Team

Alexandre Ménard is a bachelor’s student in applied politics – public policy path – at the University of Sherbrooke and acts as an intern for the UNESCO-PREV Chair. Very early in his bachelor’s degree in applied politics, he developed an interest in all questions concerning violence in politics as well as those concerning radicalization, particularly those within the university environment. Within the UNESCO-PREV Chair, he wishes to acquire and develop new skills in research in order to continue his graduate studies at the 2nd cycle and to be able to use all of his acquirements in research mainly affecting his fields of interest.

After a bachelor’s and master’s degree in anthropology (ULaval, 2011 and 2013), Frédérick Nadeau completed a doctorate in urban studies at INRS (2020). He then pursued his work through postdoctoral internships, first at the Centre d’expertise et de formation sur les intégrismes religieux, les idéologies politiques et la radicalisation (2020-2022), then at the Chaire de recherche France-Québec sur les enjeux contemporains de la liberté d’expression (2023-2024). He is now a research professional with the UNESCO Chair in the Prevention of Violent Radicalization. Dr. Nadeau specializes in political ideologies and social movements, particularly those labelled “radical”. More specifically, he is interested in emerging forms of political ideology and activism in a context where the institutions of liberal democracy are being challenged. Among other things, he carried out a four-year ethnographic survey during which he infiltrated Quebec’s extreme right to share the daily lives of activists and understand their paths of commitment. His work earned him the Relève Étoile Paul-Gérin-Lajoie prize from the Fonds de recherche du Québec (June 2020). He has published in various French- and English-language journals (Bulletin d’histoire politique, Anthropologica, Canadian Ethnic Studies, Recherches sociographiques), and his expertise is frequently sought by local, national and international media (Radio-Canada/CBC, Le Devoir, La Presse, RTS-Radio Télévision Suisse, Le Monde, El País, TVA, Montreal Gazette).

Sabrina Paillé works as a research professional on the PREV-IMPACT Canada project. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sociology from the Université du Québec à Montréal and pursued her doctoral studies in sociology at York University. In her research, she has shown a particular interest in the sociology of nationalism, reactions to immigration and gender issues, as well as radical right-wing and populist movements in Germany and Europe. Sabrina has several years of experience as a teaching assistant and research assistant. She has been part of the training team at the RPC-PREV since 2021.

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 master’s candidate in international political communication and democratic risks (Sciences Po Aix, UCLouvain, and Université de Sherbrooke) and holds a bachelor’s degree in applied political studies with a focus in international relations from the Université de Sherbrooke. As part of her work at the Chair, she primarily works on anti-gender discourses (antifeminism, transphobia, masculinism).

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.