The institute comprises four research centers: Pluri-LL, the Centre Nerval, the Observatoire des Littératures Sauvages (OLSa) and the Laboratoire de langue des signes de Belgique francophone (LSFB-Lab).

Two researchers from NaLTT have just been awarded funding from the F.R.S - FNRS following calls whose results were published in December 2024.

An estimated 72 million people worldwide use a sign language. The 150 signed languages recorded to date (The Ethnologue) are derived from the sociolinguistic dynamics of different deaf communities, their history and their interaction with society as a whole.

Like all languages, signed languages evolve and vary. Variations linked in particular to the age, region, gender, linguistic and educational profile of signers are attested in the use of most signed languages. Sign language in French-speaking Belgium (LSFB) is no exception. For example, the former boarding schools for the deaf established in Brussels and Wallonia still have regional variants. While the older generation's sign language shows traces of the restrictive context of oralist teaching and the disregard for signed languages at the time of their schooling, the younger generation's language is tinged with numerous borrowings from American Sign Language (ASL) or international signs, symbols of openness and mobility. Increasingly, LSFB signers are highlighting the linguistic divergence between age- and region-related LSFB varieties.

The Research Project (PDR) "DiVa LSFB - Linguistic distance and variation in French-speaking Belgian sign language: a mixed-methods analysis" aims to understand this phenomenon of linguistic distance and variation within today's LSFB. It aims to provide a multidimensional analysis of this complex phenomenon that is as representative as possible of the social ecosystems in which deaf people live. Can generational or regional profiles be identified from an analysis of LSFB usage? What linguistic characteristics and strategies promote or hinder intercomprehension between young signers and their elders? What ideas and beliefs do signers have about the degree and reasons for variations in LSFB, and about the elements that promote or hinder intercomprehension? And in their day-to-day practices, how do they handle interaction with younger and older signers, and with those who use regional varieties other than their own? To answer these questions, the team will use a combination of corpus data, experimental data on inter-comprehension between signers, as well as ethnolinguistic-type data.

Amandine le Maire completed her thesis at Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh) as part of the Mobile Deaf project (ERC, under the direction of Prof. A. Kusters). After coordinating the LSFB-French Interuniversity Certificate in 2023-2024, Amandine joined the LSFB-Lab as part of "DiVa LSFB" and became the first deaf post-doc involved in research on LSFB, her mother tongue.

She will be working closely with Sibylle Fonzé, Bruno Sonnemans and Laurence Meurant. This project is part of a wider collaboration with Pr. Mieke Van Herreweghe (Universiteit Gent), Myriam Vermeerbergen (KULeuven) and Jeroen Darquennes (UNamur, NaLTT) on the study of linguistic change in Belgian sign languages.

This collaboration is taking shape in perfect synchronicity in the project Changing signs & signs of change: hoe variatie en taalcontact de taalverandering in Vlaamse Gebarentaal in hand werken which has just been selected as a "Senior onderzoekproject" by the FWO - Flanders' equivalent of the FNRS.

In partnership with the Faculty of Computer Science (the teams of Professors Anthony Cleve, Benoît Frénay and Bruno Dumas), it has initiated the development of digital tools in the service of bilingualism and the visibility of LSFB.

The Fonds Namur Université is the University of Namur's interface for its fundraising for patronage, donations and sponsorship. Thanks to the support of donors, the LSBF-French bilingual dictionary project was able to see the light of day.

This project takes as its starting point the fact that the acclimatization of poetry to advertising communication has helped to reinforce its urban inscription, so that today it frequently appears on the walls of our cities, often through fragmentary quotations and isolated verses. It invites us to take these writings seriously and to question the forms, uses and functions of poetic inscription in contemporary urban space.

The aim is to distinguish between authorized inscriptions (commissioned frescoes, window poetry and other installations conceived in collaboration with public authorities) and "wild" writings (spontaneous, raw, ephemeral).

