I arrived in Montreal in December 1987, not speaking a word of French. Less than two years later, I was teaching biology at the University of Montreal, in French. I stayed 18 years in Montreal. This is where my wife and I raised our children, who went to school in French. Today, I return to this metropolis that I love so much: Montreal is my home!
Thousands of students and researchers at McGill University have followed a path similar to mine, whether they are from Quebec, Canada, or come from elsewhere in the world. They were trained in Montreal and have advanced Quebec research and innovation. Many have stayed and integrated into Quebec society. Some left for other horizons to come back later. Others did not return, but maintained close ties with McGill, Montreal and Quebec.
We all know Moderna, which notably developed a vaccine against COVID-19. The co-founder, Noubar Afeyan, of Armenian origin, spent part of his childhood in Montreal and obtained his degree in chemical engineering at McGill. Recently, he explained to an audience at the Conference of Montreal that Moderna’s decision to choose the metropolitan area as the location of its first plant outside the United States was based on the fact that Montreal had all the qualities to ensure the success of this project, in particular the presence of a university recognized internationally in research on messenger RNA: McGill. This is an eloquent example that demonstrates that Quebec benefits from the excellent reputation of McGill and its vast network of graduates.
Today, more than half of our students are from Quebec, and the majority of our student population speaks French. All of our students can write their exams, assignments and dissertations in French. In addition, our law program is bilingual. Finally, we opened a campus in Gatineau, where our students learn medicine in French.
Our collaborations with French-speaking universities are numerous. To give just one example, let’s talk about Mila, the result of a partnership between McGill and the University of Montreal, which makes the Quebec metropolis a global hub for research and entrepreneurship in artificial intelligence.
Quebecer and proud of it
A proud Quebec university, McGill contributes to the economy, the development of knowledge and the culture of Quebec. It is also the most international university in the country, and one of the most international in the world. We therefore play a special role in Quebec, like each of the 19 other Quebec universities.
The debate on the financing of English-speaking universities is sterile. All universities are funded by the Government of Quebec according to the same formula. Apart from a few specific envelopes intended, for example, for institutions in the regions, Quebec universities all receive the same amount per student.
Certainly, McGill benefits from generous donations from its graduates. This is also increasingly the case for other Quebec universities, regardless of their language of instruction. Should establishments that receive more donations be penalized? In doing so, Quebec would be the loser, because these donations fund cutting-edge research, particularly in health care.
McGill also attracts significant research grants from the Quebec and Canadian governments, and from private sources; this is the result of our excellence in this field. Would we like to curb the research carried out within our walls and with which other Quebec universities are often associated? How would it be beneficial for French in Quebec to reduce the research done at McGill, often by French speakers?
The Minister of Higher Education, Pascale Déry, is called upon to review the university funding formula. This revision has, among other things, the objective of contributing to the vitality of French in Quebec, particularly in the field of scientific research.
McGill fully shares this goal and wishes to work with the government to achieve it. We must indeed protect and promote French, and McGill is already working on this. However, let us make sure that by protecting French, we do not weaken the institutions that contribute to the vitality, competitiveness and prosperity of Quebec. Appreciate all of our universities for what they are. Let’s help them develop, regardless of the language of instruction, because the lasting prosperity of our society requires the coordinated efforts of each of them.