GIRARD, Christine

Christine Girard is a research intern at the UNESCO-PREV Chair and a third-year undergraduate student in Applied Political Studies at the Université de Sherbrooke. She is interested in issues related to radicalization, violent extremism, and polarization, with a particular focus on youth and online radicalization.
Her academic path has led her to develop an understanding of the mechanisms that shape discourse and the pathways leading to the adoption of polarizing ideas. She is committed to making these issues accessible, notably through radio and podcast projects in which she has participated.

Currently a master’s student in political science at the Université de Montréal, Zachary Lemyre is conducting research on the role of U.S.-based social media platforms in ideological radicalization and violent extremism in Canada. He completed his bachelor’s degree at the Université de Montréal in April 2026, combining a major in political science with a minor in philosophy. He is also a member of the Network for Strategic Analysis, where he collaborates with several experts on research projects related to national defense issues.

A professional in international economic development and dispute prevention and resolution, Philippe Lafrance has worked in public policy analysis and crisis management in numerous private, community, and public ecosystems, notably as a policy advisor to various levels of government. His areas of expertise include strengthening democratic resilience, political polarization, far-right ecosystems, disinformation, and survey and interview analysis methodologies. These topics are central to Mr. Lafrance’s doctoral studies in applied ethics and politics at the University of Sherbrooke.

Marie-Ève Martel is a professional journalist and lecturer in journalism at the University of Montreal. She is also the author of several essays on journalism. She served as an administrator for the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ) between 2015 and 2022, and was its vice president for two years. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in communication at the University of Sherbrooke, where she is interested in the ethical uses of artificial intelligence in journalism. She is supervised by Professor Marie-Eve Carignan.

Anika holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in applied political studies specializing in security and intelligence at the University of Sherbrooke. Her interest in security issues developed through her field experience working with offenders and victims. She is particularly interested in national security, polarization/radicalization, and anti-gender and masculinist discourse. Through her research, she hopes to deepen her understanding of these issues and contribute to the development of applied knowledge in the areas of prevention and security.

Samuel Grenier is a master’s student in applied political studies specializing in security and intelligence at the University of Sherbrooke. He holds a bachelor’s degree in applied politics with a focus on international cooperation and participated in the RANOSOA project in Madagascar. He then coordinated the Kazoza project in Uganda, further enriching his experience in international project management. His research interests focus primarily on disinformation, conspiracy theories, foreign interference, development models, and the use and regulation of artificial intelligence. He also participated in the LIRIC summer school, where he deepened his analysis of contemporary risks and crises.

With a dual background in sociology and economics, as well as professional experience in communications and political strategy, Sylvain Bédard is scientific coordinator of the UNESCO-PREV Chair. A doctoral candidate in Practical Philosophy at the Université de Sherbrooke, in the Ethics and Applied Politics program, his research focuses on the resilience of informal online deliberation in the face of hateful and misleading discourse, particularly in the context of debates on climate change. He also teaches as a lecturer in the Communication and Applied Politics departments at the Université de Sherbrooke.

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.

Rémi Brosseau-Fortier is a student in applied political studies with a major in international relations at the Université de Sherbrooke. Throughout his academic journey, which includes an undergraduate research internship and a tutoring research project on the intersection between health and international security, he has developed a strong interest in security issues. His participation in the 2025 summer school on the analysis of geopolitical and cross-cutting risks, organized by the Interdisciplinary Laboratory on Risks and Crises (LIRIC), reinforced his abilities in risk analysis. He plans to continue his studies at the graduate level by pursuing a research-based master’s degree.