Centre for Information Integrity – uOttawa Professional Development Institute

Announcement | 3-minute read | February 23, 2026

Dear colleagues,

For nearly 50 years, the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute (uOttawa PDI) has supported the career-long learning needs of thousands of professionals across the public and private sectors. Our instructors, who are leaders in their fields, are dedicated to delivering relevant, practical and meaningful learning experiences tailored to adult learners.

Several years ago, uOttawa PDI created the Information Integrity Lab in response to the growing challenges posed by an environment marked by volatility, technological disruption and rapidly evolving information ecosystems. This lab aimed to contribute to a clearer understanding of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation (MDM), and to support governments, businesses and civil society in navigating these complex dynamics.

Today, the stakes have only increased. A single viral post, a visual deepfake or a coordinated disinformation campaign can inflict severe financial, operational or reputational damage on any organization or individual.

It is with this in mind that PDI is pleased to announce that the Information Integrity Lab is being reconfigured and will now be known as the Centre for Information Integrity (CII).

Expanded mandate of the CII

With this reconfiguration, the role of the CII is significantly broader: it aims to help society better understand an increasingly complex digital information environment in which misinformation and disinformation may be deeply imbedded. The Centre will operate ethically, independently and in a non-partisan manner within the University in service to the public interest.

As a trusted partner, the CII will focus on developing practical tools, training programs, advisory services and analytical insights tailored to the needs of governments, businesses, academia and organizations to help them evaluate information credibility and make informed, evidence-based decisions. Beyond countering harmful narratives, the CII seeks to foster a broader culture of trust, transparency and critical engagement around information.

CII website

The Centre’s refreshed website and updated visual identity will be launched in the coming months to ensure that its public presence reflects its expanded mandate and forward looking mission.

uODetect

To support this mission, uOttawa-PDI has developed uODetect, an advanced, algorithm-based, AI-enabled training platform that will be housed within the CII. In today’s unstable information landscape, harmful narratives can spread rapidly and unpredictably. uODetect will give trained analysts the ability to detect emerging narratives early and anticipate their evolution.

Once trained, analysts will be able to build knowledge graphs, monitor shifts in narratives, track the spread and trajectory of information, assess stakeholder impact, and support crisis management and predictive decision-making. This, in turn, will allow organizations to respond more effectively to safeguard their people, operations and reputations.

A Canadian coalition

The PDI Centre on Information Integrity has also helped create a powerful new national network of organizations that work on information integrity, disinformation, misinformation and malinformation. Members of this network, know as the Canadian Coalition on Information Integrity (CanCII), will collaborate to focus on strengthening information integrity across Canada. CanCII brings together organizations, researchers, practitioners and activists working across sectors and issue areas to improve coordination, collaboration and collective impact.

The Coalition is convened by PDI’s Centre on Information Integrity (CII) and aims to be open, inclusive, and member-led. While the CII will provide initial coordination, the Coalition’s mandate, priorities and structures will be shaped collaboratively by members as the network evolves.

New director

PDI is also pleased to announce the appointment of Gérard Normand as director of the new Centre for Information Integrity. Gérard Normand was called to the Barreau du Québec in 1982 and served nearly 30 years as counsel at the Department of Justice Canada, including 25 years in national security law¹. He later served as director general at the Privy Council Office (PCO) within the Security and Intelligence Secretariat. His extensive expertise and leadership experience will be invaluable as the Centre advances its mission.

¹Acting as counsel at CSIS for nearly 10 years, he also served as general counsel and director of the National Security Group at Justice HQ, as director of policy and planning for the Security and Intelligence Secretariat, at the Privy Council Office (PCO), as the national security advisor to the assistant deputy attorney general responsible for national security for the Department of Justice, and as general counsel responsible for the national security section of the Canadian Forces legal advisor, advising both DND and the CAF.

Since his retirement in 2018, he has served as special legal advisor to the first incumbent of the newly created position of Intelligence Commissioner for four years, and simultaneously as special legal advisor to the NSICOP Secretariat. He has given courses on national security law at the Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section of the University of Ottawa and has been an instructor on national security law courses with PDI for some years. Finally, he was an advisor to Commissioner Hogue in the context of the Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference.