Contact:
Karen Lee, dean appl.sci office, 778.782.8923; 604.649.9888; k_lee@sfu.ca
Melanie Monk, VP Research office, 778.782.7058; melaniem@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 604.209.5770; Marianne_Meadahl@sfu.ca

Furthering clean energy research collaborations and student exchange opportunities will be high on the agendas of a trio of Simon Fraser University representatives visiting India next week.

Mario Pinto, V-P research, Nimal Rajapakse, dean of applied sciences and Nav Chima, project director of SFU’s BC-India Mobility Initiative will be in New Delhi Nov. 5 – 9 for meetings with academia and industry.

The visit coincides with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s trade mission to India.

Pinto and Rajapakse will share SFU’s ongoing clean energy developments. Rajapakse will speak at the Canada-India Business Forum on Nov. 6 while Pinto will make a presentation Nov. 8 as part of the 6^th Renewable Energy India Expo.

“SFU has much to offer India, and vice versa, when it comes to clean technology research and innovation,” says Pinto.

 SFU applied sciences researchers have developed several clean tech innovations, from greener technologies to propel cars and buses, to intelligent lights that reduce energy use by 10 times in buildings, notes Rajapakse.

“With our involvement in several emerging areas of clean technology, we hope to identify partners in India to develop opportunities for research and development and further the exchange of students and faculty,” he says.

Adds Pinto: "This is a high-level delegation to explore opportunities for business, research, and innovation partnerships between the two countries.

“There are huge benefits to be realized from participating in such international projects of global relevance, not only in terms of what we can collectively achieve, but also in helping us evolve into universal researchers who traverse country boundaries."

During their visit the SFU reps will visit IIT Delhi and TERI University’s New Delhi campus, where they are expected to sign an MOU paving the way for more student exchanges and dialogue on education and research.

Meanwhile Chima plans to make industry visits to build on the success of and further opportunities for students through SFU’s BC-India Mobility Initiative.

Among stops will be Infosys, a global IT company headquartered in Bangalore.

Earlier this month SFU became the fifth Canadian university – and the only one in Western Canada – accepted into the company’s prestigious Instep Internship program.

Over the past five years more than 120 students have pursued internships in a variety of Indian sectors, from clean energy to new media, as well a number of humanitarian projects.

Backgrounder: SFU/India clean tech research

SFU was the first Canadian university to launch an India Strategy, in 2006, and already has numerous productive partnerships with several leading Indian academic institutions and companies, and a demonstrated track record in growing new connections in India.

In 2010 Canada and India signed a MOU to strengthen cooperation in higher education. One year later SFU President Andrew Petter accompanied Premier Christy Clark on a trade mission to India and signed MOUs with several Indian institutions.

A recent MOU with India’s Luminous Power Technologies, a leading power solutions provider, is expected to result in the provision of clean energy to Indian households while simultaneously supporting sustainability initiatives in the City of Surrey.

Erik Kjeang, an assistant professor of engineering science, has invented a microfluidic fuel cell that cuts energy costs. He patented it in 2007 while working on his PhD. Now his technology is at the center of an agreement, signed in February 2012, between SFU, the City of Surrey and Luminous.

SFU is building clean energy initiatives with other Indian partners such as Sutlej Motor (clean energy systems), Mahindra (alternative fuel, automotive technology), IIT Ropar (clean energy, mechatronics) and IIT Bombay (energy sysems engineering).

Researchers are also building better solar cells, including a new generation of energy-storage devices based on soft-film polymer material, that will enable low-cost, environmentally friendly power for devices and potentially, buildings.

SFU is leading a B.C.-based fuel-cell research collaboration that aims to triple the lifetime of fuel-cell-powered transit buses, with the goal of replacing diesel bus engines.

Researchers are working to improve air conditioning systems and heating/cooling systems in hybrid electric vehicles to prolong their use. They are also pioneering ways to generate electricity using smart sensors embedded in car and bicycle tires to create electricity from vibrations. http://at.sfu.ca/CdhwQl