At FSS, Francophonie is more than just a linguistic heritage. It’s a driving force — a space for expression, critical thinking, and collective action. With a wide range of programs fully offered in French at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, our faculty plays a leading role in promoting and strengthening French-language education at the University of Ottawa.
We are also proud to be the faculty with the highest number of students enrolled in the French Immersion Stream, with over 900 registrations. This strong participation reflects not only the appeal of French as a language of instruction but also the growing interest among students in pursuing a bilingual, globally minded academic path.
Globally, more than 321 million people speak French across five continents. As the world’s largest bilingual (French-English) university, the University of Ottawa — and especially the Faculty of Social Sciences — embraces this global francophone network by preparing future leaders to thrive in multilingual, inclusive, and intercultural environments.
On this special day, we celebrate the dedication of our students, faculty, and staff, who contribute every day to the vitality of Francophonie through their teaching, research, community engagement, and international partnerships.
Happy International Francophonie Day to our entire community! Let’s continue to celebrate our diversity, creativity, and shared commitment to keeping the French language vibrant and alive.