Juliette Crespin-Boucaud, a microeconomist, works at the intersection of development economics, household economics, and economic history. In 2021, she earned her Ph.D. from the Paris School of Economics. She then pursued several multidisciplinary research projects, first at the London School of Economics and later at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies. This background has shaped her current approach, which emphasizes dialogue with other social sciences, particularly political science, sociology, and demography.

In TranmId, Juliette seeks to understand how social identities (ethnic, national, religious, or linguistic) are formed, acquired, and passed down from one generation to the next. In other words: How do parents’ choices shape their children’s social identities?
The project focuses primarily on marriages, since the choice of a partner influences the possible identities of the children born of that union. Parents’ affiliations, languages, or religions can open up different paths of transmission: a single heritage, multiple combined heritages, or identities that are reshaped over generations.
But transmission does not stop at birth. It continues through very concrete decisions: Which language to speak at home? Which school should you enroll your children in? What priority should be given to a national language, a mother tongue or a language spoken within the family circle, religion, or educational opportunities? Development economics helps connect these individual decisions to broader contexts: available resources, public policies, history, social norms, and family aspirations.

One component of the project, funded by the International Growth Centre, focuses specifically on Mozambique, where parents’ language and educational choices provide a concrete example of this transmission. Indeed, in this country marked by significant linguistic diversity, the choice of an educational program, a language of instruction, or the language spoken at home contributes to the formation of children’s sense of identity. These decisions depend on practical constraints such as available financial resources, the languages known or spoken by parents, and accessible schools, but they are also directly linked to the aspirations parents have for their children: giving them the best opportunities for the future, preserving a family language, or maintaining a cultural identity.

To understand these choices, Juliette observes families’ behaviors as clues. What language do they speak at home? What program (bilingual or not) do they prefer for their children? 
To study how parents shape their children’s “identity background,” the survey focuses on both parents’ practices and their expectations and preferences. To measure the latter, the survey asks parents
to estimate the benefits of both types of programs. For example: Out of 10 children in the bilingual/unilingual program, how many will speak Portuguese by the end of elementary school?
— to consider hypothetical scenarios in which the language spoken at home, the parents’ occupation, and the child’s gender vary. For example: Which program will parents who are farmers and do not speak Portuguese at home prefer for their daughter?
This information is then compared with families’ actual practices: languages spoken at home, programs attended, etc.
 

Ethnic, national, or linguistic identities are not merely categories inherited once and for all. They are also shaped by everyday choices: getting married, speaking a language at home, enrolling a child in school, or choosing one form of learning over another.

Through this research, Juliette Crespin-Boucaud shows that education is not merely a place for acquiring knowledge. It is also a space for transmission, negotiation, and planning for the future. Amid family heritage, national identity, and social opportunities, language thus becomes a common thread for understanding how families shape the identities of future generations.

Outreach and Accessibility: Aline Wilmet - Confluent des Savoirs

George Akerlof was educated at Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his PhD in 1966, the same year he became an assistant professor at Berkeley. He became a full professor in 1978. Professor Akerlof is a 2001 recipient of the Alfred E. Nobel Prize in Economic Science; he was honoured for his theory of asymmetric information and its effect on economic behaviour. He is also the 2006 President of the American Economic Association. He served earlier as vice president and member of the executive committee. He is also on the North American Council of the Econometric Association. 

He also remembers growing up in a country marked by racial discrimination and deep inequalities. These early experiences shaped a question that would remain at the centre of his work for decades: why do economies generate persistent unemployment and exclusion when the standard economic theory predicts that markets should clear?

George Akerlof grew up in an unusually academic family and frequently felt that he was not the most naturally gifted person in the room.  That belief forced him to work harder. It also encouraged a kind of intellectual humility that still remains. Before arriving at MIT, Akerlof spent an entire summer teaching himself advanced topology.  And the professor who taught the course would leave a lasting impression. Before solving a puzzle, identify the larger question that makes the puzzle important. This became a lifelong research philosophy.

"You have to look at the big picture: first understand the structure of the problem, then work on the details."

George Akerlof

"I was concerned about unemployment, but I was also concerned about segregation. Those problems seemed very important to me. I thought economics was one way of understanding them.”

