Knowledge Mobilization ?
The Canada-India Context
Balbir S. Sahni
Presented at Synergy 2011 Education Conference
Organised by Canada-India Education Council
October 2011 · Toronto
Knowledge Mobilization?
The Canada-India Context
I.
Motivation
II.
Canada-India Educational Linkages
III. Student Mobility: Statistics
IV.
Memorandum of Understanding Momentum: Work in Progress
V.
Welcome Dimensions of Partnerships
VI.
Selective Guidelines
VII. Concluding Remark
I. Motivation
• The Education Summit and Engaging India Conference
during June 2011 in Ottawa
• Knowledge Mobilization (KM) to be recognised as an
ultimate objective of academic and research
partnerships
• KM for wider benefits, ultimately to be available as input
towards the relevant policy making process
• Range of partnerships in varying formats and structures,
can serve as a central and unifying theme
• As for Canada-India quantum jump in the number of
collaborative initiatives and MoUs.
• If properly focussed, could contribute to significant
advancements in measurable KM output, but initially
need to meet key prerequisites aimed at enhancing
interactions amongst scholars in partner countries
II. Canada-India Educational Linkages
• Growth of educational interactions encouraging
• Canada-India MoU in Higher Education affords ample
opportunities to retain focus on KM
• Sustainability of overall partnership, at the same time
exhibiting the branding of education infrastructure in
each country
• At present in Canada, all three federal granting councils,
viz. CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC, are cognizant of the
importance of KM. The Indian counterparts are equally
committed to this process
• Well-focused collaborative research agenda engaging
graduate students, joint supervision and research, also
engaging industrial sectors in thematic research portfolio
critical.
• Recent developments in Student Mobility & MoUs
relevant
III. Student Mobility: Statistics
•
Among the host regions, clearly North America & Western
Europe attracts the largest share and as for regions of origin it is
East Asia & the Pacific, followed by others
•
Enriching global mobility, engaging all regions, influenced by
push and pull factors caused by current regional weaknesses
and strengths resulting in sizable outbound and inbound mobility
respectively
•
Over time we will witness gradual changing distributions globally,
with Canada-India continuing present momentum in student
mobility and research partnerships
•
India has now assumed the second position (next to China in
term of annual flow of students and in terms of the stock, third
position (after China and Korea)
•
While the undergraduates continue to serve as a feeder for
graduate studies, imperative to attract more participation in
graduate studies and collaborative research
Figure 1
Worldwide Distribution of International Student
Mobility at Post secondary Level
[3 million students]
(a) Distribution: Host Regions
(b) Distribution: Regions of Origin
(UNESCO Global Education Digest 2010)
Figure 2
Top 10 Countries of Origin of
Foreign Students in Canada (2010)
(a) Flow
(b) Stock
(Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Facts and Figures 2010 Data)
Table 1
Foreign Students Present in Canada on Dec 1st,
2010 by Level of Study
Level of Study
2009
Percentage
2010
Percentage
Secondary or less
34,459
17.57%
18,352
14.82%
Trade
19,640
10.01%
10,956
8.85%
107,441
54.78%
66,381
53.61%
27,118
13.83%
22,862
18.46%
7,451
3.80%
5,253
4.24%
29
0.01%
12
0.01%
196,138
100.00%
123,816
100.00%
University
Other post-secondary
Other
Level of study not
stated
Total
(Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
2010 Data)
Figure 3
Annual Flow of Indian Students to Canada
(1991-2010)
14,000
12,188
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
5,984
4,000
2,000
591 739 636 598
455 475 448 579
2,285
1,418
1,042
815
2,693
2,968 2,946
2,493
2,087
0
(Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Facts and Figures 2010 Data)
3,501
Figure 4
Canada-India Student Mobility
Stock and Flows (2000-2010)
(Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Facts and Figures 2010 Data)
Figure 5
Total Entries of Foreign Students by Top Source
Countries (2008-2010)
(Source: CIC Facts and Figures 2010 Data
Released September 28, 2011 )
(IV) Memorandum of Understanding Momentum:
Work in Progress
• The present Shastri survey (work in progress) of its
members reaffirms the MOU momentum. Respondents
from Indian and Canadian member points to
approximately 200 MoUs engaging over 125 institutions
because of duplication
• More interesting is the fact that a cross section of
institutions in India and similarly those in Canada have
found partners
• Recent collaborative efforts are focused on several areas
of bilateral research, also relevant globally
• While major partnerships are with academic institutions,
an increasing number of MoUs show collaborations with
expertise outside of academia as well.
