This text is part of the special Higher Education notebook
Signed on November 20 during a special reception chaired by the general delegate of Quebec in Paris, Michèle Boisvert, the two agreements ratify the desire of Sorbonne University and the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS) to join forces in university research in areas of expertise and to offer students from these two establishments an enhanced path.
The dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Sorbonne University, Stéphane Régnier, and the director general of INRS, Luc-Alain Giraldeau, signed these agreements surrounded by several professors from the two institutions gathered within the framework of scientific meetings which aimed in particular to identify common research niches in the field of materials physics, photonics and telecommunications, and to explore the possibility of creating dual degree master’s degrees in these areas.
Soft skills and sharing of expertise
Coming into force this year, the agreement on student mobility aims for the exchange of five students per year in each establishment. “Quebec and Canadian students are quite sedentary. It is difficult to get them out of their study environment,” says Mr. Giraldeau. This agreement therefore aims to encourage students to enhance their career by adding an international dimension, a significant added value, according to Philippe-Edwin Bélanger, director of the higher studies and student success department at INRS. “Knowledge of other cultures, the ability to adapt to different research environments, the aptitude for leadership are all qualities that can be developed by studying abroad and are skills sought after in fields that are ours,” he explains.
As INRS does not offer an undergraduate study program, professors devote themselves to research activities, which makes it possible to train students by integrating them directly into research groups. “We are first in Canada in what is called the intensity criterion, that is to say the funding received by professors,” indicates Mr. Giraldeau. This benefits students since the institute is also at the forefront in terms of money invested to support student research in Quebec.
The objective of the agreements between Sorbonne University and INRS is to accelerate research through the sharing of knowledge and infrastructure, and through the creation of new programs in the field of materials science and telecommunications, areas to be explored. the future is promising, explains Mr. Bélanger. Indeed, studying materials science, for example, means inventing materials that do not yet exist, such as aluminum which would have the property of being antibacterial. Studying telecommunications means being interested in virtual reality, the encryption of banking information or sensory communication. »
One course, two diplomas
Two new dual degree programs will be created thanks to the framework agreement between the two universities. The master’s degree in energy and materials science and that in telecommunications from INRS will be added to master’s degrees from Sorbonne University. “At the end of their education, students enrolled in one or other of these programs will have studied one year at INRS and one year at Sorbonne, and will hold two diplomas instead of just one,” underlines the director of INRS.
These courses remain to be built, but the professors involved during last November’s meeting will meet again in July 2024, this time in Quebec, for other scientific workshops with the aim in particular of finalizing these dual degree master’s degrees. “We hope to be able to welcome our first cohorts in the fall of 2025,” says Mr. Bélanger.
Regarding doctoral degrees, the agreements between INRS and Sorbonne University will facilitate joint supervision courses. “In this type of pathway, the student negotiates a piecemeal agreement between two universities,” explains the director of INRS. Perhaps eventually a dual degree course will be developed for the doctorate with Sorbonne, but, for the moment, our agreements will favor joint supervision. »
INRS has had several French universities as partners for a number of years. Thus, 22% of its international scientific publications are collaborations with France and 20% of its foreign students come from this country. “It therefore seems completely normal and essential to us to continue this exchange with Sorbonne University to nourish research by creating programs that offer the best of both universities,” concludes Mr. Giraldeau.
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