For Diversified University Research that Reflects and Drives Society

In its brief titled Pour une recherche universitaire diversifiée, reflet et moteur de la société (For Diversified University Research that Reflects and Drives Society), the Conseil supérieur de l’éducation (hereafter “the Council”) focuses on one aspect of the university mission: research.

More specifically, it examines the relationship between university research and society in light of a number of current issues. In this brief, the Council begins by outlining its vision of university research in Québec and formulates some core proposals (Chapter 1). Next, it briefly presents the main Québec actors in university research (Chapter 2). The Council also advocates for university research that is aligned with society and its aspirations, notably through the gradual fulfillment of the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (Chapter 3), and it examines the practices in effect for evaluating for university research activities (Chapter 4). As a privileged observer of the Québec education and training system, the Council addresses the issue of research collaboration between universities and colleges (Chapter 5). It also notes that connections between research and society depend on access to research and its results, to which the open science and open access movements contribute, as do relations between the scientific and media worlds (Chapter 6). Finally, the Council explores the question of citizen participation and involvement with regard to community services, research in Indigenous contexts and citizen science (Chapter 7).