Research
Mathematics
Researchers take on problems in their
entirety: definition of the problem, theoretical analysis, modelling,
data-processing implementation, solution and evaluation. The fields
covered by the Department include numerical analysis, optimization and
control, statistics, and dynamical systems. The Department also
collaborates around questions in science, philosophy, industry and
businesses, transport of people in urban areas and celestial
mechanics.
Physics
The research is focused on the study of
materials, radiations and their interactions and is developed within
six laboratories. It includes the development and applications of many
spectroscopic techniques, the quest for new materials including those
inspired by biological systems, the study of nanostructures and hybrid
nanosystems.
Chemistry
Supramolecular and biomolecular chemistry and the chemistry of surfaces and nanomaterials: two poles of excellence which ensure the Chemistry Department’s international renown. Transversal to these two poles, the Department is also qualified in theoretical chemical physics and molecular modelling.
Biology
Having a strong international reputation and being consulted for many intergovernmental scientific projects, the Department gathers about 170 researchers in the fields of: molecular biology, biology of organisms, animal and plant cellular biology.
Geography
It directs its research towards an essential field for the well-being of the population and the respect for the earth: regional and urban planning. Interested in sustainable development and territorial dynamics, it applies geographical information systems (GIS), with image classification of the territory and remote sensing, etc.
Geology
The principal research is hydrogeology, but the Department also develops studies on diatom fossils and in interdisciplinary geology.
Science, Philosophy and Society
Unique in Europe, the Department of Science, Philosophy and Society gathers professors who have a dual background in both social and exact sciences. It proposes a critical reflection on the assumptions, methods and results of science and technology, as well as the ethical, social, political and religious issues of their development.
Veterinary Medicine
Research here relates to various problems of public health generated by the intensification of agriculture and the ever increasing number of pets, together with an increasing interest in the man-animal relationship.