On the side of authorized writings, we find notably quotations from canonical works, but also unpublished works participating in the production of legitimized authors, created to adorn public buildings - which raises a series of questions: is poetry reduced in this case to a simple decorative function? Which texts/extracts are chosen, and in which locations? What forms are favored? Are we banking on formulas that function as "inspirational" or "feel-good " maxims or proverbs, on emblematic extracts aimed at maintaining a common heritage? Should these productions be seen as the manifestation of a soothing "artist capitalism", or can they be seen as mediations that make poetry visible, serving as a first contact and an incentive to discover complex texts? How is the exhibition of the text designed materially (typography, colors, articulation with illustrations, etc.)?

On the side of wild writing, not based on commissions and not benefiting from authorization, other forms and conceptions of poetry are activated, from lyrical slogans to ironic watchwords and from puns to absurd aphorisms. These statements come under the heading of a vivid word vaguely disruptive of the everyday in that it brings salience, playfulness, incongruity, that it de-routinizes.

This is not to overplay the gap between institutional and wild poetic writings: it's striking to observe the multiplication of writings banking on an imaginary of illegality and protest while making it possible to transfer them to other, more instituted and, above all, potentially more sellable media - so that it's also the gentrification(*) of wild writings that we'll be studying in this framework.

(*)Gentrification: the process by which the population of a working-class neighborhood makes way for a more affluent social stratum.

This observatory is devoted to the way literature is also constructed outside the book, through alternative objects and channels, which sometimes nourish and energize the world of letters, but can just as easily evolve at a clear distance from it.

Numerous extra-book productions exploit the resources of literary communication: the handwritten album, the guestbook, the leaflet, the banner, the graffiti, the handmade documents cobbled together by the Surrealists and Situationists, the mimeographed newspaper, the fanzine or, of course, the screen, among many examples, are among these written media welcoming hybrid productions making room for lyricism, fiction or formal experimentation.

It is to these productions that the Observatoire des Littératures Sauvages is dedicated, whose members, from a variety of disciplines, set out to study the articulations of these literary practices to the social world.

International Francqui Chair 2024-2025 - Multilingualism and language learning. Challenges & Opportunities

This International Franqui Chair 2024-2025 is a joint initiative of VUB, Ghent University and Namur University. The Chairholder is Prof. Dr. Jean-Marc Dewaele. He will be present at UNamur for a series of lectures between February 19 and April 2, 2025. A general public conference entitled "How to raise children to become multilingual" will take place on March 11, 2025.

Every year, the F.R.S.-FNRS launches calls for funding for fundamental research. It has set up a range of tools enabling it to offer scientific and technical personnel, equipment and operating resources to researchers, who are the bearers of a project of excellence.

Organized in partnership with the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and UNamur, SETT is recognized as inter-network training days by the Institut interréseaux de la Formation Professionnelle Continue (IFPC). The aim of the event is to bring together all those involved in education to discuss the latest digital and pedagogical advances. According to Julie Henry, head of UNamur's Scientific Committee and an expert in digital education, "the SETT is a key space for the dissemination and impact of our research and a unique opportunity to share knowledge, confront our work with the reality in the field and influence educational practices on a large scale. Since its creation, the SETT has provided a forum for dialogue and strategic intelligence, enabling us to discuss the challenges and opportunities of digital technology in education, a central issue in the evolution of teaching practices". Julie Henry adds: "Today, digital technology is an essential skill for every citizen. It's not just a question of mastering tools, but of developing a digital culture that integrates critical thinking and an understanding of the societal, economic and environmental issues linked to technologies. That's why SETT, a space for collective reflection, is essential to anticipate the transformations to come and to support education players in these changes."

From basic to higher education, SETT offers a variety of workshops, talks and conferences. On the program for these two days, conferences around STE(A)M, Artificial Intelligence, video games, critical digital education... Three major themes in connection with teaching and new technologies were addressed by UNamur experts:

• digital at the service of learners/teachers
• digital media education
• STEM education

Focus on some testimonials from our researchers.

Can we use Black Mirror to educate about the digital? The series, known for its dark tales of technology and its impact on society, offers a basis for discussion of digital issues. In this conference, Benoît Vanderose and Anthony Simonofski, professors at the University of Namur, looked back at the usefulness of the podcast's effectiveness as a pedagogical tool, its possible use in the classroom, and the major themes that can be tackled via this channel.

