Saint Paul University is proud to announce the creation of the Research Chair for Diversity and Hospitality in the French-Speaking World. Hosted at the University, the research chair is also part of the University of Ottawa's Collège des chaires de recherche sur le monde francophone.
Dr. Sophie Cloutier, Associate Professor in the School of Ethics and Public Affairs, is the first person to hold the position. She will begin her three-year term on July 1, 2026.
"We are incredibly proud to have Dr. Cloutier serve as the new Research Chair," shared Louis Patrick Leroux, Rector of Saint Paul University. "This will be our university's first research chair focused on the Francophone world to be affiliated with the University of Ottawa's College of Chairs. This inaugural chair demonstrates our commitment to collaboration, inter-institutional dialogue, and enhancing the visibility and impact of Francophone research about the Francophone world."
In her role as research chair, Dr. Cloutier will pursue two complementary research objectives. On the one hand, drawing on the thought of Hannah Arendt and critical theory, she will examine the challenges facing democracy that impact social engagement. On the other hand, through the lens of the ethics of hospitality, she will seek to identify and document forms of social and political engagement, with a particular focus on the practices of marginalized groups notably Francophones in minority situations and Francophone newcomers in order to demonstrate how those who are excluded are often the ones who welcome others the most and the best.
About Dr. Sophie Cloutier
Dr. Cloutier holds a Ph.D. in philosophy. She is an associate professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at Saint Paul University and co-director of the Center for Research in Public Ethics and Governance. She is currently president of the Quebec Philosophical Society. Her research focuses on the thought of Hannah Arendt, particularly on political judgment in multicultural contexts and the question of political evil, as well as on the ethics of hospitality and care. She co-edited the anthologies Éthiques de l'hospitalité, du don et du care. Actualité, regards croisés (University of Ottawa Press, 2020) and Le temps de l'hospitalité. Réception de l'œuvre de Daniel Innerarity (Presses de l'Université Laval, 2015). She has also published several articles and book chapters on Hannah Arendt and various contemporary ethical issues.
