Tribute to a key figure in engineering

For the occasion, some 20 awards were announced, among them the Grand Prix d'excellence, which was presented to Robert Louis Papineau, who passed away this past March. Mr. Papineau, who was at the helm of Polytechnique from 2002 to 2007, will long remain a key figure in engineering teaching and research. Yves Beauchamp, CEO of École de technologie supérieure, and Christophe Guy, CEO of Polytechnique, officially announced the award. Although Mr. Guy was out of the country, he was able to be present via video; he delivered an emotional tribute to a remarkable man. He underscored Mr. Papineau's leadership, his competency, his generosity, his openness toward others and his social involvement. "Because I was lucky enough to be one of his close collaborators, I know that he was very attached to his students," Mr. Guy said. "For him, they symbolized the future. He used to say that to work closely with students and to be fascinated by their ideas--which are often very different from our own--keeps us young at heart and constantly inspired. He made it a priority to be available for students, he took interest in their projects and he followed their progress during and after their studies."

Pierre Laurent, a Polytechnique graduate and former President of the Association des étudiants de Polytechnique (AEP, the Polytechnique student union), followed Mr. Guy and delivered a vibrant eulogy to Mr. Papineau. He said that for himself and for many other students, Mr. Papineau was not only a CEO, but also a source of inspiration and a friend. He mentioned a 2003 article in the student newspaper Le Polyscope that reproached the AEP for being too "friendly" with Mr. Papineau, so much so that the association neglected to stick to its positions.

To watch the video (in French) shown during the evening, click here. 
 
First Prix universitaire du Mérite goes to a female student

Every year, the OIQ honours three undergraduate engineering students for their personal accomplishments and academic success. Martine Blouin, a biomedical engineering student at Polytechnique, earned the first Prix universitaire du Mérite presented by Hydro-Québec. This young student excels both for the quality of her university work and for her community involvement. Ms. Blouin recently won one of the five $5,000 undergraduate bursaries offered by the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation.

Congratulations to a very promising student!


To find out more
2011 conference website