Deputy Premier and Minister of Youth (1960-1964)
First Minister of Education in Quebec (1964-1966)
President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (1970-1977)

Paul Gérin-Lajoie is a pillar of modernism in Quebec. As one of the architects of the Quiet Revolution, he presided over the introduction of the thesis “Prolongement externe des compétences internes du Québec” (the external extension of Québec’s internal jurisdictions) on which the Government of Quebec based its international policies. M^e Gérin-Lajoie was also a prominent figure in Quebec’s education. As the first head of the newly founded Minister of Education, he undertook a sweeping reform of the education system with the Grande Charte de l’éducation in the early 1960s. His work and action continue to this day through a foundation named after him and created nearly thirty years ago.