Their book "Cinématech - Twenty Works to Understand Digital Technology" is primarily educational in nature, as it allows readers to better understand digital technology and its challenges. But the originality of the approach chosen by the two authors makes it both entertaining and informative. 

"The idea is simple: use 20 films and series to illustrate the history of digital technology, three important technologies (AI, robotics, XR) and their challenges. To do this, we start with Terminator, Her, Wall-E, Minority Report, and many others to make these subjects accessible," explains Anthony Simonofski, Professor in the Faculty of Economics, Management, Political Science, and Communication (EMCP).

"With the book, we can expand on the podcast's content, providing greater consistency and scientific references," explains Benoit Vanderose, professor in the Faculty of Computer Science. 

This new book is aimed at three audiences: 

• Those who want to better understand digital technology without jargon
• Film buffs curious to see their favorite works from a different angle
• Teachers and trainers looking for concrete materials to discuss digital technology in the classroom

Organized by the Confluent des Savoirs as part of International Space Week and the UNIVERSEH Alliance, the 2025 edition brought together nearly 800 participants of all ages, including 350 primary and secondary school students.

Highlights of the week

Throughout the week, young and old were invited to dive into the world of space research through workshops, observations and immersive experiments.

A day for secondary school students

A real highlight of the week, on Thursday October 9 the University was transformed into a veritable space laboratory to welcome 5ᵉ and 6ᵉ secondary school students to an interdisciplinary theme day. Over the course of the day, pupils were able to meet researchers, teachers, students and space professionals in workshops, encounters and challenges, exploring in turn:

• the mysteries of meteorites and space exploration with researchers from UNamur;
• the links between artificial intelligence and space, in collaboration with the Euro Space Center ;
• the biodiversity of mosses with the discovery of "resistant" micro-organisms capable of surviving in space conditions ;
• before concluding the day with an interactive and convivial quiz hosted by the "Kàp to UNIVERSEH" project Kot.

This day made a lasting impression with its participative, interdisciplinary approach, hailed by teachers and students alike.
The latter were able to handle scientific equipment, exchange views with researchers, and discover in concrete terms the diversity of space-related professions and issues.

At the same time, visits to the Antoine Thomas Astronomical Observatory and a mobile planetarium on loan from the MUMONS enabled younger pupils (primary and secondary) to explore the starry sky and ponder the mysteries of the cosmos in a fun and accessible way.

Moments of discovery for all

For several days, the Observatory exceptionally opened its doors to allow the curious to explore its dome, its workings and its instruments, including a solar telescope, the only one of its kind in Wallonia.

Accompanied by an astronomy popularizer and comfortably seated under the planetarium dome, visitors embarked on a cosmic journey, between constellations, galaxies and celestial phenomena.

These experiences, both scientific and sensory, offered a moment of shared wonder and helped strengthen links between research and the general public.

A "Space Exploration" comic book competition.

In this comic strip format drawing competition, UNamur invites you to embark on an extraordinary adventure on the theme of space exploration. The competition invites you to imagine daring missions, spectacular discoveries or distant civilizations, and to tell the story in drawings and bubbles. The Universe is waiting for you, and it's up to each and every one of us to bring it to life!

Space Week UNamur 2025 was once again a great success. It succeeded in bringing together the general public and school audiences, mixing science, technology, creation and imagination, and anchoring the University of Namur as a dynamic player in space research and scientific mediation on space-related themes.

Beyond the fascination for astronomy, this week reminds us that space is a shared horizon, between research, innovation, citizenship and culture.

Through the Confluent des Savoirs, the University of Namur confirms its role as a bridge between academic knowledge and the public, while inspiring the new generation of explorers... terrestrial or stellar.

Photos by Christophe Danaux

"The world of Dory the antibody" is the popularized title of Margaux Mignolet's thesis. This neuroscience researcher is part of the Unité de Recherche en Physiologie Moléculaire (URPhyM) at the Faculty of Medicine. She works under the supervision of Professor Charles Nicaise and is also a member of the NARILIS Institute. She studies pathogenic autoantibodies in patients with post-acute neurological sequelae of COVID-19.

"Many people still suffer from persistent symptoms after COVID (e.g. memory disorders, fatigue, pain,...). This condition is called long COVID. The mechanism is still unknown. One hypothesis is that patients have antibodies that attack their nervous system, inducing an autoimmune disease. The aim of my thesis is to determine whether patients have these antibodies. This will enable better patient care", explains Margaux Mignolet.

On Wednesday May 21, 2025, she brilliantly succeeded in popularizing her research topic and captivating the audience using clear, simple language, at the national inter-university final of the MT 180 competition. The aim of the competition is to inform the general public about the richness and interest of scientific research, while developing the communication skills of doctoral students. Each participant (doctoral student or doctor who graduated in the previous academic year) presents a clear, concise and convincing three-minute popular presentation in French on his or her thesis. All with the support of a single slide!

And Margaux Mignolet managed to convince the jury, as she won first prize in the competition!

A fine accolade for this enthusiast of the human body and medicine. "I've always been fascinated by how our bodies work, and I've always wanted to understand how diseases work and how to cure them. So I studied biomedical sciences in Namur to be able to work in research," she confides. "I never expected to win this prize! The fourteen other participants presented topics that were each more exciting than the last, and the pitches were really well written. I'm very happy to have won this prize, with Petra by my side, and to have been able to experience this competition alongside Thomas and Petra."

Doctoral students from UNamur shone particularly brightly in this competition, with second prize going to Petra Manja, a microbiology researcher at the Research Unit in Microorganism Biology (URBM) of the Faculty of Science (NARILIS Institute). She is a member of Prof. Régis Hallez's research group. Her thesis aims to understand the persistence mechanisms of the E. coli uropathogenic bacterium.

"Uropathogenic E. coli is one of the bacteria that causes cystitis. Treatment of cystitis is difficult, not least because of its persistence. When the bacteria are treated with antibiotics, the majority of the population dies, except for a small population that goes dormant and thus avoids treatment. Studies have shown that a molecule called alarmone plays a role in this form of persistence. The aim of my research is to find out more about this role. To understand it, I'm interested in the protein that produces alarmone, called SpoT. The idea is to find a regulator of SpoT that will be activated when bacteria are treated with antibiotics. This regulator will in turn activate SpoT which leads to alarmone production and bacterial dormancy," she explains. "I really enjoyed this experience, I learned how to popularize my work to make it accessible to the general public. It's also for them that we do science", she reacts.

Her presentation was entitled: "Dormir pour ne pas mourir".

Thomas Rouma, also a researcher at URBM (Faculty of Science) and the NARILIS Institute, and whose doctoral thesis is co-directed by Professors Eric Muraille and Xavier De Bolle, is studying the protective immune response against lung infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in mice.

His presentation was entitled: "How to get rid of a freeloader!"

Congratulations to Margaux, Petra and Thomas, who rose to the challenge of presenting their thesis in 180 seconds!

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.