A look back at Printemps des Sciences 2025: science and technology take center stage for a week at UNamur

Le Printemps des Sciences is coordinated in the Province of Namur by the Confluent des Savoirs, the outreach, popularization and research dissemination service of the University of Namur. This year, the Confluent des Savoirs team has also taken the lead in the national coordination of the 2025 edition of Printemps des Sciences.

At UNamur, the university community (researchers, PhD students, laboratory technicians, students, etc.) once again mobilized extensively to arouse the curiosity of pupils and the general public in science and technology. Their commitment made it possible to discover the wealth of scientific studies and professions through a wide range of activities.

The Printemps des Sciences kicked off on March 19 at UNamur, with an inaugural conference on the theme of "Water, a common good to be preserved". This was an opportunity to bring together experts from all fields (environment, hydrology and philosophy) to discuss the challenges facing this essential resource: pollution, collective management, disruption of the water cycle, land use planning, etc. A fascinating debate that highlighted the importance of building a society that is more respectful of its common resources.

Over 5 days, more than 2,000 primary and secondary school students roamed the corridors of the university to take part in the 40 or so activities proposed by the various departments and laboratories. The latter vied with each other in creativity to offer interactive and fun activities, enabling young people to see science in a different way, outside the classroom.

Highlights included a plunge into the heart of nuclear physics, the exploration of fascinating organisms under the microscope, events combining sporting and mathematical challenges, and an unusual encounter with hens in an aviary set up in the science courtyard.

While numerous activities are on offer for schools, the general public has not been forgotten either. A number of activities have been organized for young and old who are curious about science. These included a "Chill & Sciences" scientific café on the theme of global warming as seen through the prism of Arctic thawing, a workshop on electronics and a visit to the Antoine Thomas Astronomical Observatory. The Printemps des Sciences event coincided with the observation of a partial eclipse of the Sun on the morning of Saturday March 29. A rare spectacle that left the public in awe!

The Printemps des Sciences is also an opportunity to offer the public other activities to raise awareness and disseminate science in line with the event's objectives:

• The Mapathon: A humanitarian mapping rendezvous

In a few hours and in a convivial atmosphere, UNamur's Geography Department introduced the volunteers present to contribute to a little-known dimension of humanitarian aid: the mapping of vulnerable areas. The maps produced open up new access routes for humanitarian aid, for Médecins Sans Frontières and the Red Cross in particular.

• Ma Thèse en 180 secondes : Un concours de vulgarisation pour les doctorants

In 3 minutes and not one more, PhD students present their thesis topic popularized with clarity and efficiency to captivate the audience. In 2025, 10 PhD students took part in the competition and three winners were selected to represent UNamur at the inter-university final to be held in May at UMons.

If science and technology intrigue, they sometimes suffer from deep-seated stereotypes. Austere, disconnected, reserved for an elite? So many preconceived ideas that Printemps des Sciences is helping to deconstruct by opening the doors of laboratories and research institutes.

Jérôme Daquin, Professor in the Department of Mathematics: "An event like Printemps des Sciences helps to show that mathematics is concrete, that it can be applied in everyday life and, above all, that it can be done in a fun way. It's not something austere and disconnected from reality, quite the opposite."

Boris Hespeels, researcher in the Department of Biology: "Often we see the scientist in his ivory tower, hyper serious. And what makes us here is that we're having fun. And we're also having fun sharing it. We want to show that doing research, doing science, is a really cool thing to do."

The researchers we interviewed are unanimous: without underestimating the challenges encountered on a daily basis, the science streams promise potential for fulfillment for each and every one.

Régis Falque, Assistant and doctoral student in EMCP (Faculty Economics Management Communication Politics): "The scientific profession offers opportunities for discovery that are second to none. [...] It's a wonderful adventure. It's not easy, it takes time and investment, but it's a wonderful adventure."

Boris Hespeels, researcher in the Department of Biology: "[Science] is not something you do alone. [...] I think that's also the message, we need everyone, we need all profiles."

To young people who might still be hesitant about taking the plunge:"The advice is just, go for it, go for it. There's no risk in going into science. It's a buoyant field at the moment, we're heading that way." sums up Tamara Puttemans, a laboratory technician in the Biology Department.

The Printemps des Sciences is a unifying event that also brings together numerous scientific and socio-cultural partners from Namur outside the university.

Computer Museum NAM-IP, Musée des arts anciens - TreM.a and the Société archéologique de Namur, Espace muséal d'Andenne, NID Namur - Ville de Namur, Le Delta, KIKK asbl, Le Pavillon, Empreintes asbl, ARC Namur, CIDJ, Culture In Vivo, Balteau, Inasep, Jan De Nul, Union royale belge des amateurs-émetteurs (UBA), Ose la Science, La Leçon Verte, Vent Sauvage, Repair Together, UTAN, Iles de Paix, Nature&sens, Eurospace Society, Cercle Astronomique Mosan, Mars Society Belgium.