George Akerlof

DeFiPP brings together expertise in development economics, finance, and public policy, while encouraging dialogue across disciplines and methodological approaches. Within this framework, CRED has established itself as one of Europe's leading centres in development economics.  Founded by scholars including Jean-Marie Baland and Jean-Philippe Platteau and now directed by Catherine Guirkinger, CRED has built an international reputation through research that combines theoretical rigor with extensive fieldwork. Its researchers study how institutions, social norms, collective action, market development, and political processes shape economic outcomes in developing countries. Much of the work relies on original data collected directly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, allowing researchers to confront economic theory with realities observed on the ground. 

These questions are at the heart of CRED’s research program. The centre’s researchers study the role of institutions and social norms in shaping development trajectories, analysing how informal rules, collective beliefs, and governance structures influence economic opportunities and well-being. Their work contributes to international research networks such as “Economic Development and Institutions” (EDI), a major initiative dedicated to understanding the links between the quality of institutions and economic development.

This approach echoes one of George Akerlof's central convictions: economics cannot be understood solely through mathematical models. During his studies and later through a formative year in India where he too observed realities on the ground, he became increasingly convinced that economics is not just about facts and figures.

"I learned that understanding an economy means understanding the people who live in it. You have to understand institutions, customs, and beliefs."

George Akerlof

Development, he argues, cannot be explained by markets alone. To understand why some societies prosper while others remain trapped in poverty, we must understand how people behave within specific social and institutional environments.

George Akerlof's work on information asymmetries provides another point of connection. His landmark article The Market for Lemons demonstrated that markets can fail when buyers and sellers possess different information. 

"People make decisions without knowing what other people know."

George Akerlof

The insight transformed economics by showing that imperfect information is not an exception but a fundamental feature of many markets.

At CRED, researchers similarly examine the frictions that prevent markets from functioning efficiently. Their work explores access to credit, agricultural productivity, market integration, taxation, and development finance, seeking to understand why some individuals and communities remain excluded from economic opportunities. Recent projects have investigated issues ranging from tax compliance in Sub-Saharan Africa to the long-term effects of colonial institutions and the digital transformation of agricultural value chains in West Africa.

Another important theme linking George Akerlof's work and CRED's research concerns the role of social norms and multiple equilibria. 

He challenged the idea that economies naturally converge toward a single optimal outcome. Drawing partly on observations made in India, he argued that societies can become trapped in persistent patterns of behaviour sustained by shared beliefs and institutions. Poverty, discrimination, or unemployment may therefore persist not because individuals make irrational choices, but because entire systems of expectations reinforce existing outcomes.

"One of the things I got from India was that one should take into account what people were thinking when thinking about equilibrium. There may be more than one equilibrium."

George Akerlof

This perspective has become increasingly influential in development economics. Researchers at CRED investigate how social norms affect household decisions, gender relations, collective action, and access to economic resources. Particular attention has been devoted to understanding discrimination, bargaining power within households, and the economic constraints faced by women. Research led by Catherine Guirkinger, for example, examines the mechanisms behind gender inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa and the factors that limit women's economic opportunities. 

Beyond its research output, CRED also serves as a vibrant international hub for scholarly exchange. The centre regularly hosts conferences, workshops, doctoral training activities, and collaborations with researchers from around the world. Through these initiatives, it contributes to the development of new generations of economists committed to addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing developing societies. 

The collaboration with Rachel Kranton represented, in many ways, the culmination of George Akerlof’s intellectual trajectory.  Identity economics brought together themes that had been present for decades. Social expectations. Collective beliefs. Norms. Institutions. The boundaries between economics, sociology, psychology, and political science are often less rigid than academic institutions suggest.  Human behaviour does not respect disciplinary boundaries.

"What people think they should do affects what they actually do."

George Akerlof

What ultimately emerges from George Akerlof's reflections is a simple but powerful idea: economics is a science of people before it is a science of markets. Markets matter, institutions matter, and policies matter—but understanding human behaviour remains essential.

This principle lies at the core of CRED's identity. Whether studying poverty, gender inequality, market development, public institutions, or collective action, the centre seeks to understand how economic outcomes are shaped by the interactions between individuals, communities, and institutions. In doing so, it continues a tradition of research that combines analytical rigor with a deep concern for real-world problems.

