Program
In a world facing multiple crises—climate, social, democratic—it is becoming urgent to rethink the ways we produce, consume, and live together. The theme “Taking Care of the World” invites us to recognize and appreciate the vital contribution of the social economy and public enterprises: actors that place people, the collective, and common good at the center of economic activity.
The conference programme will feature a rich series of debates and international insights on the challenges facing the collective and social economy. More than 70 distinguished speakers will share their experience and perspectives on the major issues confronting our societies and on the contribution of collective organisations in addressing them.
Programme
Companion Program
Guests with a companion ticket will have the opportunity to take part in two activities and immerse themselves in the cultural heart of Montreal.
On Monday, October 5, companions will attend the opening cocktail, which will take place at Locoshop Angus starting at 6:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, October 6, a guided tour of the Quebec and Canadian art collection at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will take place. It is the largest museum in the metropolis and one of the most visited museums in Canada. The tour will be preceded by a meal. Please meet at 11:30 a.m. in the entrance hall of Centre Mont-Royal.
On Wednesday, October 7, a bus tour of some of Montreal’s most beautiful and iconic sites will take place. Please meet at 10:00 a.m. in the entrance hall of Centre Mont-Royal.
Both tours will be offered in French and English.
The Cooperation Evening will take place on October 7 starting at 7:00 p.m. at Marché Bonsecours.
Photo credit: MMFA website
Keynote Speakers
Jérôme Dupras
Jérôme Dupras is Quebec’s Chief Scientist and President and CEO of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (Quebec Research Fund). Prior to his appointment, Mr. Dupras was a full professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais and held the Canada Research Chair in Ecological Economics and the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity Economics.
Throughout his career, Jérôme Dupras has received numerous distinctions, including the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal, the Medal of Honour of the National Assembly of Quebec, and the National Order of Quebec.
In addition to his scientific activities, Jérôme Dupras is also known as a science entrepreneur, environmental activist, and artist, as a member and founder of the band Les Cowboys Fringants.
Jérôme Dupras will speak on Tuesday, October 6.
Jimmy Jean
Jimmy Jean is Vice-President, Chief Economist and Strategist at Desjardins Group. He leads a team of researchers, analysts and forecasters that has been named Best Overall Forecaster – Canada by FocusEconomics on numerous occasions. His keen insights and clear communication style make him a sought-after speaker and a regular guest on financial news programs in Canada’s English and French media markets.
Jimmy has been with Desjardins Group for most of his career, but has also served as senior strategist at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and as an economist at Moody's, RBC Capital Markets and Statistics Canada. He has a master’s degree in applied financial economics from HEC Montréal and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Jimmy Jean will speak on Wednesday, October 7.
Julia Cagé
With a degree from the École Normale Supérieure and a PhD from Harvard University, Julia Cagé is a Professor of Economics at Sciences Po Paris and a research fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), where she heads the ‘Media Plurality Research Policy Network’, as well as at the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for the Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP) and the CESifo Research Network. A specialist in political economy and economic history, she focuses on the media, particularly the impact of competition and the advent of the internet on the quality of information produced and political attitudes. Her research also examines the financing of democracy, particularly of political parties and election campaigns, in Western Europe and the United States, from a comparative perspective.
Her works have been published in leading economics journals, including the American Economic Review and the Review of Economic Studies, as well as in numerous edited volumes. She is the author of several books translated into some fifteen languages, including Sauver les médias. Capitalisme, financement participatif et démocratie (Le Seuil, 2015), which received the Special Jury Prize at the Assises du Journalisme (2016), and Le prix de la démocratie (Fayard, 2018), which received the Anticor ‘Ethics Prize’ (2019), the France Culture-Le Monde Petrarch Prize for Essays, and the City of Saint-Maur Essay Prize (2021). Her latest book, Une histoire du conflit politique. Élections et inégalités sociales en France, 1789–2022, co-written with Thomas Piketty, was published by Seuil in 2023.
In 2021, she held the ‘Arne Naess Chair in Global Justice and the Environment’ (awarded by the University of Oslo). In 2023, she received the Prize for the Best Young French Economist and, in 2025, the Yrjö Jahnsson Prize for the Best European Economist.
Julia Cagé will speak on Thursday, October 8.
