News Release


Internship Opportunities For Graduate Students

McGuinty Government Supports Public-Private Internship Program; Leading Edge Research

June 25, 2008

Dr. Arvind Gupta, Dr. Marsha Chechik, Joanna Ng, Reza Moridi, Jocelyn Simmonds and the honourable Michael Chan
Left to Right: Dr. Arvind Gupta, CEO & Scientific Director at MITACS, Dr. Marsha Chechik, Professor at U of T, Joanna Ng, Head of IBM’s Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS), Reza Moridi, PA to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities and MPP for Richmond Hill, Jocelyn Simmonds, MITACS Intern at IBM Toronto and the honourable Michael Chan, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and MPP for Markham-Unionville

Up to 1,750 graduate students will have new internship opportunities with some of the province's most exciting, up-and-coming companies.

The province is supporting these internships through a $17-million, four-year investment in the Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) organization – a national non-profit organization that connects students to research internship opportunities.

About 250 internships will be funded this year through MITACS in Ontario. Internships are available across all disciplines, including science and engineering, health and life sciences, arts and social sciences and business across the province.

Quotes

"Ontario's future lies in the innovation and creativity of its industry leaders and today's students. These internship opportunities help connect some of our best minds with some of our best employers," said Reza Moridi, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

"By providing exciting research opportunities for interns we are helping to build partnerships between the academic world and the business world. The relationships we help foster today will lead to new business and employment opportunities that will benefit all Ontarians," said Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy.

Joanna Ng, Dr. Marsha Chechik, Jocelyn Simmonds, Reza Moridi and the honourable Michael Chan
Left to Right: Joanna Ng, Head of IBM’s Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS), Dr. Marsha Chechik, Professor at U of T, Jocelyn Simmonds, MITACS Intern at IBM Toronto, Reza Moridi, PA to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities and MPP for Richmond Hill and the honourable Michael Chan, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and MPP for Markham-Unionville.

"MITACS is providing important opportunities for postgraduate students across Ontario to work on cutting-edge projects with some of our province's most innovative employers. This will go a long way in terms of building careers and boosting local economies, including here in Markham," said Michael Chan, MPP for Markham – Unionville.

"ACCELERATE Ontario, MITACS' program in Ontario, will show the province's graduate students that their research expertise is readily applicable to the challenges experienced by the province's businesses, from furthering the development of a new technology or product to improving daily operations," said Dr. Arvind Gupta, Scientific Director of MITACS, which manages the program. "Ontario businesses stand to benefit significantly from the intellectual capital in the province's universities."

Quick Facts

  • Ontario's Reaching Higher Plan is adding 14,000 new graduate spaces in Ontario universities by 2009-10, creating a greater pool of highly skilled workers for today's employers and tomorrow's investors.
  • Seven out of every 10 new jobs created in Ontario over the next decade will require postsecondary education or training.

Learn More

Learn more about Ontario's universities.

Explore what you can do after high school.

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