3rd prize: Olivier De Champlain, Université du Québec à Montréal
Olivier De Champlain has been a research professional for over 15 years. Having earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from HEC Montréal and a master’s in political science from UQAM, he coordinates the research and manages the day-to-day activities of the Canada Research Chair in Québec and Canadian Studies (CREQC), the Interdisciplinary research centre on diversity and democracy (CRIDAQ) and the Research Group on Plurinational Societies (GRSP).
Over the years, he has been actively involved in the organization of major events, including seven editions of the International Summer Institute on Diversity and Democracy. Since 2007, more than 200 graduate students from the four corners of the globe have taken part in the different editions of this Institute. Olivier also developed and coordinated the creation of a virtual library in Québec and Canadian studies, with the help of funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI). Implemented in partnership with UQAM’s library service, this tool boasts more than 5,000 titles and is operated according to the demand driven acquisition principle. More recently, he worked closely with Professor Alain-G. Gagnon (Department of Political Science, UQAM) in setting up the Centre d’analyse politique: Constitution et fédéralisme (CAPCF). This research structure fills an important gap in research on Canadian federalism, particularly within French-speaking Canada.