March 8, 2010
The Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries held its 31st annual conference in Grainau, Bavaria, Feb. 19 to 21, 2010 on the theme 'Canada-Europe: cross perspectives'. For 3 days, the participants were able to exchange about Canadian experiences in terms of immigration, integration, intensifying of Canada-Europe cooperation, as well as on common possible responses to transnational challenges.
Within this event, the Quebec historian and sociologist Gérard Bouchard, internationally renowned for his expertise on accommodations related to cultural discrepancies (so-called 'Reasonable Accommodations'), held an address on the topic "From assimilation to communitarianism: Searching for an integration mode of ethnocultural diversity".
On the occasion of this conference, Katia Grimard, of the Quebec General Delegation in Munich, awarded the Quebec government Prix d'excellence for young researchers who have completed a dissertation on a topic involving the province of Quebec. Two young female researchers from Saar University were distinguished, of whom both dissertations focused on integration in Quebec. The successful candidates were Ms Sarah Hürter for her dissertation "Reasonable Accomodation as a media event: Quantitative and qualitative journalistic analysis of the integration policy of the province of Quebec", and Ms. Luise Baumann whose dissertation was about "Integration of foreigners in small and medium companies in Quebec in the eyes of applied diversity models – A Theoretical and Empirical Study".
The annual meetings of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries gather yearly from 200 to 300 "Canadianists" mainly from Germany and Austria. Among these are the managers of the Quebec Studies Centers as well as professors and graduate students working on Quebec. Since 1993, the Quebec government has been supporting the Association with this award in order to encourage young researchers in the field of Quebec studies.
Source: Quebec General Delegation in Munich