The 2019 Gérard-Parizeau Award is being presented to Claude Montmarquette, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Université de Montréal and CIRANO Researcher and Fellow.

The prestigious award, accompanied by a cash prize of $30,000, is presented alternately by HEC Montréal and the Université de Montréal. This year it salutes Professor Montmarquette's exceptional contribution in the field of economic issues related to education.

The winner of the Gérard-Parizeau Award is invited to deliver an address during an award ceremony at HEC Montréal on September 25, 2019. Professor Montmarquette spoke on public and private investment in education as one of the basic elements of human capital, in a talk entitled "From Economic Analysis to Public Policies in Education Economics". He considers education to be central to individuals' freedom and a contributor to economic growth, as well as a tool for promoting equal opportunity. He examined a number of issues, from keeping students in school to educational choices and social inequality in terms of educational choices. He also discussed aspects of public policies associated with these themes.