French Studies
Professor François Paré is the author of several books on cultural and linguistic diversity, and on Francophone minorities in Canada. He won the Governor General’s Award in 1993, the Trillium Book Award in 2004 and the Victor-Barbeau prize in 2004. Many of his books have already been translated into English, Italian, Romanian, and Uzbek. He became chair of the Department of French Studies in 2003. Since then, his research, his teaching, and his personality have transformed his colleagues’ and students’ vision of French studies. For the students, taking a course with professor François Paré is quite more than meeting with another instructor three times a week; it is an enlightening experience. Through innovative and creative teaching techniques, François engages them in educative projects, giving them a sense of what it really means to be an arts student in the 21st-Century. François Paré, the teacher, the colleague, and the administrator, also has an open-door policy that is well known and appreciated by all. He always finds time to listen, to encourage, and to help the department’s students undertake the highest goals. Over the years, his involvement with the French studies undergraduate and graduate programs resulted in the development of numerous research and cultural activities within our community: the monthly Café-rencontre, for example, the Cercle Français, our new PhD program, etc. Professor François Paré, a first-class scholar and educator, has other qualities that should be praised. Among them, his communication skills and his enthusiasm for research should be acknowledged. In the classroom, in a meeting, or at the coffee shop, François makes you feel passionate about your studies, paper, work, projects. De plus, son amour de la langue française et de la culture est contagieux, et il est une véritable source d’inspiration pour tout le département d’études françaises et pour de nombreux étudiants et collègues de la francophonie.