Vancouver, BC – At the Australian Canadian Economic Leadership forum yesterday, Universities Australia (UA) and Mitacs, a Canadian not-for-profit research and training organization, signed an agreement that will allow Australian undergraduate students to participate in an elite research internship program in Canada for the first time.
Mitacs’ Globalink Research Internships is a competitive initiative already available to undergraduate students from Brazil, China, France, India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Vietnam. The program is highly sought after, attracting several thousands of applications each year. The UA agreement will add Australia to the list of Mitacs partner countries.
From June to September each year, top-ranked Australian applicants will participate in a 12-week research internship under the supervision of Canadian university faculty. Students are provided with professional skills training and gain valuable knowledge about Canadian industry and innovation. Interns interested in returning to Canada for graduate studies will be eligible for a Mitacs Globalink Graduate Fellowship.
Universities Australia Chief Executive, Belinda Robinson, said the signing marks the first ever Australia- Canada undergraduate research partnership. “We are delighted that nine Australian universities have agreed to participate in this exciting program in 2016. Successful candidates are likely to be those interested in pursuing a career in research and build long-lasting connections between Australia and Canada.”
“By formalizing this partnership between Canada and Australia, we are encouraging the exchange of research knowledge and innovation between our two countries,” said Alejandro Adem, Mitacs CEO and Scientific Director.
“The agreement with Universities Australia will provide new opportunities for Canadian faculty and universities to benefit from students’ international perspectives, while demonstrating the scope of hands-on Canadian research opportunities available.”
The following Australian universities have agreed to support students in the pilot program:
- The University of Sydney
- Monash University
- Queensland University of Technology
- James Cook University
- University of Wollongong
- The University of Western Australia
- Macquarie University
- The University of Queensland
- University of Tasmania
Learn more:
For more information about Mitacs programs, visit www.mitacs.ca/newsroom.
To learn about Universities Australia, see www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au.
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From left to right: The Honourable Julie Bishop, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Australia; His Excellency Tony Negus, Australian High Commissioner to Canada; Alejandro Adem, Mitacs CEO and Scientific Director; and The Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Canada.
