Survey results unveiled "The Quebec university system: business weighs in"
Universities: partners for our success

MONTREAL, Oct 5 /CNW Telbec/ - In anticipation of the first edition of Rendez-vous du Savoir 2010, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, along with its partners in this event, today revealed the results of the survey titled The Quebec university system: business weighs in. Conducted in partnership with Léger Marketing, this survey provides new data and exclusive information aimed at fuelling the discussions that will be held October 20 and 21. 

"The Board of Trade carried out this survey to assess the situation and gauge how business owners feel about our university system. While the results show a positive perception, there is still a lot of room for increasing the synergy and number of university-industry collaborations in Quebec," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.

Survey results 

1. A need for collaboration
Most of the companies surveyed (81%) believe that university-industry collaboration is relevant for business growth and visibility. Over half (53%) of the companies surveyed have collaborated with universities in the last three years. Moreover, university-industry collaboration is viewed more positively by those already involved in it and that have been in business for a longer time. This finding confirms the need and relevance of making an effort to encourage companies to try a university collaboration.

2. A strong system that is facing major challenges
The Quebec university system is generally perceived as good, especially as regards teaching quality (94%), research quality (87%) and graduate employability (82%). That said, businesses are worried about the challenges facing our system, starting with the need to encourage school perseverance in order to ultimately increase the number of university graduates.  

3. A knowledge city with still untapped potential
Montréal still has a ways to go before it is perceived as one of North America's ultimate university cities. In this regard, not surprisingly, Boston is still the reference for 74% of the respondents. The paths to improvement most cited by Quebec companies are to increase the number of research centres (73%), improve the quality of education (51%) and boost university funding (47%).

"This survey of 204 business leaders gave us insight into their thoughts about Quebec's university system. It also allowed us to evaluate the relationship between industry and academia and to measure the current and potential collaboration between these two groups. The findings provide a solid foundation for the meeting between our universities, businesses and the partners of Rendez-vous du Savoir," said Léger Marketing President Jean-Marc Léger.

"The survey results highlight the key role universities play in ensuring business vitality through the quality of their teaching and research and the employability of their graduates. Our universities are happy to see the high level of satisfaction expressed by the companies that have collaborated with them. They are determined to do whatever they can to promote even more successful collaborations in order to make an even greater contribution to Quebec's economic, social and cultural development," affirmed Daniel Zizian, President and Director General of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec.

Rendez-vous du Savoir
Rendez-vous du Savoir, presented by Desjardins Group and organized by partners from different milieus, will take place on October 20 and 21. This event will be an opportunity to acknowledge the vital role universities play in our society and their contribution to economic development, as well as to further bridge the gap between academia and industry.

"Bringing the business, scientific and academic worlds together is essential for a society that wants to remain creative and competitive and continue to evolve. Rendez-vous du Savoir offers an extraordinary opportunity to showcase and promote research. It's also an excellent example of collaboration between the different milieus," emphasized Dr. Pavel Hamet, medical professor at Université de Montréal and spokesperson of Rendez-vous du Savoir.

"More than ever, education has to be a top priority because it's the key to our future. That's why Desjardins plans to participate in this Rendez-vous du Savoir, a collective effort and reflection," added Monique F. Leroux, President and CEO of Desjardins Group and spokesperson of Rendez-vous du Savoir.

To access the survey: http://btmm.qc.ca/universities_survey

Rendez-vous du Savoir was initiated and organized in partnership by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ), Conférence régionale des élus (CRÉ) de Montréal, Montréal International and the City of Montréal. Desjardins Group is the presenter and lead sponsor of the event.

To learn more about Rendez-vous du Savoir: www.rendezvousdusavoir.com

The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is made up of some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity, and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.

For further information:

Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Phone: [phone], extension 4015
[email protected]