Universite Laval

Université Laval was the very first French-language university in North America. In 1663 Monsignor François de Montmorency-Laval, the first bishop of New France, founded the colony’s first educational institution: Séminaire de Québec. Nearly 200 years later, in 1852, this institution became a university and the first building block for all French-language higher education in Québec, Canada, and North America.

The history of Université Laval is closely tied to that of Québec. For centuries this institution of higher learning has trained the intellectual elite of French-speaking Québec, and its influence continues to this day. Université Laval is considered a bulwark in the continued presence and thriving of the French fact in North America.

In the mid-19th century there was a growing need for university-level education. The English-speaking population already had five institutions of higher education to choose from, but there were none for French speakers. To address this deficiency, in 1852 Queen Victoria signed a royal charter giving the Séminaire de Québec the right to “confer degrees” and “all the rights, powers, and privileges of a University.” And thus Université Laval was founded.

In 1878 Université Laval opened a second campus, in Montréal. That campus would become independent in 1920 and take the name of Université de Montréal.

Mission, vision:
To meet the emerging challenges of society and the expectations of students and researchers, Université Laval undertook in 2018 to rethink its mission, vision, and values. The goal has been to engage and mobilize the university community in developing and transmitting knowledge and create an environment where learning, research, work, and community come compellingly together. Mission:
Driven by a deep-seated culture of sustainable development, Université Laval educates students to be engaged and creative and become model citizens, scientists, and business leaders who have an important impact on the direction that society takes. As a leading French-language institution with a strong international focus, Université Laval strives for excellence in education and research. It seeks to be both an example and a source of inspiration for its partners by mustering the forces of change in Québec City’s thriving university community.

Vision:
Our community is committed to providing a one-of-a-kind student experience and cultivating a bold, open, and resolutely interdisciplinary scientific culture focused on the challenges facing our world. We strive to be a humanist university dedicated to promoting the arts and training a new generation of leaders eager to tackle the biggest challenges of society.