IDEOS and Tech3Lab impress in the world rankings for innovation 

HEC Montréal participated in the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) for the third time and distinguished itself among 1,927 universities that submitted over 13,200 innovative initiatives, approximately 8,300 more than last year.  

Recognition for two projects and a sharp rise in the overall ranking

IDEOS was ranked 2nd in the world in the “Inclusive Social Innovation for the Undeserved” category for its project entitled Mobilization of Renewable Energy by Women and Young Entrepreneurs for Sustainable Economic Empowerment in Senegal – Renouveau Femmes et Jeunes. This project was led by Professor and Director Luciano Barin Cruz, Laurence Beaugrand-Champagne, Administrative Director, Camille Saade-Traboulsi, Coordinator and PhD student Syrine Gabsi.

The project entitled From “More AI” to “Better AI”: An Industry Pilot Advancing Cognitive-Aware Conversational Tutors in Secondary Education, which was led by Professor Constantinos Coursaris, Co-director of Tech3Lab, was ranked 86th in the world in the "Industrial Application" category.

The School also progressed further in the Global Top 500 Innovative Universities and finished in 294th position in 2026, a leap of 70 places compared to last year. 

 

Criteria and categories focused on innovation

The WURI was launched in 2020, and it assesses universities based on their ability to innovate. This global ranking highlights 3 criteria, divided into 24 categories:

Criteria

• Innovation – innovativeness of the content of the program itself or the process the academic institution has demonstrated in making its program more effective
• Implementability – costs and benefits of its implementation
• Impact – scope of its influence

Categories

A – For Whom to Innovate? 

• Student Support and Engagement
• Student Mobility and Openness
• Industrial Application
• Entrepreneurial Spirit
• Crisis Management
• Ethics and Integrity
• Technological Development and Application
• SDG-Based Responses to Global Challenges

B – How to Innovate? 

• Visionary Leadership
• Empowerment-Based Management
• Environmental, Social and Governance Trends
• Culture/Values
• Funding for Sustainability
• Infrastructure/Technology
• Cost-Effectiveness Management
• University Brand and Reputation

C – What to Innovate? 

• Representative Research Project
• Interdisciplinary, Convergent and Integrated Research
• Curricular Innovation for Future-Readiness
• AI-based Teaching and Learning Transformation
• Social Impact through Knowledge Transfer
• Inclusive Social Innovation for the Undeserved
• University-Based Entrepreneurial Projects
• Financial Impact-Driven Tech Transfer