Information

For the third consecutive year, CEN and its student committee are organising a half-day training session.

This year, it will take place on 11 February 2026, from 12:30pm to 5:30pm, in rooms ADJ-2300 and ADJ-2320 of the Alphonse-Desjardins Pavilion (Laval University Campus).

How to register?

You can register for two of the four workshops on offer.

The workshops will be held in French.

There are a maximum of 40 places available for each workshop.

Priority will be given to CEN members, after which places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration is closed.

Detailed Programme

Networking with intention: opportunities to seize, impact to create

Speaker:

• Annie Rémillard, employment advisor at Laval University's Professional Development Service)

Workshop description:

Networking with intention means creating interactions that reflect who you are. This conference will give you the keys to identifying opportunities that suit you, focusing your exchanges on what motivates you, and building lasting relationships. You will explore how to strengthen your confidence in your natural style so you can network with ease and authenticity. Leave with concrete actions to make networking a personal and professional lever.

Speaker presentation:

Annie Rémillard, employment advisor at the UL's Professional Development Service, has been helping students and graduates define their professional goals and put them into action for several years. In a context where networking is essential for seizing opportunities, she offers a practical and inspiring workshop on networking with intention.

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Bringing science to life in the North: outreach to reach your audiences

Speaker:

• Vincent Gosselin-Boucher, professor in the Department of Physical Activity Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal

Workshop description:

This interactive plenary workshop explores how to adapt a scientific message to the target audience. Through role-playing and interactive activities in small groups, participants will learn to:

• Map key audiences and their expectations;
• Choose the right level of language, medium, and narrative angle;
• Identify the specific needs and interests of northern audiences (i.e., Indigenous communities, regional stakeholders, government partners);
• Structure a short outreach message using the key elements of science communication;

*To be done before the session* Prepare a short statement of one to two sentences describing your field of research or a key result that you would like to better communicate to a non-specialist audience.

Speaker presentation:

Vincent Gosselin Boucher is a professor in the Department of Physical Activity Sciences at the Université du Québec à Montréal. His work focuses on behavioral sciences, health literacy, and mental health among health professionals. He is actively involved in knowledge mobilization and science communication. Member of Sciences 101 – Vulgarisation UQAM since 2019, he is also co-founder of the non-profit organization Vérité ou Quoi ?, which aims to demystify science, one topic at a time.

https://sciences101.ca/ https://www.veriteouquoi.com/douance

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Seeking Alternatives: Principles, Art, and Interdisciplinarity to Support Ethical and Fair Northern Research on Indigenous Peoples of the North

Speaker:

• Catherine-Alexandra Gagnon, Research and Development Officer at UQAR

Workshop description:

The North is home to many Indigenous peoples. Conducting research in the North therefore requires approaching each stage of the research process with responsibility, reciprocity, and respect for the people who inhabit the territory, regardless of the discipline. This workshop presents the key principles put forward for high-quality, ethical research that is inclusive of Northern knowledge and peoples. It invites reflection on the balance between Indigenous and Western knowledge systems and opens the discussion on the role of art and interdisciplinarity as tools for collaborative research.

Speaker introduction:

Catherine A. Gagnon is a researcher and consultant whose work focuses on research in Indigenous contexts. With a background in environmental sciences, she has been working for nearly 20 years at the interface between communities, researchers, and institutions. Her work draws on the concept of social capital to strengthen the dynamics of collaboration, trust, and reciprocity in research. She favors interdisciplinary, participatory, and relational approaches that promote the co-construction of knowledge. She is currently working at the Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) on Indigenous partnerships in research as part of the Transforming Climate Action program.

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AI for research

A training thinked and organized by Constanza Sofía Salvó, PhD student at INRS.

Speakers:

• Chayma Chaabani (artificial intelligence researcher at IRSST)
• Schallum Pierre (Senior Advisor in Responsible AI, Ethics and Innovation at IID)

Workshop description:

This workshop aims to explore the potential of artificial intelligence in an academic context. Participants will discover how AI can facilitate the management and analysis of scientific literature, as well as best practices for its use in data mining. Particular attention will be paid to the ethical and environmental issues related to the use of automated tools, as well as best practices in scientific communication when relying on AI. The workshop will combine theoretical presentations and practical demonstrations, offering researchers concrete strategies for integrating AI responsibly and effectively into their projects.

Presentation of speakers

Chayma Chaabani is an artificial intelligence researcher at the IRSST. She holds a PhD in information technology and is trained in computer engineering, with a specialization in intelligent and decision systems engineering. Having conducted postdoctoral research at INRS-ETE, her work focused on adapting AI for applications related to environmental monitoring.

Schallum Pierre is an advisor on responsible AI, ethics, and innovation at Université Laval's Institut intelligence et données (IID). With a PhD in philosophy from Université Laval and postdoctoral studies at Polytechnique Montréal, he supports organizations in their responsible digital transformation, with particular expertise in regulatory compliance, algorithmic risk management, and data ethics. His work focuses in particular on the environmental challenges of AI and responsible innovation in strategic sectors.

Thank you to our financial partners