Their book "Cinématech - Twenty Works to Understand Digital Technology" is primarily educational in nature, as it allows readers to better understand digital technology and its challenges. But the originality of the approach chosen by the two authors makes it both entertaining and informative. 

"The idea is simple: use 20 films and series to illustrate the history of digital technology, three important technologies (AI, robotics, XR) and their challenges. To do this, we start with Terminator, Her, Wall-E, Minority Report, and many others to make these subjects accessible," explains Anthony Simonofski, Professor in the Faculty of Economics, Management, Political Science, and Communication (EMCP).

"With the book, we can expand on the podcast's content, providing greater consistency and scientific references," explains Benoit Vanderose, professor in the Faculty of Computer Science. 

This new book is aimed at three audiences: 

• Those who want to better understand digital technology without jargon
• Film buffs curious to see their favorite works from a different angle
• Teachers and trainers looking for concrete materials to discuss digital technology in the classroom

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 ERCIS network brings together universities and companies from 25 - mainly European - countries around a common goal: to advance information systems research and meet the challenges of digital transformation. To achieve this, the ERCIS network emphasizes collaborative research, innovation and knowledge sharing.

In practical terms, this membership paves the way for training opportunities for MINDIT researchers and PhD students: networking events, annual workshops, summer school or PhD Colloquium. It also creates bridges to develop partnerships at the level of academic programs.

Finally, ERCIS relies on a corporate advisory board, guaranteeing synergy between research and field practices.

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."