Our history

CIRADD began its activities thanks to the joint efforts of two passionate researchers and teachers from the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles, Carleton-sur-Mer campus: Sylvain Roy, professor of sociology, and Gilbert Bélanger, professor of biology, who launched CIRADD in order to showcase the value of scientific research in the educational process.

CIRADD positions itself as a driver of innovation in sustainable development in the promotion of scientific research. For the founders, improving living conditions and meeting the challenges of sustainable development require innovative and creative approaches, which involve scientific research within interdisciplinary teams.

The Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche et de la Science awards CIRADD and the Cégep recognition as a College Centre for the Transfer of Technologies (CCTT) in the field of sustainable development. As a result, the centre is consolidating its community outreach activities and is beginning to expand its research and assistance activities.

Since then, CIRADD has assembled a solid interdisciplinary team with expertise in sustainable and territorial development – primarily staff holding master’s and doctorate degrees – and has consolidated its network of partners (universities, CCTTs, etc.). It works at the local, regional, provincial and international levels to the benefit of the Cégep students, but also for SMEs and organizations in Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine and elsewhere in Québec.

Thanks to the development of its expertise in sustainable recreation and tourism, CIRADD is recognized as a Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles technology access center by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).