Indian High Commissioner Vikas Swarup meets with UAlberta President Dr. David Turpin
High Commissioner Swarup visited UAlberta, where he met with a group of academics and students for a roundtable luncheon to discuss the wide range of ongoing and upcoming collaborations that UAlberta is involved with together with partner institutions in India.
Participating in the luncheon were representatives from University of Alberta International, Engage India: Association of Professors, Faculties of ALES, Arts, Engineering, Medicine & Dentistry and Science, Alberta School of Business, School of Public Health, Integrative Health Institute, the Students Union and the Graduate Students' Association.
The High Commissioner was pleased to hear of the extent of UAlberta's multi-disciplinary engagement with India, remarking that "India needs each and every one of you." Encouragement was also given for UAlberta researchers to participate in the recently launched Government of India Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) to address key national and international problems through socially relevant research.
Following the roundtable, High Commissioner Swarup met with President Turpin to discuss additional ways for UAlberta to collaborate with Indian institutions, industry and government, identifying UAlberta's strengths in AI, agriculture, and urban planning being of utmost importance in alignment with the Government of India's current priorities.
President Turpin thanked High Commissioner Swarup for all of his support to UAlberta during his tenure and congratulated him on his new appointment as Secretary of Overseas Indian Affairs in the External Affairs Ministry of India, which he will begin in November 2019.
High Commissioner Swarup last visited UAlberta in May 2018 to deliver a public lecture on "The New India".