Canada/For a stronger scientific Francophonie in North America

AUF Rector Prof. Slim Khalbous undertook his first mission of the year to Canada, from January 11 to 17. This mission comes at a time when Canadian universities are playing an increasingly active role in the activities of the Francophonie scientifique.

Ottawa: partnerships for pedagogical innovation and the promotion of the Francophonie in science

The AUF Rector began his mission with a visit to the University of Ottawa. This institution, an AUF member since 1961, is the largest bilingual (French-English) university in the world, with over 40,000 students and 10 faculties.

During his visit, the Rector met with Mr. Jacques Frémont, Rector of the University of Ottawa, Mr. Francis Bangou, Dean of the Faculty of Education, and Mr. Peter Szyszlo, Manager of International Partnership Development. Discussions highlighted strategic axes such as pedagogical innovation and strengthening the international Francophonie. The discussions identified several areas for strategic collaboration:

• The University of Ottawa's participation in the AUF's "Sciences de l'éducation et innovation pédagogique" network, as well as in the AUF's Board of Directors.Board of Directors of IFIC (Institut de la Formation à Distance de la Francophonie) to develop degree and diploma programs;

• The joint design of training courses in "French for Specific Purposes (FOS)" for Central Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America;

• The University of Ottawa's participation in the Université d'été des étudiants francophones (UDEF) organized by the Académie internationale de la Francophonie scientifique (AIFS);

• The integration of the University of Ottawa into the first cohort of PIMEF (Programme international de Mobilité Étudiante et d'Employabilité);

• And the co-development of an online master's program.

The Rector also visited the university's newly-launched INNOVA center, designed to develop Francophone pedagogical innovation through technology.

The day concluded with an exchange with Jonathan Paquette, President of the Chaires de la Francophonie, to consider future academic cooperation, notably within the framework of the activities of the Club Leaders Étudiants Francophones (CLÉF), bringing together young French-speaking researchers from the University.

Toronto: a Francophonie focused on youth

The AUF Rector continued his mission in Canada with a visit to York University (Torronto), Canada's third largest university with almost 50,000 students. Welcomed at the bilingual Glendon campus by York University President Rhonda Lenton and Campus Principal Marco A. Fiola, Principal of the campus, he explored several avenues of collaboration, including :

• The opening of a Centre d'Employabilité Francophone (CEF+) ;

• The creation of a humanities incubator;

• The foundation of a Club Leader Étudiant Francophone (CLÉF);

• and the establishment of distance learning courses with IFIC.

This meeting illustrates York University's active commitment to the Francophonie in science, reinforced by Mr. Fiola's participation in the Regional Conference of Rectors of AUF Member Universities in the Americas (C2R Amériques).

Montreal: scientific diplomacy and research in French

On January 17, in Montreal, the AUF Rector met with Alain Olivier, the new Director of Francophonie and International Solidarity at the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie (MRIF). The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the prospects for cooperation between the Government of Quebec and the AUF.

The mission ended with a working session with Martin Maltais, President of Acfas, and Sophie Montreuil, Director General. This meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the implementation of the areas of collaboration defined in the framework partnership agreement signed in June 2024, which covers the period 2024-2027. Discussions focused on the promotion of research in French and scientific diplomacy, strategic priorities for both organizations.

The two parties attached particular importance to cooperation in the field of training and enhancement of scientific communication practices, including the RaccourSci platform, an initiative launched by the two partners, and the international "Ma thèse en 180 secondes" competition, recognized for its role in disseminating and popularizing scientific research.

The initiatives envisaged, whether in terms of pedagogical innovation, student mobility or research in French, testify to the shared desire to promote the Francophonie in science in Canada and beyond.

Source: www.auf.org/

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