For years, learning computer science has been based on a bottom-up approach: starting with the basics of programming, via simple exercises, towards more advanced concepts of teamwork, object-oriented, version management, testing and so on. Nevertheless, this approach may seem questionable in view of the mixed results, particularly in learning object-oriented best practices. This problem could be due to the fact that we are constantly putting off complexity until later, rather than welcoming it as an intrinsic element and learning to manage it as soon as possible.

In this café-causerie, Benoît Vanderose and Xavier Devroey, professors at UNamur, proposed to discuss a new approach to learning programming, based on the good development practices in place in industry, notably, thinking through test cases before programming. The aim being to think about the program in terms of its behaviors, rather than directly tackling the algorithmic way of solving the problem.

Initially scheduled to give a talk at SETT, UNamur professor Michaël Lobet was unfortunately unable to attend due to a health impediment. Nevertheless, he was keen to share his views on the importance of taking part in such a show. "We're talking about a 3rd (or even 4th) industrial revolution with the arrival of new information and communication technologies. Recent events such as covid or the advent of AI have had a big impact on our society and, de facto, on teaching. Although not new, the challenge of digital training remains paramount to avoid aggravating social fractures. Through my talk, my message would have been to take stock of the impact of generative AI/IA on teaching. I remain convinced of the need to train teachers in this new technology, to use it critically, responsibly and innovatively. Our institutions must be able to deliver clear messages to accompany user teachers in this challenge," explains Michaël Lobet.

Sign languages emerge naturally in deaf communities around the world. The ASBL Ecole et Surdité active within the Sainte Marie school in Namur is working to offer bilingual French / Langue des Signes Francophone de Belgique (LSFB) courses for primary and secondary schools. In cooperation with them that Laurence Meurant and her team at UNamur's Research Institute NaLTT have created a collaborative lexicon enabling the deaf community to consult and propose LSFB vocabulary autonomously. This presentation by Magaly Ghesquière and Jérôme Fink, both professors at UNamur, looked back at the sources of this collaboration and offered feedback on the tool developed and its future.

Through such interventions, Julie Henry affirms that "since the first edition, the University of Namur remains invested in the quality of the program via the chaire Educonum (Faculty of Computer Science) and its members. Participating - as a speaker, exhibitor or visitor - is a way of extending this commitment and actively contributing to the evolution of digital education. UNamur, notably through the Educonum Chair, thus reaffirms its commitment to research and innovation in digital education, in the service of more effective, inclusive teaching adapted to the challenges of today and tomorrow."

The "research credits and projects" call resulted in 14 grants for ambitious new projects. These include two "equipment" grants, five "research credits (CDR)" grants and seven "research projects (PDR)" grants, including one in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland. The FRIA doctoral research support call will fund 6 doctoral fellowships.

A prestigious Mandat d'Impulsion Scientifique (MIS) has also been obtained. This 3-year funding supports young permanent researchers wishing to develop an original and innovative research program while acquiring scientific autonomy within their department.

Call for Equipment

• Max Collinet, Institut ILEE
• Catherine Michaux, with Stéphane Vincent and Guillaume Berionni, co-sponsors, Institut NISM

Call for Research Credits (CDR)

• Thierry Arnould, Institut NARILIS
• Thomas Balligand, Department of Medicine
• Danielle Leenaerts, Institut PaTHs
• Denis Saint-Amand, Institut NaLTT
• Elio Tuci, Institut NADI

Appel Projets de Recherche (PDR)

• Nathalie Burnay, in collaboration with "the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland", Institut Transitions (Subject to acceptance by SNSF Switzerland)
• Catherine Guirkinger, Institut DEFIPP, co-promoter in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Luca Fusaro, Institut NISM
• Laurence Meurant, Institut NaLTT
• René Preys, Institut PaTHs
• Stéphane Vincent, Institut NISM, co-promoter in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Johan Wouters, Institut NISM, co-promoter in collaboration with UCLouvain

Fonds pour la formation à la Recherche dans l'Industrie et dans l'Agriculture (FRIA)

