Establishment of the IPSA Secretariat in Montréal

After its foundation in 1949 in Paris, the IPSA Secretariat was relocated to the city of residence of each Secretary-General: Paris (1949-1955; 1960-1967), Brussels (1955-1960; 1967-1976), Ottawa (1976-1988), Oslo (1988-1994), and Dublin (1994-2000). The issue of establishing the IPSA Secretariat on a more permanent basis was raised several times; however, as noted by John Coakley (Secretary-General, 1994-2000), the cost associated with the transfer of the Secretariat was high, both financially and logistically.

The support of Montréal International and Concordia University prompted the Executive Committee to evaluate this alternative. Finally, during its meeting on 1-2 October 2005 in Naples, the Executive Committee, led by President Max Kaase (2003-2006), decided to establish the IPSA Secretariat in Montréal, Canada. Thanks to the efforts of Guy Lachapelle (Secretary-General, 2000-2020), the decision provided IPSA with a permanent home in Montréal and a stable environment to fulfill its mission. It also contributed to the professionalization of its staff. The relocation led to the expansion of the team from two to nine employees.

Thanks to the strong partnership between IPSA and Concordia University, the two institutions have jointly organized several international events, including the International Political Science: New Theoretical and Regional Perspectives conference in 2008, the 23rd IPSA World Congress of Political Science in 2014, The UN at 75: Challenges and Prospects for the Future of Multilateralism conference in 2020, the IPSA-Concordia Summer Institute on Applied Diplomacy (ongoing since 2021), the Open Access Publishing: A New Era in Scholarly Communication conference in 2022  and Challenges and New Directions in Multi-Level Governance: IPSA 75th Anniversary Conference in 2024.

Photo: Inauguration ceremony of IPSA’s new Secretariat in Montréal in 2006.
Left to right: Leif Lewin (Johan Skytte Professor Emeritus of Eloquence and Government, Uppsala University), Karim Boulos (City of Montréal), René Vézina (Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie du Québec), Guy Lachapelle (IPSA Secretary-General, 2000-2020), Max Kaase (IPSA President, 2003-2006), Marc G. Fortier (CEO, Montréal International), Claude Lajeunesse (President of Concordia University) and Jacques Langelier (Canada Economic Development).