Government of Québec appoints representative within Canada's permanent delegation to UNESCO
The Government of Québec has appointed Mr. Michel Audet as its permanent representative within Canada’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.

The Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall in London
The Cirque du Soleil will kick off 2007 at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall with its production Alegría, which runs from 5 January to 4 February 2007. The themes of the show, whose name means “jubilation” in Spanish, are many. Power and the handing down of power over time, the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies, old age, youth—it is against this backdrop that the characters of Alegría play out their lives. Jesters, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children make up its universe, along with the clowns, who alone are able to resist the passing of time and the social transformations that accompany it.

Book Release in London: The Story of French from Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow
Jean-Benoît Nadeau from Sherbrooke, Québec, and Julie Barlow, who is originally from Ontario, recently released their latest book, The Story of French, in London. Recounting the history of the French language from Charlemagne to the Cirque du Soleil era, the work is the first of its kind to be written in English. The authors show how French grew and took shape, developing a unique character and influence. They also provide an answer to the essential question: How was French able to become the other “global” language? The Story of French has been published simultaneously by three publishers: Knopf Canada in Toronto, St-Martin's Press in New York, and Robson Books in London.

Musician Claude Méthé from Québec launches his first solo album
Traditional fiddler Claude Méthé from Québec recently launched his first solo album entitled L’Amant Confesseur. Backed by musicians such as fiddler Pascal Gemme, multi-instrumentalist Dana Whittle and guitarist Pascal Béland, Claude Méthé delivers an uplifting series of original reels and jigs. The album, which was produced by Pascal Gemme, caught the attention of journalist Vic Smith of the renowned British roots music magazine fROOTs.

The 3rd Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) TestFest in Montréal
Over a hundred international mobile data experts attended the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) TestFest held in Montréal from 30 November to 8 December. OMA, an international forum designed to facilitate global adoption of mobile data services, includes some 400 mobile operators, device and network suppliers, information technology companies and content providers.

Expansion of the ICAO in Montréal
The growing volume of global air traffic has led to the expansion of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the oldest and largest Montréal-based international organization. Last month, Québec Minister of International Relations, Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, inaugurated the new offices of the Technical Co-operation Bureau of the organization, which is affiliated with the United Nations.

Health sciences: NIH meeting
Partnerships and discussions between Québec and the U.S. are flourishing in the health sciences sector. In association with BioQuébec and with the support of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, the Délégation générale du Québec (Québec Government Office) in New York organized a recent meeting in Montreal aimed at exploring cooperation opportunities with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), America’s premier health research organization. Approximately 60 Québec participants met with Steven M. Ferguson, NIH Director of Technology Development and Transfer.

International policy: Québec sets sights on culture
Support the marketing of Québec creations and favour the circulation of these creations abroad: these are the main objectives of Québec’s recently released strategy for deploying the cultural section of its new international policy.

Mission to India generates promising results
India is one of the high-priority emerging economies singled out in Québec’s international policy. Although active relations between Québec and India are recent, they are already very promising. On the heels of an initial visit less than a year ago by Premier Jean Charest, about 60 people from the worlds of business, research and education travelled to India in November as part of a major economic mission.

Research and innovation keys to economic development
To ensure its economic development in a highly competitive international context, Québec is concentrating more than ever on research and innovation. Over the next three years, the Government of Québec will invest close to a billion dollars to bolster public and private research and enhance infrastructure. These efforts are included in the new Québec research and innovation strategy unveiled recently by Premier Jean Charest.

International policy: Québec sets sights on culture
Support the marketing of Québec creations and favour the circulation of these creations abroad: these are the main objectives of Québec’s recently released strategy for deploying the cultural section of its new international policy.

Knowledge: an exportable resource
Promoting Québec education abroad is one of the measures contained in Québec’s International Policy. It is also one of the mandates adopted by Cégep international, a product of the Fédération des cégeps du Québec. Minister of International Relations Monique Gagnon-Tremblay was invited on 16 November to close the annual symposium held by this important partner in Québec’s international initiatives regarding education.

Québec takes part in the 10th Edition of the Uppsala University Conference
Public affairs attaché at the Québec Government Office in London, Catherine Lecavalier, was one of the guest speakers at this year’s Uppsala University Conference on 11 and 12 November. The 10th edition of the Swedish event was held under the theme Grandes Eaux. Catherine Lecavalier gave presentations on social, cultural, geographical and political aspects of Québec to a group of about 60 Swedish academics.

Montréal, Québec City, and Sherbrooke named Canada’s top research communities in 2006
Montréal (1st overall), Québec City (5th overall), and Sherbrooke (11th overall) were among the top twenty selected for their excellency in research and development communities in Canada according to a new list released by Research Infosource in early November. Montréal (over 900,000 inhabitants), Québec City (300,000 to 900,000) and Sherbrooke (less than 300,000) each received the title of Research Community of the Year in Canada in their respective population categories.

Networking event at the Québec Government Office in London
A networking event organized by the Canada-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce was held on 7 November at the Québec Government Office in London. The theme centered on laws pertaining to information and communications technology in businesses. The two guest speakers were Robert Brown, Technical Director of DataSec, and Gordon Turner, a partner in the Roiter Zucker law firm and President of the Canadian Network for Employers UK.

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