Canadian university signs pact with colleges in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida to deepen higher education partnership

NEW DELHI: A delegation from Canada's Cape Breton University (CBU) has signed three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Indian academic institutions as part of a multi-city outreach to deepen higher education partnerships.

Led by CBU president and vice-chancellor David C Dingwall, the delegation visited New Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Vadodara and Ahmedabad as one of the university's most extensive engagements in India. The delegation visited Indian cities from April 27 to May 2.

In the national capital, Dingwall met Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood and discussed collaboration opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence , community development and startup ecosystems, a statement by the CBU University said.

In Delhi, CBU signed a five-year MoU with BML Munjal University's School of Engineering and Technology to facilitate student and faculty exchanges, joint research initiatives and co-creation of academic conferences .

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Delhi Govt's 'Educity' model

A second agreement was inked with the National Education Forum (NEF), designating it as CBU's official convening partner in India to support structured engagement with central and state governments as well as leading academic institutions , the statement said.

The university also formalised a partnership with Lok Jagruti Kendra University in Gujarat, while holding discussions with Parul University and Navrachana University to expand collaborations and build a regional academic network focused on student mobility and jointly developed programmes.

During his meeting with Sood, Dingwall discussed potential collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence, community development and startup ecosystems. Sood outlined his vision for an "Educity" model - an integrated campus framework enabling global universities to operate from shared infrastructure in the capital, the statement said.

In Gujarat, the delegation met Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi in Gandhinagar. Discussions centred on building talent pipelines aligned with workforce needs in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, renewable energy and automotive manufacturing, it said.

The state government extended support for potential collaborations and invited CBU to explore opportunities linked to projects such as the Dholera Special Investment Region, it stated. Hybrid learning models emerged as a key theme across engagements, enabling Indian students to complete foundational coursework domestically before transitioning to CBU's campus in Sydney, Nova Scotia.