December 3 officially marks the 55th anniversary of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS).
INRS is an absolutely extraordinary creation resulting from the Quiet Revolution. It originated from the bold idea of creating a unique academic institution dedicated to interdisciplinarity and research into important issues for Quebec’s economic, social, and cultural development.
“This 55th anniversary is an achievement for all of us to celebrate.” – Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Chief Executive Officer
More than half a century later, we are still pursuing that original mission, which is so vital for the province.
INRS was established to meet the pressing need to bring together experts from relevant disciplines to tackle research topics arising from the major challenges facing Quebec. In 1969, INRS set up major research centres focusing on urbanization, water, energy, and health. These themes are still pertinent today, 55 years later. New, emerging challenges are now being added as well, such as sustainable rural communities, climate change adaptation, integrated water management in Quebec, and social phenomena such as immigration and how work is changing for young people.
This is where INRS sets itself apart from other academic institutions: it focuses its research and education on the needs of Quebec society.
INRS now numbers over 165 professors and nearly 800 master’s and Ph.D. students, with a presence in Laval, Montreal, Quebec City, and Varennes, as well as a new facility soon to come in Baie-Saint-Paul, in the Charlevoix region. INRS sends around 15 of its professors to five host institutions in Quebec to form joint research units, which become regional catalysts for close research collaboration in the academic sphere.
Learning at INRS differs from traditional university education. At INRS, our graduates are trained to become experts in their fields rather than simply fulfilling the requirements of a specific profession. Students develop not only knowledge of their discipline, but also an understanding of societal issues such as flood risk management, Indigenous issues, preparation for future pandemics, photonics for telecommunications, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the development of sustainable energy technology.
INRS is a real asset for Quebec, with a distinctive approach that makes it a national and international model for directed research. INRS is also a hub of collaboration between our professors and industries, NPOs, government departments, and municipalities. Over 60% of our research activities are carried out in partnership, and our training benefits greatly from that.
Thanks to our unique model, INRS has been one of the top universities in Canada and Quebec in research performance for over 10 years. The Research Infosource ranking tracks the average annual research funding granted to professors and graduate students, among other things. Our student community is more successful than the Quebec average, with the highest Ph.D. graduation rate in the province.
According to a recent ranking by the prestigious Stanford University, professor, student, and graduate members of the INRS community feature among the most cited scientists in the world. With almost 40 members on the list, a quarter of INRS professors have that recognition.
My dream is that one day, the four letters INRS will instill Quebecers with a sense of pride in having a world-class public research institution right here in the province. I also dream that the letters will spontaneously spring to the minds of all college and undergraduate students who aspire to contribute to Quebec’s economic, social, and cultural development by pursuing higher education here.
This 55th anniversary is an achievement for all of us to celebrate.
Happy 55th!
L’INRS : 55 ans de recherche au service du Québec de Luc-Alain Giraldeau published in La Presse and Le Soleil, édition du 3 décembre 2024