Ottawa, ON — Mitacs, a Canadian not-for-profit research and training organization, and the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU) signed an agreement creating opportunities for graduate students from both countries to participate in industrial research internships.
The agreement was signed by Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs, and Vidar Pedersen, Head of SIU’s Department for Higher Education, on behalf of Harald Nybølet, Director General of the SIU. The partnership was signed at the Canadian Bureau of International Education’s 50th annual conference, and witnessed by the Ambassador of Norway to Canada, Her Excellency Anne Kari H. Ovind.
The Mitacs-SIU partnership will allow for the exchange of up to 10 graduate students per year from each country for three years to undertake 16- to 24-week industrial research internships with local companies in each country.
The agreement is the first to foster bilateral industrial research internships for Canadian and Norwegian students under Mitacs’ Globalink program. The initiative is modelled after Mitacs’ successful domestic internship program, Accelerate, which sees graduate students solve research-based challenges in partnership with companies in Canada.
Quotes:
Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs
“This partnership with Norway represents the shared values of both countries to nurture talent and foster innovation. Graduate students from Canada will have opportunities to develop as global citizens by engaging first-hand with businesses and applying their research skills in new settings through this program.”
Harald Nybølet, Director General, Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU)
“Canada has come very far when it comes to international internship collaboration, and Norway has a lot to learn from Canada. We are very proud to have been invited to enter into a partnership with Mitacs. This agreement is the first of its kind in Norway, and we have great expectations to the partnership with Mitacs in years to come”.
Quick facts about Mitacs:
- Within Canada, Mitacs has worked with 60 universities, over 6,000 companies, and federal and provincial governments, building partnerships that support industrial and social innovation.
- To further strengthen international research collaborations, Mitacs Globalink now offers two-way mobility opportunities between Canada and partner countries — Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia — for undergraduate and graduate students.
Quick facts about SIU:
- SIU is Norway’s official agency for international programs and measures related to education. It is commissioned by several national and international public organizations to administer programs at all levels of education.
- In addition, SIU is responsible for promoting Norway as a cooperation and study destination, as well as providing information and advisory services within the field of internationalization in education.
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Photo (left to right): Vidar Pedersen, Head of SIU’s Department for Higher Education with Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director of Mitacs. Behind: Ambassador of Norway to Canada, Her Excellency Anne Kari H. Ovind.
