Quebec’s universities are part of your daily life. They train health professionals, educators, and the people who nurture the quality of your environment. And these are not the only areas where Quebec’s universities have an impact on your everyday existence.
Here are some examples…- Towards a more Respectful Workplace - Psychological health and well-being in the workplace are research topics that fascinate a professor of business and human resources management at a Quebec university. Through several projects with collaborators, Dr. Harvey is examining a range of ill effects associated with being exposed to interpersonal aggression and hostility at work.
- In many parts of Quebec, forests account for over one third of economic activity. In view of their mission to contribute to regional development, universities are justified in investing heavily in developing training and research in this field. The creation of the Inhabited Forest Research Chair at a Quebec university is a step in the right direction. We know that our forests are endangered. A researcher at a Quebec university is studying the effects of natural and human disturbances on a series of forest ecosystems. This work will contribute to the advancement of the models used in forest management.
- Can adapted housing be developed for people with cognitive problems or Alzheimer’s disease? Two researchers at another Quebec university have equipped each room in an apartment with very mature computer technology. These devices will enable people with cognitive disabilities to remain self-sufficient longer.
- Grief is part of our lives. A Quebec university is home to the only interdisciplinary laboratory in Quebec dedicated to reconstituting life’s transition periods (funeral rites, adolescence, birth, retirement). This lab is conducting research on grief and healing processes and on issues related to the birth of a child. It serves the community by offering training and developing tools and new practices for reritualizing actions related to bereavement, illness and birth.
- Treat your imagination to the ghosts and legends of the western seas, from old world to new. A history professor at a Quebec university has published a book that will enthrall anyone who loves the sea and its legends. The book, entitled La mer aux histoires, voyage dans l’histoire maritime occidentale, travels through western maritime history from our European heritage to the shores of the St. Lawrence River.
- Logging in excess of the current northern limit would have serious consequences for the boreal forest. According to a study supervised by a researcher at a Quebec university, the black spruce forests north of the 51st parallel are not able to regenerate easily, so logging could have a catastrophic impact on this ecosystem. The study’s authors observed that, as a result of disturbances exceeding this limit, over half of the dense forests became open areas with trees covering only 5% to 40% of the ground.
- How can certain types of buildings, like hospitals, fire stations, police stations and telephone exchanges, be made to remain functional after a major earthquake? A Quebec university has a world-class research facility where the structural behaviour of bridges, dams and major engineering works is being studied. An astonishing seismic protection technology has been developed: when the earthquake is over, structures are recentred in their original position.
- Tell me what you read, I will tell you how you reason… What does a person’s choice of reading material reveal about reasoning ability? A Quebec university professor explored the theory that what people read may make a difference and help people reason better. She discovered that the more people read, particularly scientific publications for the general public like Psychology Today, the more developed their overall reasoning ability is. The results of her research, published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, showed that it is a combination of what people read and the way or reading it that determines their ability to reason logically.
- How can we understand the political issues in the USA, our powerful neighbour to the south? A Quebec university professor is regularly invited to comment on American news in the various media to inform the general public. He did so regularly during the recent presidential campaign that elected Barak Obama as President of the United States. A number of Quebec university professors do the same in their areas or in various Quebec and Canadian news media.
- Protecting the food we eat - The research activities conducted by a professor in political studies at a Quebec university (Trygve Ugland) help to improve food safety policies, in the context of the globalization of economic trade.
- How can the development of a tornado be forecast before it appears on radar screens? Can airplane wings be designed better? Is it possible to manufacture quieter turbines? As a result of research on the theory of the stability of vortex rings, a team of Quebec scientists was finally able to physically validate the theory in a laboratory environment. Following a study of water vortices spinning in a cylinder and minimization of the visual noise, the team confirmed a 125-year old theory and paved the way for limitless real-life applications.
- Concerto for optical fibre… An optical guitar developed by a Quebec professor and his students may soon turn the music world upside down. Based on the structure of an acoustic guitar, they had the idea of replacing the usual nylon strings with multimodal optical fibre in which a laser wave circulates. This very simple substitution generated a new sound wizardry, where anything becomes possible...
- A Quebec university has compiled the largest computer file on the Quebec population from its origins up to 1935. The BALSAC population register is a computerized database designed for automatic compilation of family histories and ascending or descending genealogies. The information in the database comes primarily from public records of births, marriages and burials. The goal is to cover the entire Quebec population from early settlement in the 17th century until today. Work on the database began in 1972. The data is complete for the Saguenay and Charlevoix regions and compilation is still in progress for other parts of Quebec.
- What does your facial expression reveal? More than you think! For three years, a Quebec professor and a graduate student have worked on developing a computer vision system that detects and classifies the expressions on a human face. The results of their research to date were published recently. By examining such details as lips and eyebrow position, the computer can guess whether the person is happy, tired, sad or angry. Japanese banks already use computers to determine customers’ moods and tailor their service to suit them.
- In aquaculture, various problems with farming techniques were solved ten years ago. One of the current challenges is marketing and merchandising fish products. The industry needs to provide quality products more regularly at affordable prices. A Canada Research Chair in Aquaculture was created in 2003 at a Quebec university to study various problems in this field, such as the arrival of invasive species.