• Alix Buridant - Promoter: Henri-François Renard, Institut NARILIS ; Co-sponsor: Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck - Austria -
• Constance De Maere d'Aertrycke - Promoter Nicolas Gillet, Institut NARILIS
• Noah Deveaux - Promoter: Benoît Champagne, Institut NISM
• Nicolas Dricot - Promoter: Muriel Lepère, Institut NISM; Co-promoter: Bastien Vispoel, Institut NISM and Université Grenoble Alpes
• Laurie Marchal - Promoter Thierry Arnould. Co-promoter: Patricia Renard. Institut NARILIS
• Léa Poskin - Promoter: Catherine Michaux, Institut NISM; Co-promoter: Jean-Pierre Gillet, Institut NARILIS

Mandat d'Impulsion Scientifique (MIS)

• Arthur Borriello, Institut Transitions

Congratulations to all and sundry

The mission of the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS is to develop basic scientific research through initiatives presented by researchers. It promotes the production and development of knowledge by supporting individual researchers on the one hand, and by financing research programs carried out in laboratories and departments located mainly in the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation on the other.

Based on the sole criterion of scientific excellence, financial support from the F.R.S.-FNRS is provided in several ways. Numerous calls for funding are launched each year to support fundamental research at all levels of researchers' careers.

LSFB, officially recognized since 2003, is gaining in visibility and importance in education, the media and interpreting. However, in the Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles, until now, there has been no specific training supporting professional practices in these fields for deaf or hard-of-hearing people. "The training courses were aimed at hearing people. However, as they stand, they are not adapted to those for whom sign language is their first language. International examples showed that training designed and delivered for deaf people was far more relevant. Thinking was also underway in Flanders with the KULeuven, which recently organized a certificate similar to ours. It seemed important to us to develop such an offering on the French-speaking side, which builds on the experience of UNamur and UCLouvain," Professor Laurence Meurant points out.

The Interuniversity Certificate in LSFB-French fills this gap by sharing the accumulated experience of professionals and developing the necessary skills through theoretical and practical training. This training course is co-organized with UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles and supported by the Université de Toulouse Jean Jaurès thanks to Erasmus+ funding and the support of Form@Nam.

The program, which ran from January 2023 to June 2024, enabled students to specialize in LSFB teaching or in the practice of translation-interpreting for the deaf, after a six-month core curriculum.

The certificate program includes a common core of proficiency in LSFB and written French, as well as theoretical and practical knowledge of bilingualism between a signed language and a spoken language. This is followed by specialized modules focusing on teaching LSFB and on the practice of translation and interpreting by the deaf. At the end of the course, participants are able to prepare and deliver high-quality interpreting services, and to use state-of-the-art technical tools for interpreting and translation.

A score of students are proclaimed at the ceremony, marking an important milestone in their academic and professional careers.

By coordinating this new certificate, UNamur is once again materializing its commitment to the implementation of inclusion of deaf and hard-of-hearing people and the visibility of sign language within society. UNamur is a pioneer in the linguistic study of LSFB. Its Laboratoire de langue des signes de Belgique francophone (LSFB-Lab) is unique in Belgium. It works closely with the ASBL École et surdité and the Centre scolaire Sainte-Marie Namur, which since the early 2000s has included groups of deaf children in hearing classes, offering these pupils bilingual teaching. In 2022, UNamur thus presented the first French-LSFB bilingual dictionary, developed thanks to the expertise and collaboration of a team of researchers in linguistics and computer science at UNamur, with financial support from the Fonds Baillet Latour. As early as 2012, UNamur was involved as a scientific partner in the creation of the Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Sign Language Translation and Interpreting, organized at UCLouvain, on the Saint-Louis Brussels and Louvain-la-Neuve sites.

These various initiatives are taking place in a context in which the Conseil de la Langue française, des Langues régionales endogènes et des Politiques linguistiques has just adopted an Own-initiative Opinion highlighting the importance of including deaf people in various fields. Indeed, the inclusion of deaf people, in the fields of LSFB research, teacher training, interpreting, media and audiovisual, and language planning, forms the core of this avis.