The Université de Montréal (UdeM), with its affiliated schools, École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal is the second largest Canadian university and one of the top universities in the French-speaking world. UdeM has over 60,000 students to whom it offers programs in almost all academic fields including the full range of disciplines in health sciences and one of Canada's largest Faculty of Arts and Sciences. It offers a rich network of libraries and a full sports complex. With its affiliated hospitals, UdeM is one of the main Canadian research-intensive universities bringing together 2,600 professors and researchers and some 300 research units. The Université de Montréal is North America’s foremost French-language university and one of the top French-speaking universities in the world. Through the quality and reputation of its professors, instructors, and researchers, as well as the expertise of all its employees, the Université de Montréal stands out among the largest educational and research universities in Canada and strives for excellence in all areas of knowledge and know-how. By providing intellectual, cultural, and scientific leadership, its influence extends across the country and throughout the world. With strong roots in the community, it embodies the fundamental spirit of Montréal and impacts the development of society. Students and society alike gain from the new knowledge that is discovered, applied, and fostered through interdependent scholarly and research activities of the highest level. It prepares students to become agents of change and progress, so that as graduates, they will assert themselves through their skills, initiative, social responsibility and openness to the world. The fulfillment of its mission rests on pursuing, spreading and challenging knowledge, as well as developing a critical mind and promoting creativity. It is also based on freedom of thought, expression, education, and research, and the spirit of collegiality.