Johan Yans

A PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Paris-Sud Orsay (France) and the Polytechnic Faculty of Mons (UMONS - Belgium), I have dedicated my scientific career to continental geology, focusing on three areas of research:

1. Mineral resources associated with paleoweathering,
2. Stratigraphy of deposits rich in dinosaur and mammal fossils, particularly in the context of faunal evolution following past climate change,
3. Nitrogen isotopic evolution in geological sequences, to better understand the current disruption of the nitrogen cycle in soils.

After working at the University of Oxford, the Polytechnic Faculty of Mons, and the F.N.R.S., I am a Full Professor at the University of Namur (Belgium) and a Senior Lecturer at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the University of Liège. I divide my activities into four inseparable pillars for an academic at the University of Namur:

1. conducting fundamental and applied research in the Department of Geology of the Faculty of Science,
2. conducting expert assessments through partnerships with mining companies and relevant government agencies,
3. providing teaching,
4. contributing to the popularization of science to the public.

I am the author of over one hundred international scientific publications, 230 conference presentations, a monograph, and several book excerpts and geological maps. I have also (co-)organized several scientific conferences/excursions. I prioritize interuniversity and multidisciplinary work, between Belgian and foreign laboratories, establishing numerous collaborations (France, Italy, the UK, and the USA). My work also resonates with society through some sixty environmental expert reports on mineral resource management in Belgium and through cooperation with developing countries (DR Congo, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, New Caledonia). Recently, I have also focused my research on the geological characterization of historical objects (geological origin of Gallo-Roman building stones and ceramics).

I am also President of the ILEE Institute (Institute of Life, Earth and Environment).