82nd congress of the Association francophone pour le savoir:
“La recherche : zones de convergence et de créativité”

Montreal, April 14, 2014 – In a few weeks, close to 5,000 researchers will gather in Montreal for the 82nd congress of the Association francophone pour le savoir – Acfas. Sponsored by UNESCO for the second year in a row, Michael Sabia, President and CEO of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec will serve as honorary president of the congress.

From May 12 to 16, the researchers, including more than 500 international participants from some 40 countries, will present their latest findings at Concordia University’s downtown campus. Hosting this conference is a first for the university. Activities for the general public will also be taking place outside the Concordia’s walls.

Under the theme La recherche : zones de convergence et de créativité, this new edition of the congress will showcase researchers’ ability to mobilize toward increasingly innovative and creative research. “Over the years, the Acfas congress has developed into a wide-ranging conversation between Francophone and Francophile researchers from all disciplines. It’s in this spirit of convergence that new ideas emerge” says Louise Dandurand, President of Acfas.

This year, the core program of the congress is made up of close to 3,000 presentations divided into 173 scientific colloquia. All sectors are represented: health sciences, natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, language and literature, arts and humanities, social sciences, and education. There will also be two sets of activities, offered free-of-charge and opened to the public, to encourage a dialogue between researchers and citizens. The first set consists of 900 free presentations, categorized by research area. The second is a series of public events designed to satisfy the curiosity of science enthusiasts. These include walking tours with urban design scholars, lectures, gaming workshops, roundtables, exhibits, the national final for the Ma thèse en 180 secondes competition.

Concordia University: creative, urban, bold and engaged
Recognized for its diversity and community engagement, Concordia offers a variety of events that speak to the university’s creativity, enthusiasm and dynamism, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. According to Concordia University President, Alan Shepard, “the congress highlights Concordia’s contribution to francophone research that meets the expectations of a constantly-evolving society.” 

Some key colloquia
The 173 colloquia of this 82nd edition will address major current issues, while demonstrating that creativity also has its place in the scientific process. Here are a few sessions that are sure to gather a large audience. More suggestions will be presented in Acfas’s upcoming press releases.

• La Politique nationale de la recherche et de l'innovation : vers un système national d'innovation sociale?
• Innovations dans le béton pour rencontrer le défi des infrastructures
• L'usage de force par la police québécoise
• Un demi-siècle d'éducation depuis la Révolution tranquille : perspectives historiques et réflexions pour l'avenir

Free presentations: A new take on science!
There will be 900 presentations offered free-of-charge and open to the public. Categorized by research area, these are mainly talks given by tomorrow’s scholars—a golden opportunity to meet young researchers at the master’s or doctorate level and discover their fields of interest.  

Here are a few examples of these presentations.

• Faut-il financer la procréation assistée pour les femmes sans conjoint masculin ? Une analyse comparative Québec/France : deux visions
• Le téléchargement illégal de musique : une menace pour l’industrie discographique ou un outil de promotion marketing?
• Trois approches de négociation de la vie privée sur Facebook
• La Floride pour qui? Relations entre l'industrie touristique et la communauté depuis les années 1970

Activities for the general public: Intellectual nourishment
The expanded congress program includes sixteen free activities taking place at Concordia University and in various public spaces throughout Montreal. You can expect a daring convergence of science, visual arts, architecture and cinema, as well as fascinating discussions on cybercrime, aging and even video games! Here are a few you won’t want to miss:

• Exhibit: La preuve par l’image. Approaching science from the other end: through images, not words. A unique opportunity to see images from scientific research.
• Master class in film. Kim Nguyen and Louise Archambault will discuss the various aspects of their creative cinematographic process through a conversation with Dominic Poliquin from Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema.
• A guided architectural and urban design tour of Quartier Concordia. Discover the neighbourhood’s history, architecture, public art and the relationships between the civic and urban aspects of its buildings in this one hour walking tour.

Partners and sponsors
The 82nd Acfas congress is supported by the following major partners: the Agence Science-Presse, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Canada Fondation for Innovation, The Canadian Federation for the Humanities and social sciences, the Consulat général de France à Québec, the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d'université (FQPPU), the Fonds de recherche du Québec, Hydro-Québec, the International Development Research Center, the journal Métro, Le Devoir, the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie, Prospection, Québec Science, the Société Radio-Canada, the Université du Québec.

About Acfas
The mission of the Association francophone pour le savoir – Acfas, which was created in 1923, is to promote scientific endeavours, stimulate research and facilitate the dissemination of knowledge. The association, based in Québec, brings together some 5,000 researchers from all knowledge sectors.

***For more information or to request interviews with Graham Carr, Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies at Concordia University and/or Louise Dandurand, President of Acfas, please contact Stéphanie Quirion.