chancellor, K. N. Pathak, for establishment of a Canadian Study Centre. A high-profile delegation which included H.A. Bassford, President of the University College of the Fraser Valley, Jane Bassford, L. Mackenzie, Dean, D.J. Sandhu, Adviser to the President, and Kirti, a student, met Dr.Pathak and his senior colleagues on the PU campus on Saturday.

According to University sources, the Memorandum of Understanding between the two educational institutions was signed in November 2004 to formalise collaboration efforts in research and faculty exchanges. The Canadian University pledged its support to the establishment of a Canadian Studies Centre at the Panjab University and in January this year, Canada's Health Minister, Ujjal Dosanjh, visited the PU Campus here and formally announced a financial commitment of Rs.10 lakhs towards the setting up of the Centre. The sources further pointed out that the rationale for setting up of the Centre was that the northern States, particularly Punjab, had very vibrant economic, political, social and community ties with Canada; majority of the Indian diaspora in Canada had their roots in Punjab and the Panjab University had already signed three MOUs with the University of Manitoba, the Simon Fraser University and the University College of the Fraser Valley. Moreover, the Panjab University has research exchange programmes with the International Institute of Sustainable Development, Winnipeg under the Shastri Applied Research Project (SHARP), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and administered by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute (SICI). They further told The Hindu that the Centre would promote Indo-Canadian Indian Studies in social sciences, sciences, humanities and professional disciplines like engineering, law and management; encourage research on Indian Diaspora in Canada; undertake studies on Indo-Canadian trade and economic relations; facilitate exchange of faculty and students and supply policy inputs both to the Indian (specially Punjab) and the Canadian governments.

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New Canadian study centre at Panjab varsity

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