The "Credits & Projects" call for proposals resulted in 12 grants being awarded for ambitious new projects. These include two "equipment" grants, eight "research credits (CDR)" grants, and two "research projects (PDR)" grants, one of which is in collaboration with the ULB. The FRIA call for doctoral research support will fund eleven doctoral scholarships and the FRESH call will fund three. 

Two prestigious Scientific Impulse Mandates (MIS) were also obtained. This three-year funding supports young permanent researchers who wish to develop an original and innovative research program by acquiring scientific autonomy within their department.  

We would also like to highlight the two projects funded under the "WelCHANGE" call, a funding instrument for research projects with potential societal impact, led by a principal investigator in the humanities and social sciences.

Call for Equipment  

• Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute, Co-promoter in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Luca Fusaro, NISM Institute 

Call for Research Grants (CDR) 

• Marc Hennequart, NARILIS Institute
• Nicolas Gillet, NARILIS Institute
• Jean-Yves Matroule, NARILIS Institute
• Patricia Renard, NARILIS Institute
• Francesco Renzi, NARILIS Institute
• Stéphane Vincent, NISM Institute
• Laurence Meurant, NaLTT Institute
• Emma-Louise Silva, NaLTT Institute  

Call for Research Projects (PDR) 

• Jérémy Dodeigne, Transitions Institute, Co-supervisor in collaboration with ULB
• Luc Henrard, NISM Institute; Co-supervisor: Yoann Olivier, NISM Institute 

Fund for Training in Research in Industry and Agriculture (FRIA)

• Emma Bongiovanni - Supervisor: Catherine Michaux, NISM Institute
• Simon Chabot - Supervisor: Carine Michiels, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Anne-Catherine Heuskin, Narilis Institute
• Lee Denis - Supervisor: Muriel Lepère, ILEE Institute
• Maé Desclez - Supervisor: Johan Yans, ILEE Institute; Co-supervisor: Hamed Pourkhorsandi (University of Toulouse)
• Pierre Lombard - Supervisor: Benoît Muylkens, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Damien Coupeau, Narilis Institute
• Amandine Pecquet - Supervisor: Nicolas Gillet, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Damien Coupeau, Narilis Institute
• Kilian Petit - Supervisor: Henri-François Renard, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute
• Simon Rouxhet - Supervisor: Catherine Michaux, NISM Institute; Co-supervisor: Nicolas Gillet, Narilis Institute
• William Soulié - Supervisor: Yoann Olivier, NISM Institute
• Elisabeth Wanlin - Supervisor: Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute
• Laura Willam - Supervisor: Frédérik De Laender, ILEE Institute 

Fund for Research in the Humanities (FRESH) 

• Louis Droussin - Supervisor: Arthur Borriello, Transitions Institute; Co-supervisor: Vincent Jacquet, Transitions Institute
• Nicolas Larrea Avila - Supervisor: Guilhem Cassan, DeFIPP Institute
• Victor Sluyters – Supervisor: Wafa Hammedi, NADI Institute
• Amandine Leboutte - Co-supervisor: Erika Wauthia (UMons); Co-supervisor: Cédric Vanhoolandt, IRDENa Institute.

Scientific Impulse Mandate (MIS) 

• Charlotte Beaudart, Narilis Institute
• Eli Thoré ILEE Institute 

WelCHANGE Call  

• Nathalie Burnay Transitions Institute, in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Catherine Guirkinger, DeFIPP Institute

Congratulations to all! 

The five-year Ernest-John Solvay Prize, one of the FNRS's most prestigious honors, was awarded this November 24, 2025 to Jean-Marie Baland, professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Namur since 1991. The prize, awarded every five years, recognizes researchers whose work has marked their discipline by its originality and impact.

"Jean-Marie Baland combines theoretical rigor with field studies conducted in countries such as India, Nepal, Kenya and Chile. His research tackles key issues such as economic development, poverty reduction and environmental protection," emphasizes the FNRS jury.

As a specialist in less developed countries, Jean-Marie Baland has devoted his work to the analysis of informal institutions, a subject for which he was awarded an ERC Advanced Grant in 2009. His research also explores the determinants of deforestation, the consequences of poverty, and more recently, the causes of infant mortality in South Asia, or domestic violence.

What's always motivated him?

