Ipsos

Market and opinion research company Ipsos is helping scholars at U of T identify and address pressing global challenges through a donation of unique data sets that capture global public opinion.

Ipsos is one of the world’s best-known independent market and opinion research companies. Founded in 1975 by chair and CEO Didier Truchot, the Paris-based organization is a non-partisan source of public polling data from 88 countries.

Ipsos has had a relationship with the University of Toronto since it first contributed financial support for a student bursary in 1999. The company has also partnered with U of T to host the University’s CanadaNext Symposium, which brings thought leaders together to discuss change in Canadian society.

In 2016, Ipsos made a unique and valuable donation to the Munk School of Global Affairs (now the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy)—the original data files from 80 Ipsos Global @dvisor surveys that were conducted between 2008 and 2015. Each survey polled over 18,000 people in more than 25 countries on a different subject each month, such as religion, immigration and political engagement.

The data captures public attitudes toward current events, and provides important insights into the interplay between political action and public response. Scholars at U of T quickly began using the data sets in their courses as a way of helping their students develop a better understanding of trends in world affairs. In addition, U of T researchers will be able to mine the data in order to identify pressing global challenges and extract valuable insights that could point toward possible solutions.