Dr Anchal Arora, Assistant Professor at the University School of Financial Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, recently engaged with Canada’s startup, innovation and academic ecosystem, connecting with entrepreneurs, investors, startups and leading institutions during her visit.Dr Arora was invited by the Trade Commissioner Service, Government of Canada, to participate in Web Summit Vancouver 2026, where she engaged with startups, entrepreneurs, investors and innovation leaders. She also mentored and advised approximately 1,500 startups from around 120 countries across sectors including artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, AgTech, CleanTech, EduTech, DigiTech and FinTech.Recognising her work in entrepreneurial mentoring and international ecosystem engagement, InnoP Global Accelerator, USA, awarded her a USD 60,000 grant to support travel, accommodation and participation-related expenses. Dr Arora is associated with InnoP Global as Honorary Director – Startup and Investor Relations, Mentor and Strategic Advisor, contributing to startup mentoring, investor-startup connections and international acceleration initiatives.During her visit to Canada, Dr Arora also delivered academic lectures at Simon Fraser University (SFU) on ‘Career Pathways in Innovative Entrepreneurship’ and at the University of British Columbia (UBC) on ‘Venture Capital and Angel Investment for Acceleration of Startups’.Her sessions focused on entrepreneurship, career opportunities, startup funding, investment readiness and innovation.Dr Arora said her international engagements were aimed at creating meaningful connections between higher education, entrepreneurship, innovation and investment, while providing students and young entrepreneurs with greater exposure to global opportunities.“The international startup ecosystem is evolving rapidly, and universities have an important role to play in preparing young people not merely to seek employment but also to become innovators, entrepreneurs and creators of new ventures. My objective is to build bridges between academia and the global entrepreneurial ecosystem and create meaningful opportunities for students, startups and emerging entrepreneurs,” she said.During the visit, she also explored opportunities to strengthen connections among universities, students, startups, investors and global innovation organisations.Dr Arora has said that her broader objective is to build stronger bridges between academia and the global entrepreneurial ecosystem, creating meaningful opportunities for students, startups and emerging entrepreneurs.