The University of Bordeaux strengthens its ties with Canada

Collaborations between the University of Bordeaux and Canada have taken shape and grown stronger over the years thanks to numerous research and training projects carried out with various universities and research institutions, foremost among which are the University of Waterloo and Université Laval (both key partners), but also the INRS (National Institute for Scientific Research) and several universities, mainly in Quebec (the Universities of Montreal, Sherbrooke and McGill).

The U7+ Alliance summit in Ottawa at the end of April provided an opportunity to organise a trip for a delegation from the University of Bordeaux, led by President Dean Lewis, to participate in the summit and meet with the CNRS office in Ottawa and the University of Waterloo in Ontario.

The University of Waterloo, a long-standing strategic partner

Initiated in 2010 through scientific collaborations, the partnership between the two institutions took shape through several calls for projects between 2015 and 2018, resulting in the launch of 28 research projects. Subsequently, the roadmap uniting the two universities enabled them to go even further in the fields of training and innovation, despite the COVID crisis.

The 2022-2025 period was marked by an event on the theme of artificial intelligence and machine learning applied to science and engineering, which also led to the launch of three joint projects. More recently, the two institutions have joined forces on the theme of sustainable aeronautics. The University of Bordeaux has also facilitated the establishment of institutional collaboration between Inria and the University of Waterloo.

Partners and laboratories involved: Inserm, IECB, ISM, Inria, INP/ENSEIRB-MATMECA, CNRS, ICMCB, CBMN, LaBRI, BSE, BPH, LP2N, IMS, Bioinformatics Centre, ARNA, LOMA

A dynamic relationship with CNRS Canada

The CNRS has an office in Canada, located in Ottawa, with which the University of Bordeaux collaborates very closely. Three of the seven international joint laboratories of the CNRS (now called IRP - international research programmes) are supported by the university: LUMAQ (photonics) and OptiNutriBrain (link between nutrition and brain health) since 2016, and DECODE PAIN (neurosciences) since 2024. Several other projects have also been submitted as part of the University of Bordeaux's international joint laboratories call for projects, with results to be announced shortly.

The University of Bordeaux supports three international research networks in Canada, covering topics ranging from quantum science and technology to hydrogen and brain health.

This meeting with CNRS Canada therefore enabled the University of Bordeaux to reaffirm the strategic nature of its presence across the Atlantic and its vitality, but also to discuss opportunities that remain to be explored in terms of funding, such as participation in the France-Canada Research Fund or the Horizon Europe programme, which, since 2024, has enabled Canadian researchers to participate fully in collaborative projects funded by the European Union. The meeting also fostered closer ties with the University of Ottawa, which was invited for the occasion and whose representatives expressed keen interest in developing collaboration with the University of Bordeaux, particularly in research.