uOttawa’s new vice-president, international and Francophonie Sanni Yaya explains how the University of Ottawa is more committed than ever to recognizing and promoting the language, heritage and vitality of Francophones on campus and across the province.
On Franco-Ontarian Day, we celebrate the heritage, richness and strength of the French language across the province. At the University of Ottawa, our Francophone character sets us apart from most other postsecondary institutions in Ontario.
On this September 25, the University of Ottawa reaffirms its commitment to maintaining and strengthening the Francophonie on campus, and to supporting French language higher education in minority communities in Ontario, across Canada and around the world.
Serving Franco-Ontarians
As a flagship and pioneering institution for Ontario Francophones, the University of Ottawa supports the Francophonie through the courses and programs we offer in French across all our faculties.
Five years ago, the University of Ottawa officially obtained French-language designation for our services and undergraduate programs under Ontario’s French Language Services Act. This designation recognizes our commitment to promoting, highlighting and contributing to the growth of Ontario’s francophone community.
In this capacity, we work to preserve the hard-won rights of Franco-Ontarians on our own campus, while also working with universities across Canada to promote these rights —wherever postsecondary education in French might be at risk.
To serve us in this mission, we boast a considerable pool of expertise in areas such as language policy, translation, language rights and language education. We are also home to researchers whose work is vital to understanding issues affecting Francophone minority communities.
Francophone renewal at uOttawa
In my role as the new vice-president, international and Francophonie, I have been tasked with promoting and strengthening uOttawa’s francophone presence and reach, in accordance with the proposed direction set out in the Cardinal report.
The renewal of the Chaires de recherche sur le monde francophone (CRMF) program and the creation of the new Office of Vice-President, International and Francophonie are tangible expressions of the University’s commitment.
I believe that language is a symbol of identity and a powerful driver for awareness of ‘otherness.’ The University of Ottawa must meet Franco-Ontarians’ deep-seated aspirations. We are determined to be proactive, with tangible and formative initiatives. These initiatives will include the development of spaces for dialogue and engagement, and programs in French designed to promote the vitality of Francophone communities in areas critical to personal identity, such as culture and communications, new technologies, education, health, immigration, justice and economic development.
The University of Ottawa also wants to strengthen Francophone solidarity by highlighting shared interests with our partners. We are planning, among other things, to expand partnerships with other institutions to enhance resource sharing. This supportive, collaborative and leadership role regarding other institutions is one that the University has played and will continue to play.
One of our priorities is to make Francophones’ voices heard and to ensure, through research, that best practices are shared and that communities’ needs are understood and supported by high-quality programs.
A perfect example of this is our Faculty of Medicine, which is working to establish an undergraduate doctor of pharmacy program in French. The goal is to train pharmacists who will be able to serve Francophone minority communities. It will be the first French pharmacy program in Canada outside of Quebec.
Diverse French-language communities: A valuable asset
"If French is Francophone, the Francophonie is not only French", to paraphrase the French-Cameroonian novelist, Calixte Beyala, who sought to explain the growing diversity of the French-speaking world.
Ontario Francophones have never been more diverse, thanks in part to immigration. The arrival of these new citizens is gradually changing the sociodemographic make‑up of Ontario’s Francophonie.
“For 20 years now, the annual contribution of international immigration to the replenishment of Ontario’s French-speaking population has more or less doubled, accounting now for more than half of the total number of new Francophone residents in Ontario over the past five years,” says E.‑Martin Meunier, director of the Collège des chaires de recherche sur le monde francophone.
This further emphasizes the significance of uOttawa’s commitment to Franco-Ontarians. This university is a stimulating environment and a hub for Francophone communities from around the globe. This multi-faceted composition of the French-speaking community makes us strong and diverse, and it is a major asset in contributing to the vibrancy of the French language.
Join us for the virtual celebrations of Franco-Ontarian Day at the University of Ottawa.