Robert Lacroix

Born in Montréal in 1940, Robert Lacroix earned a Ph.D. in economics from Université de Louvain (Belgium) and has been a professor with the Department of Economics at the Université de Montréal since 1970. Prior to his appointment as rector of the university in June 1998, he held various positions within the institution, including Director of the Department of Economics, Director of the Economics Research and Development Centre (CRDE) and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

This respected economist was also the founder and director of the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche en analyse des organisations (CIRANO) (1994 to 1998), which he built into an institution of international repute.

Robert Lacroix has penned a wealth of scholarly books, chapters and articles, and delivered talks at conferences before numerous prestigious forums both in Quebec and abroad. An active member of decision-making bodies that include the funding committee of the Council of Quebec Universities (1982–1984) and the Minister of Education’s working group on university funding (1997), Robert Lacroix has had a profound impact on higher education.

A recognized expert in human resources and innovation economics, Robert Lacroix has served in various capacities on a number of prestigious organizations: vice-president of the Canadian Economics Association (1985); president of the Association des économistes québécois (1992); member of the Advisory Committee on Economic Growth of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (1989–1994); board member of the Institute for Research on Public Policy (1994–1998); member of the Scientific Committee of the Arts Council of Canada’s Killam Foundation (1984–1987); member of the Businessmen’s Committee for Montréal’s Economic Recovery; member of the Steering Committee of Emploi Québec’s Centre d’étude sur l’emploi et la technologie (since 1999); member of the Institute of Canadian Bankers’ Academic Advisory Board (since 1999); and member of the Steering Committee of the Fulbright Canada Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States.

Robert Lacroix chaired the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada beginning in 2001. He was also a member of the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities, École polytechnique de Montréal, École des hautes études commerciales (HEC Montréal) and the Société d’implantation du centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal.

Robert Lacroix was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2000 and Officer of the Ordre national du Québec in 2011. In 2016, he was named a Commander of the Ordre the Montréal.