For George Akerlof, the purpose of economics has always been to better understand society and improve human well-being. For CRED, that ambition remains as relevant today as ever. 

• George Akerlof 
• DeFiPP Institute, Center for Research in Development Economics (CRED), University of Namur
• University of Namur Research Portal (CRED)

The IDnomics project (Identities, Norms, and Narratives) is an inter-university Concerted Research Action (ARC) funded by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB). It explores the interaction between rapidly evolving social identities and public policies, and how these factors impact societal behaviours and economic choices. 

The research is a collaborative effort between the Université de Namur (UNamur) and UCLouvain. Key features and goals of the initiative include: 

• An Interdisciplinary Approach: The project bridges economics, political science, and data science to understand how changing societal demographics and group identities influence public policy adoption.
• Academic research: It serves as a fundamental research hub, aiming to develop centres of excellence in economic and social sciences.
• Research Conferences: The project frequently sponsors academic gatherings, such as the ERINN (Economic Research on Identity, Norms, and Narratives) conference series hosted in Namur.

Service marketing appealed to me because it directly touches people’s real lives: seeking medical care, learning, getting around, accessing public services, interacting with technology, or receiving support in times of vulnerability. Unlike product marketing, which focuses more on tangible goods, service marketing is concerned with experiences that are often intangible, subjective, and deeply human.

This field allows us to analyze what defines the quality of an experience: human or digital interactions, trust, emotions, the co-creation of value, as well as issues of social justice, ethics, inclusion, and dignity. The same experience can be perceived differently depending on the individual, their resources, their situation, and the context of their interaction. This is precisely what makes this field of research complex, fascinating, and essential. 

What motivates me today is understanding how organizations and institutions can design services that are not only effective or innovative, but also fairer, more humane, and more responsible. For me, service marketing is a tool for transforming people’s experiences and contributing, in very concrete ways, to people’s well-being and to a more inclusive society.

These questions are at the heart of my work. From this perspective, services are not reduced to a simple transaction but are situated within an ecosystem involving multiple stakeholders. For me, inclusion and equity are not abstract concepts: they prompt us to ask who is left out of certain services, who faces greater difficulties in being heard, understood, or served with dignity, and how to design interactions that strengthen autonomy rather than creating new forms of exclusion. My goal as a researcher is to address these issues and propose concrete recommendations in close collaboration with all stakeholders. In my view, academic research has a responsibility to engage with important societal issues and to help make the service system more inclusive and respectful of people’s dignity.

I also advocate for management research that is more open, more inclusive, and truly connected to the realities of the world. All too often, our field remains dominated by a Europe–United States lens, which leaves other contexts, other voices, and other experiences in the shadows. However, to remain relevant, management science must better integrate the diversity of human, social, cultural, and geographic realities. This commitment is not merely an intellectual conviction; it translates into concrete actions. For example, through the NEXSER program—an ambitious initiative supported by the European Union via Erasmus+—we have built a network of excellence with partners from the Global South. These collaborations—fueled by research stays, scholarly exchanges, and joint research projects—enable us to broaden our perspectives, challenge our established frameworks, and produce research that is more grounded, more accurate, and more useful. Whether through my institutional responsibilities, my international collaborations, or my engagement within my scientific community, I strive to contribute to academic ecosystems where scientific excellence, societal impact, and personal fulfillment advance hand in hand. For me, research without borders is also research that opens doors.

It is a true honor, and this recognition touches me deeply. This appointment serves as a reminder that academic impact is not measured solely by publications, but also by the ability to teach, support, and help others grow. It recognizes a central aspect of my academic identity: mentoring. 

I am convinced that supporting the next generation of researchers means shaping the future of research and society. It is essential, demanding work—yet often unseen. Helping young researchers find their voice in a highly competitive and demanding academic world, gain confidence, feel validated, and develop high-quality, meaningful research is, for me, just as important as conducting research myself. In a way, it means guiding them as they learn a demanding profession. This commitment is reflected in my participation in committees, thesis defense panels, and large-scale mentoring programs at the national and international levels.  When supervising my own doctoral students, I try to encourage them to nurture their passion for scientific research, to develop an academic mindset, to believe in their contributions, and to conduct research that transcends their individual trajectories to be of real benefit to society. For me, mentoring is not limited to the acquisition of scientific or methodological skills. It also involves passing on values that are fundamental to the academic world: integrity, rigor, responsibility, intellectual openness, respect for others… as well as a commitment to producing research that is useful, robust, and capable of meeting the highest scientific standards.

