“The working world is changing, and so are graduate studies,” says Paré. “There are more and more people interested in continuing their academic careers after their undergraduate studies. In some fields, getting a master’s has become practically a necessity, and law is no exception. There are those who intend to go into research and teaching, of course, but there are also many practitioners who feel it’s important to specialize.” The new vice-dean would like to promote skills development and networking opportunities for graduate law students, through, for example, mentorship.
She would also like to improve the student experience. “People enrolled in the master’s or PhD program come from all over. Their academic paths are sometimes different from one another and their experiences can be very diverse. I’m afraid that each feels a bit isolated and I’d really like to develop a sense of belonging, a community spirit, a bit like what our licentiate in civil law students feel,” she says. “That said, I’d also like to improve the experience of those who supervise our graduate students. I’m thinking, for example, of establishing a forum to meet and talk about our personal experiences, discuss best practices, share tips, and more.”
Another matter that’s important to her is recognition of master’s and PhD candidates’ work, and the related notion of sharing knowledge and ideas. She argues for greater visibility for our faculty’s graduate research work.
Paré holds a licentiate and a master’s in law from Université Aix-Marseille, a graduate diploma in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and a doctorate in law from the University of London. She joined the faculty of the Civil Law Section in 2007 and became a full professor on May 1 of this year.
Paré’s research interests lie in the area of international law, including human rights, children’s rights, persons with disabilities’ rights, equality and non-discrimination, and the right to education. She’s completing a project with a particular focus on children’s participation in youth protection processes, along with partners in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. She’s also beginning a new project on children as rights advocates, through which she’ll explore the mechanisms that allow children to advocate for their own rights and those of others. Paré is also a founding member and part of the steering committee of the Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on the Rights of the Child.
The dean of the Civil Law Section, Marie-Eve Sylvestre, wishes to offer her sincere thanks to the outgoing vice-dean, Forcese, for his outstanding work in recent years. Speaking of his successor, she says, “I’m delighted to welcome Vice-Dean Paré to our team. Professor Paré is a great researcher and mentor for master’s and PhD students. Her dedication, energy and ideas will help develop our programs and research at the Faculty of Law.”
Congratulations to Mona Paré, the new vice-dean, graduate studies, of the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law!
Learn more about graduate studies at the Faculty of Law, including our programs.