Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the committee.
Thank you for inviting us this evening. My name is Paul Dufour.
I'm a senior fellow—emphasis on “senior”—with the Institute for Science, Society and Policy at the University of Ottawa. With me is Sarah Laframboise. She is associated with ISSP and is a Ph.D. student in biochemistry. She will have some quick remarks immediately after mine.
Before we make our short remarks, permit us to congratulate you, Madam Chair, for your considerable efforts in establishing with colleagues this new House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research. It is indeed a welcome addition to our parliamentary House.
My own career path has been an eclectic one in the science policy world, but suffice it to say that at the ISSP, the issue of talent training remains critical, whether it is here in Canada throughout our educational institutions, labour market, and federal labs, or around the globe.
Our institute, led by Dr. Monica Gattinger, is well known for the work at the intersection of science with policy and society. We've just released a strategic plan that builds on our research work over the past decade and outlines new directions. At the heart of this vision is providing students with the opportunities, skills and tools centred on the rapidly evolving knowledge space of science and research policy.
I've had the privilege of teaching at the institute and interacting with the next generation of talent in our science, society and policy world. This includes the Ottawa Science Policy Network but also working closely with such others as the student-led Science & Policy Exchange in Montreal, the Canadian Science Policy Centre and the Students on Ice team based in Quebec, not to mention the fabulous cohort of Mitacs science policy fellows. I'm also monitoring and mentoring the diverse and creative youth council that is advising the government's chief science adviser and her office on next-generation issues associated with science policy.
I can honestly say that all of these networks of talented students and researchers want to make a difference and, like my oldest granddaughter, who's about to start her university studies in pharmacy in Quebec, are passionate about learning so that they can apply their skills, entrepreneurship and knowledge to build a better society.
But they will need your support. They will also need a better understanding of how the public policy world works. I do hope you can help provide them with some of the necessary tools and guidance to make this happen with your recommendations in your report and with your own efforts in your own respective constituencies.
Who knows? Maybe a new pairing scheme of science students with members of Parliament can be contemplated here, or perhaps some of our emerging talents may even find their way onto this very committee in the future.
Thank you.
If I could, with the chair's permission, let me now turn this over to my colleague Sarah Laframboise, who will speak briefly about a very important survey result.
Sarah.