Mr. Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Finance, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to participate in the pre-budget consultations in advance of the 2024 budget.
Founded in 1968, further to a bill that was unanimously passed by the National Assembly of Quebec, Université du Québec, or UQ, provides francophones across Quebec with access to higher education through its network of 10 institutions and presence in some 40 municipalities.
To date, more than 800,000 students have earned degrees at one of UQ's 10 institutions.
Today, nearly one in three students in Quebec is enrolled at a UQ institution, representing approximately 100,000 students every year. That makes UQ the largest French-language university in the Americas. More students attend UQ than even the University of Toronto.
At UQ, we consider scientific research and university studies pillars of our society. That is why it is important to step up efforts to award graduate scholarships, fund research and support Canada's French-speaking scientific community.
I will now turn things over to my colleague Ms. Poncelin de Raucourt to share our budget recommendations with you.