My Northern Project: Four Winners Moving on to the International Final

The provincial final of the science communication competition My Northern Project, organized by Institut nordique du Québec, successfully took place in Quebec City on May 22 during INQ Student Day. Before an attentive panel of judges, 17 passionate candidates took on the challenge of presenting their research projects in a simple, clear, and engaging manner, with each having only 5 minutes.

This edition marked a significant milestone: since the competition's inception in 2017, 150 students have now taken part in this provincial phase in Quebec. At the end of this year's competition, four of the 17 participants were selected to represent Quebec's next generation of scientists on the international stage during the grand final of the competition.

Here are the four finalists who stood out:

MASTER'S CANDIDATE IN RENEWABLE RESOURCES | MCGILL UNIVERSITY

Bailey Levesque

Direction : Melissa McKinney and Magali Houde. Titre : Catch of the Day: Climate Change and Its Effects on Ringed Seal Diets in the Canadian Arctic.

MASTER'S CANDIDATE IN BIOLOGY | UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL

Chloé LeBlanc-Grant

Direction : Philippe Archambault. Titre : The Nanoplastic Odyssey: From Waste to Arctic Starfish.

PH.D. CANDIDATE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE | UQAC

Elisée Toe

Direction : Laurent Ferrier and Fehmi Jaafar. Titre : The Mark of the Invisible: Unmasking the Intruder North of the 50th Parallel.

PH.D. CANDIDATE IN LAW | UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL

Emna Barki

Direction : Christophe Krolik and Mounir Snoussi. Titre : Heating Networks in Nunavik: What Legal Challenges?

The challenge: 5 minutes on the clock and in English
Since 2017, the international final of My Northern Project, co-organized by INQ and UArctic, has taken place within the prestigious framework of the Arctic Circle Assembly, one of the most important international gatherings for dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic.

On site, the challenge for our four Quebec finalists will be substantial. They will have to take the stage and captivate the audience by presenting their northern research project in English. To convince the audience, the rules are strict: they have exactly five minutes on the clock and a maximum of 10 slides without animation. They will compete against four other students selected internationally by UArctic. It is the audience on site who, through their vote, will determine the grand winner of the competition.

An immersion into the heart of science diplomacy
In addition to participating in the competition, the finalists will have the privilege of joining the official Quebec delegation deployed each year to the Arctic Circle Assembly. This strategic governmental presence aims to strengthen the international network of northern partners and consolidate Quebec's position as a key player in this field.

For our four students, this unique experience represents a golden opportunity to discover the backstage of a major international gathering and to understand the strategic role of such a delegation.

We would like to warmly congratulate all 17 participants in the provincial final for the exceptional quality of their presentations and we wish the best of luck to our four finalists for the rest of this wonderful international adventure!