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The wolf, long banished from our lands, has made a remarkable comeback in Wallonia since 2016. This mysterious being, now protected, arouses as much fascination as fear. Through an exhibition, held as part of the Cultural Project course, third-year history bachelor students have traced the history of the wolf. From April 11 to 27, 2024, the exhibition entitled "Même pas peur! Une évolution de l'image du loup à travers les siècles" invited audiences to plunge into the heart of a historical exploration.

A project submitted by Professor Frédéric Silvestre's Laboratoire de Physiologie Évolutive et Adaptative (LEAP) at the University of Namur has been ranked among the top 6 research projects funded by the FNRS and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) for scientific collaboration between Wallonia and Quebec. The aim? To understand the impact of human activities on St. Lawrence Estuary (SLE) belugas, using interdisciplinary approaches to help improve conservation strategies for this threatened species..

This seminar is aimed at researchers as well as (future) childcare professionals - educators, carers, childcare workers - who wish to question this issue and equip themselves to better listen to and include young children. Thanks to an interdisciplinary, cross-border approach, experts from the fields of psychology, pedagogy, law and the human sciences will share their knowledge and experience. This time of exchange will provide a better understanding of how to foster children's information and participation by adapting to their abilities and needs. Registrations Read more

Founded some 50 years ago, the Laboratoire d'Analyse par Réactions Nucléaires (LARN) in the Department of Physics at the University of Namur is home to a 2MV tandem particle gas pedal named ALTAÏS (Accélérateur Linéaire Tandetron pour l'Analyse et l'Implantation des Solides), in operation since 1999.

Nathalie Burnay, professor in the EMCP Faculty and member of the TRANSITIONS Institute, has just been awarded PDR funding from the F.R.S-FNRS for her BRIDGE-EXT project. In collaboration with the Haute Ecole de Travail Social de Lausanne, she will focus on the situations and reasons that contribute to the continuation of professional activity after the legal retirement age.

An analysis of voter turnout in October 2024This analysis presents a comparison of voter turnout in Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders. On the one hand, the report identifies the profiles and political attitudes of voters who abstained (representative survey of the Belgian population). On the other hand, the report presents the evolution of abstention and electoral participation according to institutional and political contexts in Wallonia. Particular attention is paid to the increase in blank and invalid votes in Wallonia.Analysis of the effects of electoral reforms since 2018This analysis presents the effects linked to the adoption of gender quotas in communal executives, as well as the effects of the end of the devolutive effect of the top box in Wallonia. These electoral reforms may have had limited effects in some communes (mainly due to a "learning" effect of the new electoral rules). Our report analyzes the effects observed in 2024 and the factors explaining the differences observed between Wallonia's communes.Analysis of the restructuring of the electoral offer in 2024While 2018 had seen a significant increase in the number of lists present at communal polls (notably so-called "citizen" and far-right lists), in October 2024, the number of lists in competition fell significantly. An analysis of official figures describes the evolution of the number and type of lists according to the institutional and political configurations of Wallonia's communes. It focuses in particular on the evolution of typically "local" lists, a Walloon characteristic within European democracies. Practical information L'ArsenalRue Bruno, 11 - 5000 NamurL'Arsenal is a 10-minute walk from Namur train station and the Parliament of Wallonia. Adjacent parking is available free of charge (Rue de l'Arsenal 13, 5000 Namur)Registration required (places are limited - registration deadline: March 3) Program 9:00-13:00: Conference workshop9:00-9:30: welcome and coffee9:30-9:35: presentation of the project by the inter-university consortium9:35-11:40 : presentation of reports and Q&A Analysis of the restructuring of the electoral offer in 2024 Analysis of electoral participation in 2024 Analysis of the effects of electoral reforms in 202411:40-11:50 : closing remarks12:00-13:00: closing lunchContact person For information requests: laura.uyttendaele@unamur.be and jeremy.dodeigne@unamur.be SPW Interior and Social Action

Arthur Borriello, professor in the EMCP Faculty and member of the TRANSITIONS Institute, has just been awarded a Mandat d'Impulsion Scientifique (MIS), prestigious funding from the F.R.S-FNRS. Through a comparison of 4 countries, this research project aims to understand why and how social democratic parties have adapted to the socio-political changes of the last ten years. Explanations.

Reconciling family life and a political career in the European Parliament poses major challenges, particularly for MEPs with young children. This is demonstrated by Elena Frech, researcher at the University of Namur, in her recent research on work-life balance in European institutions.

Well hidden from passersby, caves nevertheless conceal particularly aesthetic secrets. For the past four years, Martin Vlieghe has been pursuing a PhD in geology at UNamur.  He is exploring the origin of the surprisingly varied colours of certain concretions nestled in the heart of Belgian and French caves. Together with Prof. Johan Yans and Gaëtan Rochez, he samples, observes, and analyses these magnificent objects with the aim of uncovering the mysteries they conceal.

In the coming months, the University of Namur will participate in an exceptional space mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), alongside Belgian astronaut Raphaël Liégeois. The BeBlob project, led by researchers Boris Hespeels (ILEE Institute) and Anne-Catherine Heuskin (NARILIS Institute), aims to study the DNA repair capabilities of a fascinating organism: the blob (Physarum polycephalum).

JuryProf. Nicolas DENDONCKER (UNamur), ChairProf. Sabine HENRY (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Frédéric SILVESTRE (UNamur)Dr. Sébastien DUJARDIN (UNamur)Prof. Kara PELLOWE (Stockholm University)Prof. Romain GLELE KAKAI (University of Abomey Calavi)Prof. Patrick KESTEMONT (UNamur)Prof. Eli THORE (UNamur)AbstractMangroves play an important role in environmental conservation and livelihood provision yet remain one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. This doctoral study assesses pathways to enhance coastal sustainability in the Anthropocene, by promoting the sustainable use of mangroves and strengthening their social-ecological resilience through an interdisciplinary approach. The thesis is structured into four specific objectives: assessing the role of traditional beliefs and local deities in promoting the sustainable use of mangroves, analyzing the synergies between legal frameworks and traditional beliefs in enhancing the social-ecological resilience of mangroves, developing a novel interdisciplinary framework to evaluate the social-ecological resilience of mangroves, and operationalizing the proposed framework in Benin's mangroves, West Africa.  We collected field data using ethnobiological surveys, drone image analysis and document review, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, plant and fish inventories across three coastal communities in Benin. The study draws insights from the seven principles of resilience to analyze mangrove sustainability. The interdisciplinary methodology of this study links plant biology, fisheries sciences, and human geography to analyze mangroves as complex social-ecological systems. Findings of the thesis show that traditional beliefs and local deities play a significant role in regulating the use of mangrove resources, while the overlapping of formal and informal institutions offer opportunities to enhance their social-ecological resilience. The novel proposed framework called Mangrove Social Ecological Resilience Appraisal (MaSERA) outlines variables and indicators tailored to mangroves to assess their social-ecological resilience. Its application in Benin highlights its potential in identifying factors that enable or erode mangrove resilience, for informed decision making. The study argues that promoting the sustainable use of mangroves and enhancing their social-ecological resilience represent dual imperatives for achieving coastal sustainability in the Anthropocene. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge on mangrove conservation and provides actionable insights for integrated coastal zone management.

Today, our planet is undergoing major climatic changes. Particularly in the face of rising temperatures, it is not easy to predict how flora and fauna will react and adapt in disturbed ecosystems. International research, in which Professor Johan Yans' team (Department of Geology and ILEE Institute) is taking part, has found some answers in fossils, which have been the memory of Darwinian evolution for millions of years. Explanations.