Arriving in Namur mid-morning, His Majesty the King was welcomed in the courtyard of the Faculty of Sciences by the Rector of UNamur, Annick Castiaux; the Governor of the Province, Denis Mathen; the Acting Mayor of Namur, Charlotte Bazelaire; and the Director-President of Henallux, Benoit Dujardin. Upon entering the Faculty of Sciences, he also met with the Director of IMEP, Guido Jardon; the Vice-Rector for Education, Laurent Schumacher; the Dean of FaSEF, Sephora Boucenna; and the Director of the Henallux Department, Alain Bultot.

In Namur, the University of Namur is collaborating on this initiative with Henallux (Haute École Namur Liège Luxembourg) and IMEP (Institut Royal Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie). These programs, launched in 2023–2024, have revolutionized the system, now requiring all new teachers to obtain a master’s degree in education. In this context, it was important for UNamur to highlight these students and to emphasize the importance of compulsory education and the essential role of teachers in society.  

Following the session, His Majesty the King participated in four workshops designed and led by students from UNamur, IMEP, and Henallux, in collaboration with their professors. 

1. The first workshop focused on the challenges facing the teaching profession and schools: equality, inclusion, the development of critical thinking, and sustainable development. 
2. The second, titled “Teaching, Inclusion, and Diversification—How Can We Help Each Student Reach Their Full Potential?”, emphasized adapting teaching practices to the diverse needs of students. This diversity was presented as a valuable resource in the learning process. The workshop aimed to illustrate process-oriented work and how to utilize various learning approaches. 
3. The third workshop, “Teaching with a Focus on Sustainable Development,” invited participants to reflect on how education can foster responsible citizens in the face of environmental challenges. 
4. The final workshop, “Integrating Critical Thinking Elements into Teaching in the Age of Generative AI,” offered four practical exercises for students to practice their critical thinking skills: distinguishing between real images and AI-generated images, using AI appropriately and critically, raising awareness of deepvoice—a technique that allows for the faithful reproduction of a person’s voice—and the paradigm shift in AI education within the school setting. 

To conclude the morning, the students had the honor of sharing a meal with His Majesty the King to continue these moments of exchange. 

Camille Haidon, a bachelor’s student in education, S3 track (Mathematics and Digital Education) 

“When I heard we had the chance to attend a morning event with the King, I volunteered right away. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’ll likely only have once in my life. Preparing for this meeting, having the courage to speak in front of the King, and sharing a meal with him—it’s an incredible story I’ll remember for a long time.” 

Laura Diaz-Bayon, master’s student in Section 4, Chemistry track 

“The King showed great interest in our workshops; he asked us many questions, and we felt valued and truly heard.

During the meal, there were no taboos. He asked us why we had chosen the teaching profession and really let us speak. He was very grateful for our dedication. I think this will remain one of the most beautiful moments of my life.”

Raimu Marquet, master’s student in Section 5, physics track

“The King was an incredible listener; he was deeply curious and sincere. He asked us about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the teaching profession and our expectations… It was a very enriching experience.

I also want to highlight the incredible energy and dedication that FaSEF brings to the implementation of the RFIE.”

ChatGPT, Copilot, Grok, Mistral, NotebookLM: artificial intelligence tools are becoming widespread in schools, universities, and businesses. However, until now, there has been no way for users to know how reliable these educational chatbots are. AI Score, a new tool developed by researchers at UNamur, fills this gap by measuring the educational reliability of chatbots. "AI Score is to chatbots what the speedometer was to cars," says Professor Michaël Lobet, one of the authors of the research. "The arrival of the automobile at the beginning of the 20th century revolutionized usage... but it was the invention of the speedometer that made it a controlled and reliable tool. Today, educational chatbots and other chatbots used in businesses in general are at a similar stage: powerful and exciting, but without reliable control instruments. The AI Score aims to be that speedometer," he explains.

In the same way that NutriScore, EcoScore, and PEB certification help citizens make informed choices, AI Score provides a simple and immediate reading of the level of trust that can be placed in a chatbot. "At a time when trust in generative AI is becoming a societal issue, AI Score guides teachers and companies in their choice of tools to put in the hands of their students or customers," says Dr. Miguël Dhyne, scientific collaborator at UNamur, educator, and physics researcher. "It can also help institutions evaluate AI solutions before deployment or verify their reliability over time," he adds. 

It evaluates four essential dimensions:

• Initial performance: Does the AI respond correctly the first time?
• Robustness: does it maintain its response when questioned?
• Self-correction ability: does it recognize and correct its mistakes?
• Unreliability: does it contradict itself or lose track of the conversation?

To evaluate these four dimensions, each chatbot is subjected to a test carried out under identical conditions to ensure fairness and comparability. 

The chatbots are first subjected to a set of 10 multiple-choice questions, carefully selected to highlight any errors or hesitations in the AI. These questions are therefore designed to be discriminating and have a balanced level of difficulty. 

After each response, the chatbot is prompted again to verify that it maintains its position, admits an error, or does not contradict itself. 

Since AI does not always respond in the same way from one test to another, the test is performed five times. This ensures that the result truly reflects the capabilities of the chatbot. 

These criteria are based on the standards ISO/IEC TR 24028:2020 and ISO/IEC 42001:2023.

Each model tested is then given an overall score and a letter grade, similar to the scores used in food or energy ratings.

It has recently been demonstrated that methods for ranking large language models (LLM leaderboards/Chatbot Arena) based on popular votes are not very robust to changes in a few preference votes. Malicious votes, evaluation biases, popularity effects, or data leaks can therefore impact the rankings on which business, investment, marketing communication, and educational and technical decisions are based. "In contrast, the AI Score offers a robust, reliable, and transparent method that anyone can apply independently to judge the relevance of their tested platform," add the Namur researchers.

