A student association of the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS) asked its members on Monday to express their support for full professor Denise Helly, whose appointment was blocked to the board of directors (CA) of the established by the government of Quebec.
In an email, the INRS Center Student Association – Urbanization Culture Society (AÉUCS-INRS) expresses its concerns about “political interference in university affairs”. The AÉUCS-INRS represents around a hundred students. Through her approach, she is trying to rally student associations and universities in Quebec to form a common front against the government’s decision.
The Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, has caused turmoil among professors, opposition parties and the highest echelons of the University of Quebec (UQ) by blocking the appointment to the CA of the INRS by Professor Helly. In her work, she is interested in multiculturalism, Islamophobia and systemic racism, in particular.
The big boss of UQ, Alexandre Cloutier, said he saw in Quebec’s gesture an attack on the autonomy of universities and, possibly, on academic freedom. These two principles are enshrined in the Law on academic freedom in academia, adopted by the government of François Legault in June 2022.
INRS also considers that Minister Déry’s decision is unusual and contravenes university autonomy. The INRS Professors’ Union and the Quebec Federation of University Professors also denounced the Déry cabinet’s action.
A “courageous” teacher
In the email sent to its members, the AÉUCS-INRS proposes to form a “common front against the government’s attempt to interfere with scientific independence, thus compromising our future in the academic world.” According to our information, she communicated with around twenty associations across Quebec.
The association criticizes Minister Déry’s decision, which could have “serious consequences” according to it, particularly among social science students. “For fear, and with good reason, of no longer receiving funding from the government of Quebec, future researchers in this country could be discouraged and dissuaded from undertaking research that is not aligned with the positions of the government in place “, she writes.
The AÉUCS-INRS argues that students are “scandalized” by this affair, and that those who attend INRS wish to “bring [leur] the most sincere and total support for Professor Denise Helly, who is experiencing a totally unfair and discriminatory situation.” The association affirms that the full professor is “courageous, because, as this case demonstrates, being a social science researcher on subjects that do not suit the political agenda of Minister Pascale Déry means exposing oneself to censorship and discrimination.
So far, the office of the Minister of Higher Education has said it does not want to comment on this matter.