The International Space University's 27th Space Studies Program to Convene in Montreal, Canada

STRASBOURG, FRANCE, March 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The International Space University (ISU) is proud to announce that its 27^th annual Space Studies Program (SSP) session will be hosted by the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and HEC Montréal in 2014.

The 2014 session will mark the third time that the ISU has convened an SSP in Canada. After Toronto in 1990 and Vancouver in 2005, the selection of Montréal will bring the SSP to a centre of Canadian Space Excellence, home to a large number of space-related industrial and educational institutions as well as the Canadian Space Agency.

The ISU is very proud to partner with the ÉTS and HEC Montréal, two of the most prominent institutions of higher learning in Canada. The ÉTS is part of the Université du Québec network and specializes in applied teaching and research in engineering. HEC Montréal is Canada's oldest business school, and was the first business school in North America to receive the three most prestigious accreditations in the field of management education: AACSB International, AMBA and EQUIS.

By providing both the technical expertise and facilities of an engineering school with the managerial know-how and facilities of a leading management school, the ÉTS and HEC Montréal partnership offers tremendous potential to complement ISU's rich curriculum.

Prof. Angie Bukley, ISU Dean and SSP Director, points out: "The opportunity to convene the SSP in Montréal is something we've long awaited. With well over 400 ISU alumni, a well-established ISU scholarship foundation, dozens of ISU faculty members, and the strong support of the Canadian Space Agency, Canada as a country is among the strongest of ISU supporters across the board. Montréal as a venue is culturally rich and will offer a plethora of opportunities for our participants."

Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, the ÉTS is the first engineering school in Quebec in terms of engineering graduates. In total, the campus hosts 6,500 students and 1,500 graduate students. The ÉTS set up a research cluster called AÉROÉTS dedicated to aerospace engineering which consist of 45 professors, 320 trainees and 70 industrial partners.

Founded in 1907, HEC Montréal is an institution affiliated with the Université de Montréal. It has more than 250 professors and 12,000 students enrolled in a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs. HEC Montréal currently has 25 research chairs, including 7 Canada Research Chairs and 25 research centres and groups.

The ISU provides an interdisciplinary education in an intercultural and international environment to support the development of future leaders in the world space community. The SSP offers its participants a unique and comprehensive education covering all aspects of space programs and enterprises including space physical sciences, space engineering, policy and law, business and management, space and society, space applications, and space life sciences and human spaceflight.

The ÉTS and HEC Montréal believe that hosting the SSP14 jointly not only reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the SSP, but more importantly reflects the reality of the space sector.

Yves Beauchamp, CEO of the ÉTS, stated: "This renowned program will be an amazing opportunity to share our experience with the international participants of the SSP14. The ÉTS' core strengths in aerospace focus on aerodynamics, avionics, controls, design and manufacturing. ÉTS also hosts a NSERC/P&WC Industrial Research Chair on Propulsion System Integration and Optimization, and a Canada Research Chair for Aircraft Modeling and Simulation Technologies."

Michel Patry, Director of HEC Montréal, declared:  "HEC Montréal is proud to collaborate with the ISU in this major endeavour. We want the participants of the ISU-SSP14 to benefit from the School expertise in economic space sector analysis, knowledge management and management of innovation."

The Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ) and the Canadian Space Agency will also support and contribute to the SSP14.

Each summer the ISU offers this intense nine-week course designed for post-graduate university students and professionals of all levels of experience and disciplines. The site of the SSP changes annually, making it a unique educational concept and building on the fundamental ISU tenet of an international experience.

For more information on the institutions:
International Space University - www.isunet.edu
École de technologie supérieure - www.etsmtl.ca
HEC Montréal - www.hec.ca

Caroline Schwob
International Space University
External Relations Manager
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[email protected]

Liliane Sophie Pin
HEC Montréal
Media Relations Advisor
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[email protected]

Sébastien Langevin
École de technologie supérieure 
Communications Officer
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[email protected]