The AI Score is available free of charge to the general public, teachers, journalists, institutions, and anyone wishing to objectively compare the performance of chatbots: https://aiscore.academy

The site offers:

• free access to the methodology,
• examples of scores,
• educational resources,
• and, soon, enhanced documentation based on feedback from early users.

Making the protocol available to the general public makes it easy to reproduce and apply to different models. The researchers therefore invite the community to familiarize themselves with the tool and contribute to its improvement. The AI Score is an open initiative that is designed to be scalable and to continuously improve based on user feedback. 

The AI Score was developed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers at UNamur: 

• Prof. Michaël Lobet: F.R.S.-FNRS qualified researcher at the University of Namur and Professor in the Department of Physics. He is also affiliated with Harvard University.
• Dr. Miguël Dhyne: scientific collaborator at UNamur, educator and researcher in physics, expert in educational innovation, EdTech, and educational AI. His role is to design practical solutions and train teachers in the use of digital tools.
• Laurence Dumortier: holder of a PhD in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Namur, IT specialist at the TICE Unit (UNamur/FaSEF). She also supports teachers in mastering educational technologies.
• Jean-Roch Meurisse: IT specialist at the TICE Unit (UNamur/FaSEF), where he is responsible for co-administering and developing the institutional LMS. He is responsible for supporting teachers and researchers in the selection, implementation, and development of digital teaching tools. 

The tool has been submitted for scientific publication and is currently being reviewed. 

The University of Namur is establishing itself as a key player in artificial intelligence (AI) by integrating this technology into its teaching programs, conducting cutting-edge research on the subject, and putting its expertise at the service of society.

International Women's Day (UN), also known as "International Day of Struggle for Women's Rights" (UN Women), is celebrated every year on March 8. This day highlights the struggles for women's rights and, more broadly, for the elimination of inequalities between women and men.  

Although International Women's Day was made official by the United Nations in 1977, following on from the International Women's Year proclaimed in 1975 by the UN General Assembly, its origins date back to the social movements that emerged in North America and Europe at the turn of the 20th century. 

The fight against gender discrimination is a priority at UNamur, which is firmly committed to promoting gender equality, non-discrimination, and respect for diversity.  

UNamur's goal is to create an inclusive university community where everyone can thrive, regardless of gender. By embracing diversity and taking concrete measures, the university affirms its commitment to a more equitable society based on the values of justice, inclusion, and respect for human dignity. 

The RFIE has its roots in a worrying observation: our education system is struggling to fulfill its missions of efficiency and equity. PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) surveys reveal skill levels below the average for industrialized countries and a chronic inability to compensate for social inequalities. In a European context where education is seen as a lever for the development of "human capital," the Wallonia-Brussels Federation wanted to take action. Inspired by the Lisbon objectives (2009), the reform aims to enhance the status of the teaching profession, strengthen professionalization, and better prepare future teachers for the diversity of school populations. It aims to profoundly transform the culture of training in order to improve the success of all students.

Teacher training is now organized around the ages and needs of students, the skills to be acquired as part of the evolution of the profession, and the Pact for Excellence in Education.

Each program is built around six areas: subject-specific training, communication, training through practice, teaching and pedagogy, humanities and social sciences, and research in education and teaching. 

Students therefore learn to combine knowledge, practice, and research to become reflective teachers who are able to evaluate their actions, adjust their methods, and collaborate with their peers.

One of the pillars of the reform concerns taking student diversity into account. "Not everyone learns in the same way or at the same pace," points out Sandrine Biémar, vice dean of FaSEF. "We want our teachers to be able to diversify their practices without falling into extreme individualization. "
Courses in the psychology of learning, the sociology of education, and differentiated instruction allow us to approach diversity as a source of richness. "Understanding that you yourself have a particular cognitive style," adds Sephora Boucenna, "is already a way of embracing diversity. This leads to offering a variety of learning paths, rather than judging the student as incapable."

For students, this change translates into more appropriate teaching methods and a better understanding of their needs with a view to reducing inequalities. The goal is clear: to avoid repeating a year as a response to difficulties, to train competent citizens, and to contribute to a school system that regains its role as a social ladder.

Another major change is that students now benefit from longer internships that are better supervised and integrated into their training program. "Taking on an intern isn't just about opening up your classroom, observing them, and evaluating them; it's also about being able to support them," emphasizes Sandrine Biémar. That's why UNamur offers a specific certificate for internship supervisors.

This support facilitates the transition to employment. Surveys show that between 30 and 40% of young teachers leave the profession within the first five years. "By strengthening training in and through practice, we want to consolidate their entry into the profession and prevent them from dropping out," she adds.

Ensuring continuity between the different levels of education is also a key objective of this reform. "Thanks to the new five-section structure (see illustration)," explains Sandrine Biémar, "a kindergarten teacher has a better understanding of what is at stake in the early years of primary school, and a secondary school teacher can see how learning is built up from the ground up. This consistency helps to avoid disruptions and strengthen continuity in the students' educational journey."

To this end, UNamur is collaborating with HENALLUX within a consortium. "Universities and colleges used to work in parallel," recalls Sandrine Biémar. "Now we are working together to develop curricula and teaching methods. Although UNamur has a long tradition of training teachers for upper secondary school, it is now involved in training teachers from kindergarten to 6th grade."

These collaborations extend to continuing education thanks to the Salle des Pros, a UNamur structure that brings together continuing education centers for teachers. 

"Through this reform, we are creating a coherent and sustainable network of educational stakeholders," summarizes Sephora Boucenna. "By linking initial training, research, and continuing education, we are laying the foundations for a strong, reflective, and supportive teaching profession."