McGill appoints French emissary, makes peace with province

Montreal’s McGill University has appointed Natallia Liakina to the newly created role of associate provost, rayonnement du français — a move that comes as the university walks away from its legal battle with the Quebec government. 

In February 2026, McGill and Concordia dropped their joint legal challenge against changes introduced by the province in 2023 that included a 33 per cent tuition fee increase and stricter language requirements for out-of-province students. 

“This new role will better coordinate existing initiatives, strengthen partnerships and affirm McGill’s commitment to promoting the French language and francophone culture,” said a university spokesperson. 

“This position stems from conviction, not pressure.” 

The new role — which roughly translates as associate provost, French outreach — is part of a broader institutional push to reinforce McGill’s existing francophone initiatives. The associate provost’s remit covers course offerings, research, student services and partnerships with Quebec’s francophone communities.  “This position stems from conviction, not pressure,” the spokesperson said. “McGill is an internationally focused English-language university rooted in a society where French is the official and common language. This is not a tension to be managed — it is a reality to be fully embraced. This position is its institutional expression.” 

A specialist in French as a second language pedagogy, Ms. Liakina hopes to create an environment in which both francophones and speakers of other languages feel at home and develop a strong sense of belonging. 

Dropping the lawsuit represents a significant change in McGill’s relationship with the Quebec government. Last April, a Quebec Superior Court ruled against the province’s tuition increase for out-of-province students at the anglophone universities, saying the government had failed to prove its rationale for the tuition hike.  

It also struck down the province’s requirement that 80 per cent of graduates from anglophone universities achieve an intermediate level of French, ruling that it was nearly impossible to achieve. 

READ MORE: Judge overturns Quebec’s tuition hikes on out-of-province students – University Affairs 

Despite the ruling, the province refused to reverse the tuition increase, which brings the annual cost of tuition at McGill to $12,000 for out-of-province students. In February, McGill and Concordia decided to accept the tuition increase and walk away from the fight with the province.  

“Although McGill believes the Quebec government’s response did not comply with the Superior Court’s April 2025 ruling, the university has decided that further litigation would undermine its objectives of deepening ties with local communities and building partnerships that contribute to Quebec society,” explained the spokesperson.  

She added: “McGill will continue to work with the Quebec government to ensure predictability, stability and transparency in the rules governing higher education.” 

Concordia University did not respond to a request for comment.  

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