This nomination also holds special significance for me, as it comes from people I deeply respect, both in Belgium and elsewhere. The fact that senior colleagues and young researchers took the initiative to submit this nomination without my knowledge makes this recognition even more valuable and deeply personal. I sincerely enjoy interacting with young researchers. These interactions give great meaning to my academic mission. I enjoy taking the time to mentor them—whether they’re my Ph.D. students or not—with a level of expectation that I hope is always supportive. As I often tell them: “Small details make a big difference.” I am therefore deeply moved to see this long-term effort recognized by my peers.

My approach as a teacher aligns with the one I advocate as a researcher: helping students push themselves while bringing theoretical concepts to life. This approach shifts them from a mindset of simply absorbing content to one of active engagement. In this social innovation lab led by a highly dynamic team of instructors, students step into the role of “change makers” to develop solutions to pressing societal issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as poverty, disability, and so on. We strive to bring them as close as possible to the issue at hand so they can shift their perspectives and better understand the realities experienced by others.  In this way, they learn to connect concepts to human realities, collaborate, experiment, take responsibility for their choices, and reflect on the consequences of their actions. We use innovative and immersive teaching methods. For example, we recently developed virtual reality scenarios that allow students to experience the daily life of a visually impaired person. In addition to stimulating their capacity for innovation, this course fosters their empathy—an essential quality for future leaders. I strongly believe in an educational approach that produces not only good students, but also citizens and future professionals capable of considering the impact of their actions. I am convinced that better training for our managers today contributes to building a better, fairer society that is more attentive to everyone.

While many companies offer training programs for their employees, it also appears that the “responsibility for employability” has gradually shifted to the workers themselves, who are now expected to take greater control of their careers. “In the past, the boss was seen as responsible for the employee’s development—and even their personal fulfillment—sometimes even beyond the workplace,” notes Michel Ajzen. “But over time, this responsibility for employability has been diluted. ” This trend has been reinforced by new “career scripts,” which are heavily based on mobility. “When I ask students how many employers they think they’ll have in their lifetime, the average answer is six,” the professor continues. “This means that even before entering the workforce, they already have the idea that they’ll move from one employer to another, which can lead them to feel ‘responsible’ for their own careers and thus potentially to pursue training on their own initiative.” 

Getting an education, sure, but in what? And how? As Michel Ajzen explains, this choice depends largely on the “career tactics” adopted by workers. “Depending on their stage of life, they may adopt tactics that are more employment-oriented, with the goal of quickly securing a job to make ends meet,” he explains.

Furthermore, training periods are often seen by workers as a breather: an opportunity to step back and “lift their heads up from the handlebars” in what is often a high-pressure workday. This “break” is now governed by various policies. For example, the law of October 3, 2022, guarantees private-sector employees an individual right to training equivalent to 5 days per year for full-time workers. This training may be organized by the employer or left to the employees’ discretion (subject to the employer’s oversight). “However, some companies are not required to guarantee this right to their employees. This is particularly the case for companies with fewer than ten employees,” explains Charlotte Lambert, an associate professor and specialist in labor law. “In labor law, there are also collective bargaining agreements that supplement the law on a sector-by-sector basis and may provide for additional days of training.” 

When an employee wishes to pursue more extensive training—for example, a university certificate program that typically lasts more than five days per year—they can also take advantage of other programs that allow them to maintain all or part of their pay. “Paid educational leave, or CEP—which falls under regional jurisdiction—allows employees to take a recognized training course of at least 32 hours, including initial training,” explains Charlotte Lambert. “The employee retains their pay, while the employer is compensated by the ONEM.” 

