BIOGRAPHY

Linda Cardinal is internationally recognized for her work on comparative language regimes, minorities, and citizenship. Her work lies at the intersection of comparative politics, Quebec and Canadian politics, minority sociology, public policy analysis, and constitutional debates. She also plays a key role in advancing research and debate on language policies and the Canadian and international Francophonie.

Linda Cardinal is a Professor Emeritus at the at the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. She was a Visiting Professor at several universities, including as research chair in Canadian studies at University College Dublin (Irland) and at Sorbonne Nouvelle (France). A dedicated thesis advisor, she has helped train generations of students, some of whom have gone on to become academics, public servants, and community leaders in Canada and abroad.

Linda Cardinal contributions also stand out in the area of university governance. From 2021 to 2025, she has served as Associate Vice-President, Research at the Université de l’Ontario français. Since 2021, she is the editor-in-chief of the journal Enjeux et société. She is also a founding member of the Observatoire en immigration francophone au Canada (Observatory on Francophone Immigration in Canada) and chair of its scientific committee. From 2020 to 2021, she served as Regional Director for the Americas at the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie. In this capacity, she worked to promote the international Francophonie and the French language throughout the Americas. She also served, as a University Colleague, on the Council of Ontario Universities, and headed the journal World Political Science, and was vice-president of the International Political Science Association.

At the Royal Society of Canada, Linda Cardinal acted as Secretary of the Academy of Social Sciences (2021-2025). She was also Chair of the Nominations Committee and co-organized RSC's symposia as part of the ACFAS conferences.

In 2013, Linda Cardinal was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. In 2014, she was made Chevalière de l’Ordre des Palmes académiques de la République française. In 2017, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her research on public policy and language rights. In 2020, she was awarded the Ordre de la Pléiade of the Assemblée parlementaire de la francophonie, Ontario chapter. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the ten most influential personalities of the Canadian Francophonie. That same year she was also inducted into the Ordre des francophones d'Amérique. In 2025, she was awarded the King Charles III’s Coronation Medal for her significant contributions to Canada.