New UQTR-McGill chair to focus on democracy, social cohesion and shared values in Quebec

Joint chair receives $1.8M in support from the Actions concertées program of the Fonds de recherche du Québec and Quebec’s higher education ministry
The Quebec Research Chair on Democracy, Social Cohesion and Shared Values will be held by professors Éric Bélanger of the Department of Political Science at McGill and Mireille Lalancette of UQTR

A new joint research chair at McGill University and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) will focus on deepening understanding of contemporary social and political issues in Quebec. The Quebec Research Chair on Democracy, Social Cohesion and Shared Values will be held by professors Éric Bélanger of the Department of Political Science at McGill and Mireille Lalancette of UQTR. It has received $1.8 million in funding from the Actions concertées program of the Fonds de recherche du Québec and the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur.

The chair will focus on three main areas of research: democratic political participation; the digitization of society and related phenomena (media saturation, disinformation, polarization and issues of coexistence); and shared values, societal literacy and worldviews.

“Across the globe, there are growing concerns about threats to democratic institutions. In Quebec, social cohesion has become a central theme in debates. McGill University is proud to co-lead this collaborative research with UQTR. It will help us better understand the issues affecting our societies and governments,” said Dominique Bérubé, Vice-Principal of Research and Innovation at McGill. “The research will contribute to the development of policy recommendations and the creation of a training ground for future specialists.”

 

Chair will foster collaboration, dissemination of knowledge

The chair will bring together 22 researchers from Quebec, 16 national and international collaborators and 14 partner organizations. These partners will play a crucial role in the production and dissemination of knowledge, ensuring both academic and public visibility for the research.

The chair will introduce two innovations. A permanent tool for measuring public opinion and political participation in Quebec will, among other things, provide periodic information on citizens’ perceptions and expectations of elected officials and democratic institutions. Additionally, a mediator will join the team to strengthen knowledge-mobilization practices with partner organizations and contribute to the development of public policies.

By involving graduate students, the chair will also train the next generation of Quebec’s academic leaders. Additionally, Francophonie-oriented Forums and Citizen Cafés will be organized to discuss democracy and social cohesion, helping to publicize the chair’s work across Quebec and the francophone world.

 

Impactful research

The chair-holders are thrilled about the important support they have received.

“We are delighted to have been selected and feel privileged to work with the co-researchers, partners and collaborators to reflect on contemporary issues of social cohesion and the future of democracy,” Lalancette and Bélanger said in a joint statement. “In a context where institutions are being questioned and public cynicism is growing, the Quebec Research Chair’s work will shed light on key issues and find solutions to current problems. We are eager to begin and to work together with this team, reach a broad audience, and collaborate with policy-makers to develop impactful public policies.”