The other option is “training-related” time credit: this regional program, which exists only in the private sector, allows employees to temporarily reduce or suspend their working hours without affecting the validity of their contract. In this case, the employee receives compensation directly from the ONEM, subject to certain age and seniority requirements. Time credit is also limited to a period of 36 months. “These various programs are not necessarily well known to the public,” comments Charlotte Lambert, “which also explains why many people are discouraged from pursuing training, particularly out of fear of losing their job or having to reduce their working hours and, consequently, their pay.” Furthermore, they are only available to workers with relatively stable employment status (permanent contracts, long-term fixed-term contracts, etc.). “Specific but similar mechanisms exist in the public sector. For the self-employed, however, taking paid leave or using time credits is not an option. They must therefore bear the indirect cost of their training themselves,” the labor law specialist adds. 

Given the need for worker training, universities naturally have a role to play. The “Paysage” decree of November 7, 2013, stipulates that they are authorized to organize continuing education programs accredited by ARES (Academy of Research and Higher Education). “Under the terms of the decree, continuing education does not refer to bachelor’s or master’s degrees, but rather to certificates,” explains Charlotte Lambert. Thus, to avoid any misunderstanding, students should be aware that earning a university certificate is not the same as earning an academic degree and therefore does not confer the same advantages in the job market. 

On the other hand, there is indeed the possibility for working professionals to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree through part-time study, as is the case at the UNamur School of Law. “The unique feature of a bachelor’s degree—and ideally a master’s degree—is that it represents a true fresh start,” emphasizes Mathieu Rolain, academic coordinator of this program and researcher at the Vulnerabilities & Societies (V&S) Center at the Transitions Institute. “Often, it’s a complete career change and sometimes even the fulfillment of a dream: some are 50 years old and are about to begin their bar exam preparation…”. In Block 1 of the Faculty of Law’s part-time program, there are about 50 to 60 enrolled students each year: 10 to 15 of them will graduate in Block 3. “These students are extremely supportive of one another; they share their notes and help each other out when one of them is struggling,” observes the coordinator. 

In the same vein, UNamur is committed to tailoring its programs as best as possible to this group. “Many have family responsibilities and sometimes live far from Namur,” continues Mathieu Rolain. “All of our classes are therefore recorded and posted online. We also give them access to staff parking lots and notify them of exam dates well in advance… We try to show them that we support them and understand them. ” Because for these adults with busy professional and personal lives, (re)starting university studies “in evening classes” requires extraordinary discipline and determination, as well as the unconditional support of those around them. “I really admire them a lot,” enthuses Mathieu Rolain. “To me, they’re superheroes. We’ve had medical specialists who came in after their workday, single parents… They’re very unconventional individuals with brilliant backgrounds. They’re also a very demanding group who are always watching your every move—which, for us teachers, is incredibly stimulating.” Because by opening its doors to an experienced audience, the academic world, too, continues to learn. 

Since the 1980s, the University of Namur has distinguished itself through its expertise in continuing education for teachers, covering both didactic and psychopedagogical aspects. 

“It was the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters that initially launched this initiative to offer what were then called ‘refresher courses’ to French teachers,” says Sandrine Biémar, coordinator of the Center for Continuing Education for Teachers at the Faculty of Education and Training Sciences (FaSEF), a professor, and a member of the Institute for Research in Didactics and Education (IRDENa). “ Subsequently, more general training courses on psychopedagogical aspects followed: these were initially organized by the Department of Education and Technology, which has since become FaSEF. Similarly, in the 1990s, the Faculty of Sciences and the Faculty of Economics developed their own centers for continuing teacher education.” These four centers for continuing teacher education are now united under the “Salle des Pros.” 

While the decree of June 17, 2021 (Book 6 of the Education Code) formalizes the rights and duties of teaching staff regarding continuing education, this is by no means a new concept for the profession. 

“The profession is so complex and subject to so many changes—particularly in curricula and teaching methods—that it is important for teachers to view their career as a continuous process,” insists Sandrine Biémar. “That is why, starting with initial training, we inform students about these opportunities for continuing education.” 

The goal is to train “reflective practitioners” capable of questioning their own practices in order to refine and adapt them over time.

 “We try to bridge the gap between the world of research and the world of practice: so that we can inform teachers about new studies, but they can also inform us about what’s happening in the field,” the coordinator continues. “The Salle des Pros serves as this space that opens us up to the world.”