A forum to reflect on the importance of universities in the Greater Montréal region
December 17, 2012
On February 4, Montréal's universities, in collaboration with the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, will initiate a discussion on the role and contribution of university institutions in the Greater Montréal region. To listen to the needs and expectations of their partners, nine universities will invite members of the metropolitan community to take part in a forum (Montréal, métropole universitaire) in preparation for the upcoming summit on higher education, enabling a large number of stakeholders from all sectors to participate and have their say.
In recent weeks, many of these stakeholders have stressed the importance of the mobilization initiative launched by the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and are looking to enrich the discussion within the Greater Montréal community.
"The primary goal of this forum is to clearly establish the crucial role of universities for the future of our city and Quebec, and ensure that we can effectively support them. Our premier universities contribute to the well-being and prosperity of Quebeckers through cutting-edge training, world-class scientific research, and their influence on all sectors: financial, social, cultural, artistic, technological and industrial," stated Louise Roy, Chancellor and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Université de Montréal and co-spokesperson for the event.
"Universities drive the knowledge economy and nurture skilled labour. Through their contribution to research and their knowledge transfer activities, they also play a key role in industrial research and development strategies. This is particularly true for a knowledge-based economy such as that of the Montréal metropolitan area," added Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and co-spokesperson for the event.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, which has the logistical and organizational capacity to hold this kind of engaging event, agreed to organize this forum in collaboration with the École de technologie supérieure, the École nationale d'administration publique, Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Concordia University, the Université de Montréal, the Université du Québec à Montréal, and McGill University.
The Montréal, métropole universitaire forum will allow participants to better understand universities’ impact on the metropolis, express their expectations of our universities in Greater Montréal, and define their vision of Montréal’s future as a university city.