What is Le Fil Rouge?

This is a faculty-wide project that brings our entire team together around a single theme for the course of a year. This theme extends beyond the classroom, and each professor ensures that the various examples used to illustrate their subject are connected to this theme. 

Le Fil Rouge also involves related activities, meetings with inspiring individuals, conferences, competitions, activities shared across multiple courses, and more. We strive to involve a diverse range of professionals with real-world experience who bring their practical perspectives. 

We also engage in various fruitful collaborations (City of Namur, Delta, etc.), which allows our faculty to make its mark within the Namur community.

What are the educational objectives of this project?

The law encompasses many disciplines, and it is important to draw connections between them, as reality is multifaceted. The Fil Rouge is one way to explore issues through distinct lenses, while raising students’ awareness of the questions and values that arise from legal practice.

This project also has a societal dimension. It demonstrates that law always carries with it societal values and aspirations; students must learn to understand and take these into account throughout their studies.

It is also a golden opportunity to bring students into contact with practitioners to show them the law in action. Being exposed to the various professions within law and the humanities allows them to envision their future and can restore meaning to their studies.

These educational objectives also apply to faculty members, as each year, courses are structured around the Fil Rouge.

How do you choose the themes?

They emerge from the faculty as a collective. 

We start by “gauging the mood” within the “contact committees” (groups of student representatives) with whom we discuss potential topics.

After that, we go around the lecture halls to ask students for their input, through surveys, for example. At this stage, several ideas are already taking shape more concretely. 

Next, we discuss them as a faculty team.

Once the theme is chosen, we organize an internal meeting, a “brainstorming session,” to gather the initial ideas for activities we could implement. At this meeting, we also brainstorm the Fil Rouge slogan and ensure it conveys a positive vision of the chosen theme (“Together Against Harassment,” “Let’s Embrace Inclusion,” “Let’s Re-enchant the Earth,” etc.). This simple phrase is a way to empower every student to become an active participant in society today and tomorrow. 

Finally, in mid-September, we officially launch the Fil Rouge during an event bringing together the entire faculty. 

What criteria do you use to choose a theme?

First of all, it needs to be as inclusive as possible, since our faculty covers a wide range of subjects (not just law); therefore, the theme must be relevant to everyone and sufficiently cross-disciplinary.

Second, we try to set ourselves apart from previous years. We know that students stay with us for at least three years, so we change the themes to ensure they don’t recur twice during a student’s academic career.

What challenges will future editions face?

The first step will be to motivate students and better integrate them as key contributors to the project. To ensure their participation in certain events—and in consultation with each professor—their attendance at these events may, for example, be factored into their final grade, or a lecture might be the subject of an exam question, … Today, students are in high demand due to the number of activities organized on campus, and that’s a positive thing. The flip side is that engagement is lower than before, and we would sometimes like them to get more involved in activities that go “beyond” the classroom; when they push themselves, they’re capable of anything.

We would also like to further integrate the Fil Rouge into our courses. At the same time, we appreciate the support the faculty gives to this initiative and the commitment of our colleagues; we strive to make the best use of the time allotted to us. 

Our hope is to always maintain the energy that drives us to nurture and bring the Fil Rouge to life, even if we occasionally encounter a few obstacles;

You’re used to thinking big. Are you satisfied with what you’ve accomplished so far, compared to your initial ambitions?

We’re satisfied, yes, but we always want more! Together with the entire faculty team, we’re constantly working to bring out the best in our students, because beyond academic concepts, university also teaches us to transcend the individual and embrace the collective. The meetings organized during the Fil Rouge events aim to remind students why they are studying law, and just how much they are capable of making a difference as future leaders of society. We are convinced that the inspiring people students meet during Fil Rouge can change the course of their lives, and, in our own small way, we hope to ignite a spark in the heart of every student. Alumni generally have very fond memories of our University. A strong emotional bond even forms with the law school: some alumni come back to visit us with stars in their eyes. It warms our hearts to see the adults they have become.

Highlights

Elise Defreyne, Associate Professor at the School of Law and researcher at CRIDS: 

One of my fondest memories of Le Fil Rouge comes from my time as a teacher. I was attending a Francqui Lecture on a topic we had just covered in class. During the Q&A session, a student raised her hand. Her question showed that she had made connections with the course material, and I was very proud because, in moments like that, we truly realize that our educational goals have been met.

Marie-Amélie Delvaux, Professor of Judicial Law at the Law School: 

We had as a guest speaker the father of Ihsane Jarfi, a young man who was killed because of his sexual orientation. This case went all the way to the Assize Court, where, for the first time, homophobia was recognized as an aggravating circumstance, even though this motive is very difficult to establish. Hassan Jarfi, the young man’s father, therefore created a foundation to combat this homophobic violence and, more broadly, all forms of discrimination. When he came to tell us his son’s story and speak about his foundation, I was struck by his words. Despite the horror Ihsane had endured, he was very positive and full of hope. The messages he conveyed were not messages of hate but of understanding, tolerance, and empathy. He thus highlighted the responsibility that society can bear in such incidents. It was very moving, and I am convinced that students cannot remain unmoved by such an encounter. It’s also important to note that the proceeds we raised from the Improv Match, which closes each edition of Le Fil Rouge, are always donated to an organization related to the event’s theme. That year, we naturally chose the Ihsane Jarfi Foundation. 

The Environment: Theme for the 2025–2026 School Year

In 2025–2026, the Faculty of Law’s Fil Rouge initiative is dedicated to environmental issues under the slogan “Let’s Re-enchant the Earth.” Numerous activities have been organized throughout this academic year. The program concludes on April 15, 2026, featuring a clothing swap and an improv comedy show to benefit an environmental advocacy organization. 

Learn more about the Faculty of Law's Fil Rouge