TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2011 – On October 11 and 12, York University’s Faculty of Science & Engineering will host the first Canada-India Workshop on Frontiers in Science and Engineering here in Toronto. The workshop will seek to further solidify bilateral partnership through signing of collaborative research agreements. Over two days, these groups will share ideas, resources and technologies in areas such as advanced materials and energy, space sensors, environmental monitoring and space exploration, and life sciences.

Representatives from initial supporters like the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, the University of Calcutta and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be joined by professionals from Canadian universities, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and many industrial partners such as COM DEV International, Unique Broadband Systems (UBS), Microstat Systems Canada, Canadian Light Source, MDA Technologies, Xiphos Technologies and the Canada-India Business Council. Scientific topic discussions led by industrial and academic research experts will touch on space science and engineering, advanced materials and instrumentation, and life sciences. Alternative energy researchers from York University, University of Saskatchewan, McGill University, Concordia University and Ryerson University will join with researchers from the DRDO, ISRO, IIT, Anna University in Madras, University of Gujarat in Ahmedabad, and University of Calcutta in West Bengal.

Key academic speakers include Vijay Saraswat, scientific adviser to the defence minister; William Selvamurthy, chief controller, research & development, at DRDO; David Kendall, general director of the CSA, and Janusz Kozinski, dean of York’s Faculty of Science & Engineering.

Academics, researchers and industry representatives will engage in discussions of several core issues at the heart of modern science and engineering. Space missions and advancements in nanosatellite technology being implemented in modern missions will be discussed. Advancements in instrumentation and sensors within space robotics will be shared. Disease modelling research inCanada andIndia will be compared and contrasted. One technology development of note is the project, spearheaded by Kozinski, called e-WARN (Early Warning and Advance Response Network), which has the capability of detecting, quantifying and initiating an effective response to chemical and biological warfare. Teams of researchers from both countries will discuss and plan how to collaborate on the e-WARN project.

International gatherings like the Canada-India Workshop on Frontiers in Science and Engineering encourage further alliances between India and universities in Canada, and, in essence, an exchange of knowledge from which both countries can mutually benefit.

York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto – Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 55,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 240,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 28 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.

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For media inquiries or further information, contact:

Sean Billingsley, Communications Manager
Office of the Dean, Faculty of Science & Engineering
416 736 2100 x22814
sbilling@yorku.ca