Vincent Berdoulay

A world-renowned geographer and epistemologist, Vincent Berdoulay has profoundly influenced how we think about geography and land development. Now a professor emeritus, he has been shedding light for more than 40 years on the foundations of geographical knowledge and its pivotal role with respect to public action and the sustainable development of land. 

After completing his studies at Université de Bordeaux and the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a PhD in geography, Vincent Berdoulay embarked upon an academic career characterized by excellence and an international outlook. A professor at the University of Ottawa and later at Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, he founded the Société, Environnement, Territoire joint research unit in collaboration with CNRS. Vincent Berdoulay’s scientific leadership has been recognized as much for the quality of his work as for his ability to build robust international research teams and programs.

His book La formation de l’École française de géographie has become an international classic and changed the history of the discipline. Breaking with both an internalist and externalist understanding of science, he proposed a contextual approach that is mindful of people’s ideas and values, their circles of affinity, the institutions, and the power relationships that shape the evolution of knowledge. This perspective, complemented by a focus on the narrative forms of scientific discourse, redefines how we view many fields of knowledge, as demonstrated by Professor Berdoulay with regard to the epistemology of geography and critical analysis of land development planning, particularly in light of the contemporary challenges of sustainability and uncertainty.

Vincent Berdoulay’s contribution to Québec geography is also significant. Through his pioneering research on the institutionalization of the discipline in Québec, his role in doctoral supervision, and his close partnership with Université Laval, he has been instrumental in the affirmation and recognition of French-language geography in North America.

Vincent Berdoulay is a tireless organizer of the scientific Francophonie, he was a co-founder of the Association internationale de géographie francophone, and he has been actively involved with the International Geographical Union for many years, embodying a concept of science that is rigorous, open, and deeply humanist.

Université Laval is pleased to award Vincent Berdoulay an honorary doctorate in geography and sustainable land development in recognition of the breadth of his work, the scope of his influence, and his exceptional contribution to our understanding of geography and development planning.