Ropar, February 27
Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar) hosted a distinguished five-member delegation from the University of Saskatchewan (USask), Canada, in a landmark engagement aimed at forging a deep and enduring academic partnership between the two premier institutions. The visit marked a significant step toward strengthening India-Canada ties in higher education, scientific research, and innovation.
The delegation was led by Dr. Baljit Singh, Vice-President Research at USask, and included Brit Tastad, Executive and Strategy Officer; Alix Hayden, Director of Innovation, Mobilization and Partnerships; Dr. Michael Bradley, Dean of the College of Engineering and Dr. Steve Shirtliffe, Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. The delegation was received by Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director, IIT Ropar and Prof. Rohit Sharma, Dean, International Relations and was accompanied by all Deans and Heads of Departments, which set the stage for wide-ranging discussions. Talks centered on establishing frameworks for student and faculty exchange programs, identifying joint research opportunities, and building collaborative mechanisms for innovation and technology transfer between the two institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, IIT Ropar’s Director underscored the importance of such bilateral engagements in internationalizing the institution’s academic and research profile. “Partnerships with globally reputed universities like the University of Saskatchewan enable our students and faculty to gain exposure to world class research environments. We look forward to building a long term, mutually beneficial collaboration,” Prof. Ahuja added.
The visiting scholars were taken through the Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub (iHub-AWADH) and ANNAM.AI, where cutting-edge work at the intersection of technology and food security is being pursued. Given USask’s own strong tradition in plant sciences and agricultural research, the delegation expressed keen interest in exploring joint projects in precision agriculture and water management, areas of critical importance to both Canada and India.
The delegation also visited the Technology Business Incubator Foundation (TBIF), IIT Ropar’s vibrant startup ecosystem, which has nurtured several deep-tech ventures. Dr. Shray Pathak guided the guests through the incubator’s programmes and infrastructure, drawing interest from the USask team in potential industry-academia linkages and entrepreneurship exchange initiatives.