"The desire to understand the world. My motivation in my research has always been to produce knowledge before wanting it to have a societal impact. The usefulness of research is of course important, but personally it's not what drives me forward. Of course, the results of my research are regularly used to shape public policy, for example. But that's not an end in itself for my work as a researcher ", he stresses.

Jean-Marie Baland's academic career has been studded with prestigious distinctions: Chaire Francqui (2008), Distinguished Fellow Award at Harvard (2007), member of the Academia Europaea (2012)... So many accolades that testify to his scientific influence.

But one of his proudest achievements is the creation of UNamur's Center for Research in Development Economics (CRED), founded with Professor Jean-Philippe Platteau. Jean-Marie Baland is a member of the Centre de recherchéche en économie du développement (CRED). A center now internationally recognized for its expertise in development economics, applied microeconomics and environmental economics, contributing to research with a strong societal impact. "The CRED today includes five academics and some fifteen researchers," says Jean-Marie Baland. The economist is also one of the founders of the Master of Specialization in Development Economics .

To the generation of future economists, Jean-Marie Baland addresses this wish:

"Interested in fields that make sense to you! And work as part of a team, even with people who think differently from you. For me, this experience of human interaction has been a very rich experience," he concludes.

These prestigious prizes, awarded every five years by the FNRS, were presented this November 24, 2025 by King Philippe to one researcher and five researchers from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. They confirm the international recognition and crown the exceptional careers of these scientists, in all disciplines. The Excellentieprijzen of the FWO, Flanders' equivalent of the FNRS, were also awarded on November 24 by His Majesty the King. At the ceremony, Véronique Halloin, Secretary General of the FNRS, congratulated the winners, thanking the 42 members of the international juries, as well as the sponsors who make these awards possible. She also spoke of "essential issues for scientific research and society as a whole", insisting on the need "to maintain the level of funding for fundamental research, to keep its full place for strategic research but also for the human and social sciences."

This article is taken from the "Tomorrow Learn" section of the March 2025 issue of Omalius magazine.

The idea for such a program emerged four years ago. At the time, the context was marked by the deterioration of biodiversity and climate change. Jean-Yves Gnabo, professor at the EMCP Faculty, former director of the HD Department (2020-2023) and director of the program, explains: "We took the time to reflect on societal changes and the training needs they generate. It became clear that we needed to support the agents of change, whether they were from the public sector, the private sector, or self-employed. Our off-peak schedule allows us to reach them directly." 

Designed to accommodate the constraints of adults returning to education, the program offers evening and Saturday morning classes, combining face-to-face and distance learning. The aim is to enable students to balance their professional and family lives with their studies. In addition, personalized support is provided in the form of practice sessions, individual coaching, and a dedicated academic coordinator. The program gives students the keys to understanding major developments in different areas of the economy, allowing them to adopt more informed and sustainable strategies.

The Master's degree program stands out for its commitment to combining academic excellence with practical application. From the outset, the program's objective was clear. "We sought to strike a balance between academic rigor and the practical application of knowledge. Our lecturers come from both academia and the field, ensuring a multidimensional approach to the issues addressed," explains Jean-Yves Gnabo. 

This commitment is reflected in particular by:

• Hybrid teaching.
• Flipped classrooms (practicing in class and studying at home) and real-life scenarios, encouraging active student involvement.
• A final thesis with original themes.

The thesis is the result of a symbiosis between the field and the academic world. Students can choose from different tracks. Professor Auguste Debroise, who supervises theses, explains: "Students have three options: a field thesis, a research thesis, or an entrepreneurial thesis. The first option involves companies, organizations, or public authorities identifying issues encountered in the field. Once the requests have been made, we submit them to the students, who choose one based on their interests. We believe that this is a great way to offer them direct field experience and access to real data, while addressing issues with more theoretical concepts and an analytical mindset. The second track is more scientific, with a traditional research focus. We therefore offer students who are more inclined towards a scientific approach the opportunity to write their thesis based on works on the subject. Finally, the third option is to give students with an entrepreneurial spirit the opportunity to develop their project or put it into practice if it is already well developed. In this way, they will compare their real-world project with academic tools to see what real needs it meets and to try to take a step back from their entrepreneurial project and thus develop critical and reflective thinking," explains Auguste Debroise.

