History

The Graduate School of International Studies is the proud successor to the Institute for Advanced International Studies (HEI), created in 1994 on the foundations of Centre québécois de relations internationales (CQRI), founded in 1970.

However, our expertise dates back to the 1960s

The Graduate School of International Studies (ESEI) is the proud successor to the Institute for Advanced International Studies (HEI), created in 1994. HEI was founded as a result of initiatives that date back to the late 1960s. 

At that time, Professor Paul Painchaud from Université Laval’s Department of Political Science obtained approval from the Toronto-based Canadian Institute of International Affairs (CIIA) to establish a francophone secretariat of CIIA based at Université Laval. 

In 1970, a group of political science, economics, and law professors founded Centre québécois de relations internationales (CQRI). In addition to serving as the CIIA’s general secretariat in Québec, CQRI soon started publishing its own research, creating the journal Études internationales in the same year.

In 1987, a dedicated master’s program was introduced in 1987 at the Faculty of Social Sciences. The Master’s in International Relations (its original name), grew out of the collaborative work of political science, economics, and law professors. This first multidisciplinary program grew into the Master’s Degree in International Studies, expanding to address international development issues. A doctoral program in International Studies was added in 2006. 

The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IQHEI) was created to bring together within a single entity at the University the activities conducted under the aegis of CQRI—specifically in research and teaching—so that the dynamic fostered by the two organizations could be leveraged for maximum effect. Today, research and teaching activities have increased dramatically, each fueling the development of the other.