Consul General of India visits University of Waterloo

On Friday, 24 September 2021, Waterloo International welcomed the Consul General of India, Smt. Apoorva Srivastava, to campus.  Following safety protocols in place as the University of Waterloo accepts visitors once again, this was Waterloo International’s first delegation since the global pandemic began eighteen months earlier.

Waterloo’s and India’s connections are many and meaningful.  Every year, hundreds of students from India study at the university in a variety of undergraduate and graduate programmes.  Many of our researchers have impactful collaborative research programs and activities with individuals across India.  And institutionally, Waterloo enjoys strong bilateral and multilateral connections with universities, governmental departments, and other organizations in India.

Smt. Apoorva Srivastava’s visit began with a bilateral meeting with Waterloo’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Vivek Goel.  Reviewing activities across multiple areas – and highlighting many points of synergy with Waterloo’s Strategic Plan – the two leaders committed to enhancing connections in many ways.

A tour of a laboratory at the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology and a discussion with four faculty members followed.  These provided the Consul General with the opportunity to gain additional perspectives on Waterloo’s research activities and their many current and prospective connections with India.  Across multiple domains and disciplines, opportunities for even greater impact --- collaborations that could serve to advance, for instance, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in Canada, in India, globally – arose again and again.

The visit concluded with the Consul General’s interaction with a number of students from India.  While safety protocols restricted the number who could be in the room with Smt. Apoorva Srivastava, that simply provided the Waterloo International team with an opportunity to put ideas about ‘virtual internationalization’ into practice!  Connecting additional students through Teams, conversations continued enthusiastically, and a group photo concluded the visit.

Waterloo International will continue to steward the university’s relationship with India, supporting the many connections and collaborations that exist and that are being developed.  Waterloo members who would like to learn more – or who would like to share their own work – are encouraged to reach out to the Waterloo International, International Relations Manager, whose areas of responsibility include India, Dr. Ishari Waduwara-Jayabahu (international.relations@uwaterloo.ca).