Laurentian University and Collège Boréal Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Strengthen Francophone Education and Collaboration

15 July 2025

Ontario

This agreement reflects the enduring dedication of both institutions towards their Francophone missions and an openness to collaboration with partners who share a vision for serving students and communities.

Laurentian University and Collège Boréal are proud to announce the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU), formalizing their shared commitment to enhancing French-language postsecondary education and research in Northern Ontario and beyond. This MoU outlines a framework for formal postsecondary partnership discussions between the institutions, including efforts:

To create educational pathways between institutions in order to improve access to Francophone studies, increase the number of programs available in French in the Sudbury region and Ontario, and avoid program duplication and competition;
To alleviate the shortage of French-language labour in Northern Ontario;
To facilitate credit transfer between Collège Boréal and Laurentian University;;
To offer pathways and program combinations that include both theoretical and practical approaches in order to better prepare students for the workforce;
To improve services to Indigenous communities in the region;
To improve access for college students to graduate studies in French (master’s and doctoral programs);
To collaborate on research projects in areas of mutual interest.

Our province’s francophone community plays a vital role in building a self-reliant and more competitive Northern Ontario. This agreement between Laurentian University and Collège Boréal will not only strengthen access to world-class French postsecondary education but will also equip students with the education and skills they need to protect and grow Ontario’s economy.

Nolan Quinn

Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security

The signing of this new agreement between Laurentian University and Collège Boréal formalizes a long-standing collaboration in service of Ontario’s Francophone population. Through this renewed commitment, our institutions continue working together to improve access to high-quality post-secondary education and enrich the student experience through more exchanges and collaborations. Our goal: to train a truly bilingual workforce equipped to meet the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s job market.

Daniel Giroux

President, Collège Boréal

For more than 60 years, Laurentian has been an essential part of the Francophone fabric of Northern Ontario. Our commitment to French-language education remains strong and unwavering. This memorandum represents a step forward in building productive partnerships that expand opportunities for Francophone learners and reinforce our identity as a bilingual university rooted in the communities we serve.

Dr. Lynn Wells

President and Vice-Chancellor, Laurentian University

The agreement establishes a platform for ongoing dialogue and exploration of opportunities. It reflects both institutions’ commitment to innovation in education and to deepening connections with the Francophone, Indigenous, and Northern communities they serve.

About Collège Boréal

Created in Sudbury in 1995, Collège Boréal is a French-language post-secondary institution committed to the development and growth of the various Ontario communities it serves. Through its 34 sites including 8 campuses in 27 communities, Boréal offers a high level of expertise in post-secondary education (with the highest graduation and employer satisfaction rates of Ontario’s 24 community colleges). Its services also include basic training, apprenticeship, immigration and integration services, employment services, customized training and applied research.

About Laurentian University (Akinomaagegamik)

Laurentian University serves over 8,000 students on its campus in Sudbury, Ontario, and is one of two bilingual universities in the province of Ontario. Committed to its bilingual, tri-cultural mandate, Laurentian University offers an outstanding university experience in English and French with a comprehensive approach to Indigenous education.

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