Festival International Nature de Namur: when passion for nature meets education

The FINN represents a unique opportunity for students to discover the professional world beyond the classroom. By taking part, they can interact with experts and enthusiasts in the field, whether professionals, volunteers or amateurs. These meetings are an opportunity to establish valuable, sometimes long-term, links with players in ecological networks, creating bridges between academic training and the professional world.

"Participating in this festival enables our students to meet professionals and amateurs who, like them, are committed to preserving nature," emphasizes Frédéric Silvestre, Professor and Head of the Biology Department, "It's a chance for them to make connections, spark vocations and even discover unexpected areas of interest. Inspiring young people is an essential first step towards acting in favor of respectful cohabitation between humans and nature."

Beyond the encounters, the University of Namur sees this festival as a gateway to future collaborations, particularly for its students' internships. The event provides an opportunity to discover new fields of learning and interests that enrich the career paths of young people in search of practical experience. The partnership thus aims to open up professional prospects while inspiring and guiding those who aspire to build a career linked to ecology.

On October 19, FINN organized the Gala for professional films and the photo competition, during which several prizes were awarded in the presence of directors, photographers and jury members. An evening during which the University of Namur was able to present the Environment Prize. "At the University of Namur, we are committed to the management of nature and the environment through research and teaching. We are therefore proud to support the Prix de l'Environnement," explains Johan Yans, Professor and Head of the Department of Geology. "The Festival's slogan, 'Nature is a spectacle', echoes our missions as a university. We try to teach nature-related disciplines as well as we can: biology, geology, geography... and it's a show, because today we have a master's degree specializing in Cinematic Cultures and Thoughts, as well as additional training in sustainable development. Through our research and pedagogy, we are working to preserve and enhance this natural heritage."The Prix de l'Environnement is supported by the Vice-Rectorate for Sustainable Development and the Faculty of Science.

The particularity of this award ceremony lies in its pedagogical approach. As part of the master's program specializing in cinematographic cultures and thought, Jean-Benoît Gabriel invited his students to form a selection jury. Their mission: to elect the winner from a selection of three professional films presented by FINN, and to present them with the Prix de l'Environnement on behalf of the University of Namur. "We chose to reward Josh Guyan's "Our Prairie", a film that really touched us. It follows a small group of people committed to preserving a nature reserve close to home. The absence of voice-over and the beauty of the images immerse us in their story in an immersive way", announces Bruno, a student on the master's program. "I'm very interested in environmental issues and a great cinema enthusiast, participating in this jury as part of my studies was a very enriching opportunity both personally and professionally,"concluded the student.

The nature village, set up on the Terra nova site at the Citadelle, provides an annual showcase for the University of Namur's various training courses and activities, around themes related to art (and more particularly photography), nature and ecology. This year, biology professor Marie Laurence Hubin explains how this space helps promote the projects run by the biology department, and more specifically the multi-disciplinary mountain internship.

"This internship allows students to be out in the field to directly observe fauna, flora, insects, and even explore local geology", she points out. "The hands-on experience is particularly rewarding for students, who can then capture their discoveries in photographs. These snapshots, on display in the nature village, bear witness to their work and are a big hit with visitors."