Team

Fakhreddine Riahi is a student in applied politics – public policy path – at the Université de Sherbrooke. He plans to pursue a master’s degree. Throughout his academic journey, he has nurtured an interest in issues concerning the governance of data, artificial intelligence and disruptive technologies. He is also interested in the effects of social networks and search engines on political attitudes. He aims to develop his knowledge and research expertise within the UNESCO-PREV Chair.

Léonie Roy is a student in applied political studies with a major in international relations at the Université de Sherbrooke. During her bachelor’s degree, she developed a particular interest in polarization issues arising from disinformation. She plans to pursue her studies with a master’s degree in political communication.

Tarik Tairi is an intercultural mediator specialized in conflict resolution, intervening in the reception and integration of immigrants at SANC Sherbrooke. He is a doctoral candidate in Contemporary Religious Studies at the University of Sherbrooke. His doctoral thesis focuses on the place of Islamic religious discourse in programs for deradicalization and the prevention of violent extremism. The research will make recommendations on how to integrate Islamic religious discourse, as a calming and tolerant alternative discourse, into a prevention/deradicalization program and strategy. 

Laurie Vaillancourt is a master’s research student at the School of Applied Politics at the Université de Sherbrooke. Passionate about security issues, she plans to write a memoir on the politicization of intelligence in Canada. As a research assistant for the UNESCO-PREV Chair, Laurie aims to develop her research skills by working on subjects such as extremism and hate speech targeting sexual minorities.

Wynnpaul Varela is the coordinator of the Innovative Social Pedagogy project. Since arriving in Montreal in 2009, Wynnpaul has worked as freelance editor, researcher, and learning experience designer. Before that, he taught English in Japan for 15 years. He holds a PhD in Education with a focus on how music students practise their instruments.

Emma Vargas Lemeltier is a student in the Master’s program in Applied Politics – Security and Intelligence at the Université de Sherbrooke. Her interdisciplinary background in international relations and law has led her to focus on national security issues ranging from the protection of democratic institutions to contemporary forms of ideological violence.