In the context of growing economies based on skills, creativity and innovation, there is increasingly fierce competition for recruiting talent from all over the world. Higher-education and research establishments, which contribute to training students as well as international researchers, are faced with a real challenge in this regard. How can a "city of knowledge" attract and retain these talents and support the development of the institutions of higher learning that train them and the research centres that employ them? Building on the work of recent years, the "Villes de savoir" symposium offers reflections from economic, political and university leaders on the current issues of globalization and the international mobility of students and researchers.

To this end, for several years Polytechnique Montréal has been building a vast network of agreements with engineering schools internationally, in order to foster student mobility both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. "Following the example of major science research and training institutions worldwide, we are very aware that our ability to attract international students and researchers is a major factor in both our scientific excellence and our reputation and growth," says Christophe Guy, CEO of Polytechnique. "By the same token, we encourage our students to gain international experience, because that is highly valued and sought-after by their future employers."

The day promises to be rich in terms of programming. In the morning, Patrick Aebischer, President of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), who was awarded an honorary doctorate yesterday by Université de Montréal on the recommendation of Polytechnique Montréal, will speak about university issues in the global talent market. Renaud Caron, Senior Vice-President, Strategic Development, for CGI Group, will then speak about workforce needs and the perspectives of worldwide businesses.

In the afternoon, Richard Deschamps, Vice-Chair of the City of Montréal Executive Committee, will discuss the importance of the presence of international students for the development of Montréal and its universities, as well as the economic and demographic impacts on the Montréal area. Alain Fuchs, President of Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), will follow with a talk on the challenges of attracting and retaining international-calibre researchers in a globalized context. Lastly, the President of the Centre Jacques Cartier, Pierre-Marc Johnson, will speak about the progress of discussions for the Canada-European Union agreement, specifically looking at the aspect of international workforce mobility.

"I believe it is crucial, at a time of globalization, to think about the best ways to make international talent mobility a driver of the development of research and innovation in our cities. Today's discussions will certainly give us food for thought in that regard," Mr. Guy says.


To find out more about the Entretiens Jacques Cartier

The Entretiens Jacques Cartier is a major annual event that takes place in Rhône-Alpes, and once every three years in Québec. With the Entretiens, the Centre Jacques Cartier affirms its aim to create constructive dialogue with regional communities and situates partnership with the economic community in a dynamic where everyone discovers and plays their part.

http://www.ejc2011.ca/