The Simone & Edouard Schouela RUISSS McGill Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health of Seniors (Schouela CEDurable) has been designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Sustainable Health Solutions for Older People. The designation follows a multi-year certification and application process and carries the endorsement of the Governments of Canada and Quebec.
"This designation is recognition of years of work translating research into solutions that genuinely improve the lives of older adults," said Dr. Gustavo Duque, Scientific Director of Schouela CEDurable. “It also opens a door to closer collaboration with the WHO and other Collaborating Centres around the world, and provides a stronger voice in shaping how health systems everywhere respond to population ageing.”
As a WHO Collaborating Centre, Schouela CEDurable joins a global network of institutions recognized for their contributions to international health priorities. The designation strengthens the Centre's ability to influence global health policy and practice, expands opportunities for collaboration with WHO and fellow Collaborating Centres worldwide, supports the development of international training and capacity-building initiatives, and enhances the Centre's competitiveness for research funding.
For McGill University, RUISSS McGill (the Réseau Universitaire Intégré de Santé et Services Sociaux), and the Santé Québec West-Central Montreal Health and Social Services University Network, the designation further establishes the network as a reference point for healthy ageing and well-being strategies in Canada and internationally, and creates new avenues to contribute to the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing and other global initiatives.
Importantly, the designation builds on a year of significant growth for the Centre. In 2025, Schouela CEDurable expanded its team, launched the 
DURAgym exercise program and the Vivifrail mobility passport, advanced the ICOPE Québec and THRIVE research initiatives, and delivered more than a dozen knowledge-transfer activities for clinicians, researchers, and members of the community — all in support of its mission to translate evidence-based research into policy and practice, and to help seniors remain mobile and engaged in their communities.
Schouela CEDurable acknowledges the support of the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the Jewish General Hospital, and the Schouela family, as well as the contributions of its partners, collaborators, and team members in achieving this designation.