Canada is working on a Silicon Valley kind of plan: Navdeep Bains

Navdeep Bains, Canada’s minister of innovation, science and economic development, is proud that Indians who go to his country either for work or study, are driven by a desire to succeed.

“As in our government [Canada had four ministers of Indian origin and 18 members of Parliament], so also in academia, Indians in Canada are risk-takers and have a can-do attitude,” he told ET Magazine in an exclusive interview during an official visit to New Delhi this week.

Indian students and professors are the ones who want to succeed at Canadian campuses, he said.

“There are more Indian students on our campuses now, at over 1,00,000. Applications from Indian students increased 100% over the last year. They go with the desire to learn and succeed. They promote entrepreneurship; help the academic ecosystem and benefit people in Canada from coast to coast.”

The minister sees a growing number of people of Indian origin leading innovation at Canadian educational institutions and contributing towards the academic ecosystem.

“The government of Canada is working on a Silicon Valley kind of plan to create super-clusters through which scientific research from academic institutions can be used to benefit larger communities. Our idea is to promote more collaboration between academia, industry and civil society,” says the proud alumnus of York University and the University of Windsor.

An advantage that Canadian education provides for international students is the collaboration between STEM education and arts education, points out Bains.

“Our government is investing a lot of resources in promoting diversity and cross-collaboration between different disciplines including arts, science, engineering and math.”