On 10 February 2026, IIT Kanpur welcomed a delegation from the University of Manitoba, Canada. The delegation was led by Dr. Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor. The team included Dr. Peter Nickerson, Dean, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr. Josée G. Lavoie, Dean, College of Community and Global Health; Dr. James Blanchard, Executive Director, Institute for Global Public Health; and Dr. Marissa Becker, Director of Technical Collaborations, Institute for Global Public Health.

During the visit, an MoU was formally signed by Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, and Dr. Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Manitoba. The MoU aims to strengthen academic and research collaboration between the two institutions, especially in global public health and Deep-Tech areas. Prof. Bushra Ateeq, Dean of International Relations, and Prof. Deepu Philip, Professor-in-Charge, SIIC, also shared insights about IIT Kanpur’s academics and innovation ecosystem.

The discussions were joined by Dr. Vasanthakumar Namasivayam (Ex-IAS) and Shri Vikas Gothalwal (Ex-IAS) from the Government of Uttar Pradesh. SIIC startups presented their health-tech innovations and received valuable feedback. The visit and MoU signing mark an important step towards a strong and long-term international partnership.