This text is part of the special notebook 150 years of Polytechnique Montréal
Collaboration, surpassing, responsible leadership and integrity: here are the four new values of Polytechnique Montréal, revealed this fall. For the general director of the university, Maud Cohen, who worked on these, it was a necessary dusting off to prepare for the next 150 years and reflect on the role that the university could play in the Quebec of tomorrow. .
“When I arrived in my position, I became aware of the impact that the institution had on the development of Quebec,” recalls the general director. When she looks to the future, she sees that Polytechnique Montréal has not finished participating in shaping society. “When we talk about responsible and sustainable development, health and accessibility to care, there are tons of things that sciences and engineers can contribute. »
She wanted to cement the role of her institution in these new values. In the foreground: the human side of future engineers. “Previously, we had “excellence” as a value, but over time it had lost its flavor. We said to ourselves: “Excellence is all well and good, but is it at all costs? At the cost of the environment, of mental health?” “. Excellence has thus been replaced by surpassing oneself, which, coupled with responsible leadership, “allows us to seek out the best in everyone, without anyone becoming exhausted. » The objective? “We remain leaders, but we will no longer do it in the same way, with the aim of having a much more positive impact for the future. »
Polytechnique Montréal therefore hopes to play a role of influence with the industry, in particular. “For example, aeronautics is perceived as a polluting industry. An institution like ours can influence it to become carbon neutral. We want to think with her. Collaboration is essential, sometimes internationally, but also within the country to guarantee territorial independence. »
Inside the walls, the engineering university continues to focus on diversity issues. “For us, in the EDI [équité, diversité, inclusion], the D is not that much of an issue, apart from gender diversity, notes Maud Cohen. When I was studying here, there was already great cultural diversity, which is an enormous wealth. » It still aims to achieve a “parity zone”, notably through better diversity of the teaching staff. “We only have 17% women professors. We are not aiming for 50%, we only want to reach the same percentage as within the student population. »
Finally, for the general director who has held the position since 2022, “today’s engineer must be able to question himself”. To do this, it attempts to show the way with an institution focused on the future.
The university in figures
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