Polytechnique Montréal celebrates its 150th graduating class and awards an honorary doctorate to Charles Tisseyre, journalist, television host and science popularizer

MONTREAL, May 22, 2026 /CNW/ - This year marks a historic milestone for Polytechnique Montréal: the graduation of its 150th class. The achievement will be celebrated with three ceremonies on May 21 and 22 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

Three years after commemorating its 150th anniversary in 2023, Polytechnique now reaches another landmark--its 150th graduating cohort, a testament to more than 150 years of engineering excellence since its founding in 1873.

This year, 2,110 graduates will be honoured. This new cohort brings the number of Polytechnique Montréal alumni--professionals who have shaped and will shape the development of society, at home and abroad--to nearly 67,000.

During the convocation ceremony, Université de Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal will jointly present an honorary doctorate to Charles Tisseyre, a distinguished journalist, television host and science popularizer known in Quebec as the French voice of science outreach in Canada.

A historic 150th class
Maud Cohen, President of Polytechnique Montréal, describes this 150th graduating class as a historic milestone for Quebec's first French-language engineering university.

"Polytechnique's first cohort numbered seven students," she said. "Today, our 150th class has more than 2,100. With their talent, determination and ambition, they will carry forward more than 150 years of knowledge transfer, groundbreaking innovation and intrepid spirit of ingenuity. They embody a new generation that is engaged, curious and resolutely forward-looking, ready to transform the world."

"This 150th graduating class is part of a long continuum," added Pierre Lassonde, Chairman of the Board of Polytechnique Montréal. "Since 1873, Polytechnique Montréal has seen generations of engineers learn, research and excel in pursuit of a common ambition: to provide concrete solutions for the benefit of society. I am confident that this class will keep alive the culture of high standards and scientific audacity that has always pushed our students to rethink the world. This new generation bears the seeds of the transformations of the future."

Honorary doctorate for Charles Tisseyre
Polytechnique Montréal is awarding Charles Tisseyre an honorary doctorate in recognition of a singular achievement: convincing millions that science is an adventure that includes them.

Mr. Tisseyre is a masterful communicator with a brilliant media career spanning more than 50 years. Born in Montreal in 1949, he studied law at Université de Montréal, graduating in 1973. He then embarked on a career in journalism with Radio-Canada, first at Radio-Canada International and then in the newsroom, joining the Téléjournal team in 1978. Initially a general-interest journalist, he soon distinguished himself covering science, driven by his natural curiosity.

Two career highlights, a few years apart, reveal his easy command of all things scientific. In 1986, he went on air unprepared to cover the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. His mastery of the subject and ability to contextualize the disaster in real time were immediately apparent. In 1992, when a technical problem arose during the launch of the space shuttle Discovery, he extemporized in an extended conversation with Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean, once again demonstrating the depth of his scientific understanding.

Soon after, he was chosen to host the science program Découverte. Every Sunday evening for over 30 years, Charles Tisseyre has opened a window on the world of science for an audience of up to a million viewers (including reruns). Viewers have shown their appreciation with several Artis people's choice awards over the years.

Mr. Tisseyre's contribution to science culture in Quebec extends well beyond the television screen. In 1995, he took over the publishing house founded by his father in 1947 and directed the driving force of his career--the desire to bring knowledge to as many people as possible--to another vehicle. For the Tisseyres, spreading knowledge runs in the family.

Another constant in Mr. Tisseyre's career is the care he takes with the French language. In 2016, the Office québécois de la langue française awarded him the Prix Camille-Laurin in recognition of the precise, elegant French he has consistently used in science journalism. And in 2025, Quebec's Ministry of the French Language presented him with the Prix Raymond-Charette.

His many other distinctions include the Order of Canada in 2018, honorary doctorates from the Université de Sherbrooke in 2019 and UQAM in 2024, and Chevalier of the Ordre national du Québec in 2024.

"A convocation is also an opportunity to honour inspirational individuals," said Maud Cohen. "We are awarding Charles Tisseyre this honorary doctorate in recognition of an exceptional contribution: bringing science closer to the public. For over three decades, he has brought science into our homes with passion, intelligence and authenticity. His entire career is a demonstration of the power of knowledge and its transmission."

Polytechnique celebrates 2,110 talented graduates
In 2025-2026, Polytechnique Montréal is awarding 2,110 degrees to its historic 150th graduating class: 1,074 bachelor's degrees in engineering, 179 bachelor's degrees in science, 32 specialized graduate degrees, 397 master's degrees in engineering, 241 master's degrees in applied science and 187 doctorates.

About Polytechnique Montréal
Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada's largest engineering education and research institutions, and the Quebec benchmark for engineering research. Polytechnique offers about 120 programs taught by nearly 300 professors and welcomes more than 13,000 students yearly. Its cutting-edge training programs and research activities address contemporary challenges and make an important contribution to the development of innovative solutions for a better, more sustainable future. Polytechnique's total annual budget is $235 million, including a research budget of $102 million.

Photos and media kit available on request.

SOURCE Polytechnique Montréal

Media enquiries: Christian Merciari, Communications department, Polytechnique Montréal, Cell: 514-742-8586