The new center will provide new resources, opportunities for network building, and strategic guidance for growing projects.
The new center will provide new resources, opportunities for network building, and strategic guidance for growing projects.
The University of Toronto and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique collaborated to establish the CNRS International Research Centre, which will enable researchers to work across continents and in a variety of fields.
The new center will serve as a hub for U of T-CNRS collaborations, according to a press release. It will offer new resources, network building opportunities, and strategic guidance for growing projects.
U of T President Meric Gertler and CNRS Deputy CEO for Innovation Jean-Luc Moullet are set to sign a letter of intent during a visit by France’s Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau.
“CNRS is one of the world’s leading research institutions – they represent and support many different areas of research and science, and that breadth and depth has been critical to our partnership,” said Alex Mihailidis, associate vice president for international partnerships.
The IRC will also expand existing research areas, promote new ones, and deepen collaborations between France and Canada, he added.
Alain Schuhl, deputy CEO for science at CNRS, stated that the partnership to tackle the global challenges of the 21st century. He believes it will strengthen scientific collaboration by catalyzing innovative collaborations among researchers and encouraging interdisciplinary research to address social challenges.
In a joint statement, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry François‑Philippe Champagne and Retailleau earlier announced the creation of a joint committee between Canada and France to help strengthen the two countries’ long-standing partnership in science, technology, and innovation.
Since 2016, the U of T and CNRS partnership has resulted in 30 PhD student exchanges, 11 joint research projects, and a Twin Research Scholars program.
CNRS is one of the most renowned public research institutions in the world with over 33,000 researchers and 1,000 laboratories in partnership with universities and other higher education institutions. It also brings together more than 120,000 employees and 200 professions dedicated to advancing knowledge through research into the living world, matter, the universe, and human societies.
Founded in 1827, the U of T is a research-intensive university that unites top minds from various backgrounds and disciplines to work on the world’s most pressing challenges.
