New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS): Nine Canadian universities will visit India for two weeks to meet students to hold information sessions on how Canada can be a premier destination for higher education.

The delegation, which will be in India Aug 19 to 31, will meet Class 11 and 12 students of select schools in Mumbai, New Delhi, Dehradun, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

"India is a key undergraduate student market for Canadian universities," said Robert Finlayson of Carleton University, the tour director.

The delegation is being organised by the Canadian Higher Education Committee, under the aegis of the Council of International Schools.

"Indian students are sought for their academic strength and their rich contribution to student life on Canadian university campuses. Each year we are seeing more Indian students choosing Canada as their first choice for study.

"Indian students are drawn to our universities' common attributes of international reputation for academic excellence, state of the art resources, and safe campuses in welcoming locations," Finlayson said.

Apart from low living expenses and lenient visa requirements, the tuition fees of courses are also low compared to other countries.

According to the Canadian High Commission, the number of Indian students studying Canda on 2012 was 28,929 compared to 12,112 in 2011.

The visiting universities are University of British Columbia, Carleton University, Concordia University, Guelph University, McGill University, Queens University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto and York University.