BUILDING INNOVATION AND POST-SECONDARY RELATIONSHIPS IN JORDAN AND ISRAEL

Saskatchewan's Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris is leading a delegation of government and post-secondary officials to Jordan and Israel from December 12-18.

The mission begins with two days in Jordan. While there, the delegation will meet with representatives from the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) centre, the multinational synchrotron.

The University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Light Source Synchrotron recently established a co-operation agreement with the SESAME centre. The agreement focuses on co-operating in a range of areas, including archaeology, agriculture and capacity building and training. Recognized as a global centre of excellence in synchrotron science, the Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon is working to build partnerships and collaboration with the SESAME project in Jordan.

"The partnership between the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron and SESAME is helping to foster closer scientific ties between our scientists and those from numerous countries and, as a result, this relationship is helping to build bridges of cooperation between Canada and numerous countries across the region," Norris said.

The delegation will also be visiting a key SIAST initiative, the Building and Extending Skills Training (BEST) Project, a partnership supported by the Canadian International Development Agency.

As the mission shifts to Israel, the minister and delegation will participate in a series of meetings with Israeli government, university and research agency representatives.

"Israel is a world leader in research and development," Norris said. "We see tremendous potential to build relationships between Saskatchewan's post-secondary institutions and private sector innovators with universities and research agencies in Israel."

The mission will focus on approaches to organizing and financing research and development, along with commercializing innovation in Saskatchewan's post-secondary institutions and associated research agencies. The delegation will also examine strategies to attract research talent from around the world.

Participants in the mission include representatives from the University of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Institute for Applied Science and Technology (SIAST), Innovation Saskatchewan and the Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration.

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For more information, contact:

Daniela Machuca
Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3716