Similarly, the "Ecological Transition" seminar is a concrete example of the program's approach. "This seminar is based on sharing experiences with high-level speakers. For example, we welcomed Catharina Sikow-Magny, former Director of Ecological Transition at the European Commission," shares Jean-Yves Gnabo. In addition, other enriching initiatives are held as part of the program. This is particularly the case with the "Cross Perspectives" seminar, which reflects a certain transdisciplinarity by exploring economic and environmental issues through the eyes of a sociologist, a philosopher, and a political scientist. Important courses such as "Fundamentals of Environmental Policy" and "Evaluation of Environmental Resources and Policies" are taught by Professor Ludovic Bequet, PhD in Economics. 

Finally, the master's program is enriched by a collaboration with the Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale in Boulogne-sur-Mer, which has more than 20 years of experience in teaching economic and ecological transitions. "This partnership allows us to benefit from the expertise of this university, while offering our students a broader view of the issues at stake. We have set up a course-sharing system, where our students have access to targeted teaching provided by its experts, and vice versa," explains Jean-Yves Gnabo.

In light of rapid developments in environmental and economic issues, the Master's program is supported by a monitoring committee comprising academics and practitioners. The role of this board is to constantly monitor developments and adjust the program in line with new issues. "We have put mechanisms in place to ensure that the program remains closely aligned with reality. In addition, the involvement of numerous experts from international organizations, businesses, and academia ensures that the approach is always relevant and up-to-date. We have around twenty speakers, with profiles ranging from Géraldine Thiry, Director of the National Bank of Belgium, to purely academic profiles," says Jean-Yves Gnabo.

With this new program, UNamur is laying the foundations for key training to meet contemporary challenges. The Master's degree in sustainable development management and economics is positioned as a springboard for its students to become agents of change, armed with solid tools and an informed vision of a world in transition. "This program is aimed at those who not only want to understand the challenges of our time, but above all want to respond to them in a concrete way. We train the actors of transition, giving them the means to decipher the changes at work and to act effectively within their organizations. Our challenge today is to gain greater visibility," concludes Jean-Yves Gnabo. 

UNamur is internationally renowned in economics and management, particularly in the fields of sustainable development. The internationally recognized research institutes DeFIPP and Transitions study the impact of transition on nature and our societies, using an interdisciplinary approach.

Jean Lemaire's photographs also highlight the spaces that were made available to students and staff. Several shots show the appearance of the auditoriums of the time, already equipped with folding seats, and the practical rooms, such as the microscopy room (image 1) or the physics and chemistry laboratories. The stacks and consultation room of the Belles Lettres library, from which several readers can be seen (image 2), also come into view. Places devoted to moments of relaxation are not forgotten: several views thus immortalize the bar (image 3), the refectory, the billiard room or even the circle room.

Whether it concerns linguistics, economics, politics, sustainable development, law, history, educational sciences, literature or translation, research in the humanities and social sciences is as eclectic as it is rich and essential for tackling society's challenges. Of UNamur's eleven research institutes, seven are directly involved in SHS research. While there is a high degree of complementarity in these areas of research, better pooling of resources, sharing and easier access to certain services, resources and support will help to sustain and strengthen the excellence of SHS research at UNamur. It is with this in mind that the SHS impulse platform has just been created.

• Axis 1 - Support for the acquisition of databases, documentary resources and software
• Axis 2 - Subsidy for cutting-edge training in the use of specialized methods
• Axis 3 - Funding access to the SMCS "Support en Méthodologie et Calcul Statistique" platform at UCLouvain, thanks to an inter-university partnership.
• Axis 4 - Setting up an SHS space, containing a laboratory for running experiments and shared work tools promoting exchanges between researchers.

This initiative, launched in January 2025, addresses the specific challenges faced by SHS researchers. The long-term aim is to sustain and expand the services. "We will also hire a researcher expert in methodological analysis in SHS who will be able to inform innovative methodologies and frame the methodological design of research projects," emphasizes Sandrine Biémar, vice-dean of UNamur's Faculty of Education and Training Sciences, a member of the IRDENA institute and the SHS Impulse management committee. "The wish is also to support networking between SHS researchers at UNamur and to be a lever for setting up interdisciplinary projects," adds Sandrine Biémar.

The platform's management team is made up of representatives of the university's various SHS institutes, and ensures efficient management of resources. The platform's impact will be assessed during its initial phase (2025-2027), enabling strategies for its sustainability and development to be defined.