Status of Current Canada- India MoUs
•
A simple survey of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute member
institutions (work in progress) reveals ongoing momentum as
evident in the data as of October 4,2011:
•
Number of institutions responded from the partner countries: 39
Canada 28 and India 11
•
Total number of present MoUs: 232 and 23 under discussions
•
A cross section of India and Canada focused institutions,
represent all regions from each country and cover all Faculties
•
Those who have responded thus far include:
•
Athabasca, BHU, Berhampur, C.C.Centre for Architecture,
Carleton, Concordia, Dalhousie, HEC, Indian Institute of
Advanced Studies, IIM-Bangalore, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kharagpur,
…………………………………….continued
•
IIT-Patna, IGNOU, McGill, Mt. Allison, Mt. Royal, NALSAR,
NLU, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Ontario Centre of Art &
Design, Queen’s, St. Mary’s, St. Thomas, SFU, The English &
Foreign Languages University, Universite LAVAL, Universite de
Montreal, University of Alberta, Calgary, UFV, Lethbridge,
Manitoba, Regina, Saskatchewan, Uvic, Waterloo, and York
Student and faculty exchanges, has often served (and is
sustained ) as the initial initiative. In more recent collaborative
efforts the focus has been to enhance research agenda of
mutual interest
Often, special funding is sought after jointly and an increasing
number of externally funded projects are in operation. Graduate
students are afforded research opportunities under cosupervision
…………………………………..continued
•
One recent development, implemented by a few partners is to
use the co-op format of degree program, allowing for study and/
or work-terms across in the partner country. When more formal
facilitating steps are in place, this might become more common
•
Besides academic institutions, an increasing number of private
sector entities are seen to welcome their participation
particularly in training and research efforts of students and
scholars
•
In selective cases the respondents seem to have sought out
participation of appropriate corporations. In fact, we find that
major players in the private sector are poised to play a
contributory role
V. Welcome Dimensions of Partnerships
• Interconnectivity between academia and industry
evident in successive Science & Technology (S&T
collaborative projects
• Existing cataloguing of Canada-India S&T projects and
their outcomes is bound to promote KM further
• Interdisciplinary participation and approaches to problem
solving are increasingly meriting support from funding
agencies. It will be beneficial to catalogue outcomes to
promote KM
• Greater awareness of each other’s environment is
helping players be more selective and successful in
identifying appropriate partners
• Recent establishment of Canada-India policy
development centres at academic institutions in Canada
following the long existence of Canadian Studies centres
in India bodes well for the future of knowledge sharing,
indeed KM
VI. Selective Guidelines
• Two-way flows must continue to underpin all activities
• Recruitment of qualified students and interns both at the
undergraduate and graduate level for degree programmes as well as
specialized vocational training
• Concerted attempts to have short-term visits of both students and
scholars
• Infrastructure within the sponsoring bodies to ensure dissemination
of information on collaborative academic/research partnerships
• Selecting the right partners is imperative
• This will ensure the sustainability of linkages
• Lack of due diligence could lead to unnecessary failures
• KM processes must be in the forefront
• Collaborative research agenda must be preceded by a mapping
study
• Appropriate interactions with relevant policy makers and other
stakeholders should be considered before, during and after the
project
V. Concluding Remark
Many types of stakeholders are represented here today –
each one of us will need to provide diligent support and
monitoring to ensure ultimate success. Furthermore, given
evident vibrancy exhibited by both sides, we have reasons
to be most optimistic.
Thank you!