Encyclopedie de la recherche sur l'aluminium au Quebec - Edition 2014 | Page 7

INTRODUCTION // INTRODUCTION

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Each year, the Aluminum Research Centre - REGAL Students’ day offers an unmatched opportunity
for graduate students to present their research works in the areas of aluminum production and
transformation. The Encyclopaedia of Research on Aluminium in Quebec is a collection of the posters
that are presented on that occasion and as such, it constitutes a practical and durable means of
spreading and following the evolution of the university and college research on aluminium in Québec.
This year, the 11th REGAL Students' Day was held on 2014 November 18th at the Université de Sherbrooke.
The following statistics speak to the success of this event: 136 participants were welcomed, among whom
professors, students and research personnel from 7 post-secondary institutions and also including
representatives from 8 organizations or companies dealing in the production or transformation of
aluminum. From a scientific perspective, 63 posters were produced, testifying to the dynamism
of the research in these strategic domains for the Province of Québec. Worth mentioning was the
participation at this JER of Mr. Frank Feret, vice president and CEO of the International Committee for
Study of Bauxite, alumina & Aluminium (ICSOBA).
All of this could not have happened however, if it had not been for the backing of Fonds de recherche
du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) and financial partners such as the Aluminium Association
of Canada, Alcoa, Rio Tinto Alcan, Dynamic Concept, Hatch, AluQuébec and Alouette which have
collectively offered a financial support which allowed the distribution of 15 prizes among students.
The organization of the Student Day itself was taken care of in every detail by Sylvain Vachon, M. Ba.,
professional of the NSERC Chair in Design for Aluminum, and Valérie Goulet-Beaulieu, M. Sc., research

Mario Fafard Ph. D., ing.
Directeur du Centre de
recherche sur l’aluminium REGAL

professional and coordinator of the Aluminium Research Centre - REGAL. A special word is also in
order for our colleague Ahmed Maslouhi, REGAL node coordinator for the Université de Sherbrooke,
for his efforts in the organization and promotion of the REGAL Students’Day.

Director of the
Aluminium Research Centre REGAL