Democracy is by no means a fixed concept. It is the subject of debate, especially today. Louis Carré, Director of the Department of Philosophy and member of the Espace philosophique de Namur (Institut ESPHIN), proposes a three-dimensional definition: a political regime, a state of law and a way of forming society.

"Etymologically, democracy is a political regime that consists in giving power to the people," he reminds us. "Our Western democracies today are based on the idea that the people are sovereign, without governing directly. From this arises a tension between ideal democracy and real democracy."Vincent Jacquet, professor in the Department of Social, Political and Communication Sciences and president of the Transitions Institute supports the point: "Democracy is an ideal of citizen self-government, but it is in tension with more centralizing, authoritarian logics. [...] Our political systems are crisscrossed by these different tensions, with both authoritarian logics increasingly present, including in our own country, and logics of participation that are sometimes accompanied by a great deal of hope and disappointment too."

The second pillar according to Louis Carré: the rule of law. Democracy guarantees the fundamental rights of all citizens through the constitution. But here again, beware of paradoxes: "One could indeed imagine laws passed by a majority of representatives or by a referendum, but which contravene fundamental rights" the philosopher stresses. Democracy cannot therefore be summed up by the majority principle alone.

Finally, democracy is also a way of forming society. It is based on real pluralism: diversity of opinions, beliefs and values. "This presupposes the existence of a relatively autonomous public space in the face of the power in place, which at times challenges the decisions taken by the governments that have been elected,"insists Louis Carré.

In this context, what is the university's responsibility? Louis Carré begins by reminding us of a simple fact: a large proportion of our elected representatives have passed through university benches. But its teaching mission doesn't stop there. "It's about training enlightened citizens, not just rulers. Universities must offer quality higher education, open to as many people as possible", he asserts.

"Democracy does indeed presuppose citizens capable of debating, reflecting, problematizing issues", adds Sephora Boucenna, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Training Sciences and member of UNamur's Institut de Recherches en Didactiques et Éducation (IRDENA). It's all about training reflective minds, capable of questioning their times.

Universities also train those who, tomorrow, will educate future generations: teachers. And here again, democracy is at stake.

In addition to teaching, universities also have a research and social service mission. It produces knowledge that can enlighten public policy, but also question it. This critical function presupposes real independence from politics. "To analyze democratic mechanisms with lucidity, including those that governments put in place, the university must retain its freedom of research and speech," insists Vincent Jacquet.

This critical function of the university presupposes strong independence. In Belgium, however, university funding is largely a matter for the political authorities. "Celane must not mean being placed under tutelage", warns Louis Carré. "Conducting critical research that doesn't satisfy short-term sponsors requires independence, including in terms of resources. We need a large number of researchers who can analyze different types of dynamics. The more we cut research funding, as is the case today, the fewer researchers we'll have and therefore the less capacity for independent analysis and diversity of perspectives, insists Vincent Jacquet.

The "Université en colère" movement, recently launched within the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, intends to denounce the effects of definancement. Its representatives are calling for "guarantee the conditions for the development of an open, independent, quality university accessible to the greatest number. Faced with the social, economic and political challenges of our time, and because other choices for society, and therefore budgets, are possible, it is more essential than ever to strengthen the institutions and players at the heart of knowledge production."

Democracy is therefore not limited to elections or institutions. It is based on collective vigilance, carried by citizens, knowledge... and the places where this knowledge is built. In this respect, universities are an essential link in the chain of democratic vitality. Provided it remains independent, accessible and open to society.

"Democracy is not just a matter of institutions. It's about citizens who bring it to life and organize themselves to assert their perspectives at different times", insists Vincent Jacquet. A clear invitation not to remain a spectator, but to participate, with lucidity and exigency, in the construction of a common democratic future.

In the picture, from left to right: (top) Pierre Louette, Director of the Physics Department; François Briard, Head of the Science Portal Group (CERN); Julien Colaux, IBA specialist, physics researcher; Boris Hespeels, biology researcher; Alexandre Mayer, physics researcher; Anne-Catherine Heuskin, physics and biophysics researcher. (bottom) André Füzfa, astrophysicist and mathematics researcher; Serge Mathot, Applied Physicist (CERN) and Michaël Lobet, physics researcher.

The love affair between CERN and UNamur goes back a long way. CERN's accelerator complex and experimental program are very different and much larger than those of UNamur's Physics Department, but the fields in which the two institutions work have much in common.

In addition, both guests have a personal history with UNamur. The Physics Department was pleased to welcome Serge Mathot, Referent Applied Physicist (CERN) and alumni of the UNamur Physics Department (1992), as well as François Briard, Group Leader Science Portal (CERN), and alumni of the UNamur Faculty of Computer Science (1994).

The activities began with a meeting between the guests, Rector Annick Castiaux, Vice-Rector for Research Carine Michiels, Physics Department Director Pierre Louette and several other members of the Physics and Biology Department. After a general presentation of the University, the participants pointed out the missions shared by both institutions: research and the transfer of technology and knowledge, service to society, scientific popularization and education and training.

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Physics lunch - CERN presentation

The physics lunch is the monthly meeting between students and members of the physics department and a professional, alumni or not, coming to explain his or her background and what he or she does on a daily basis as a physicist.

During this meeting, attended by around 80 people, François Briard and Serge Mathot presented CERN, the world's largest laboratory for particle physics. CERN's mission is to understand the most elementary particles and the laws of our universe.

At the end of the seminar, the students came away with stars in their eyes. Indeed, opportunities for internships or even first jobs at CERN are possible for physicists but also in many other fields.

Some internship programs at CERN are particularly well suited to the needs of young Belgian students.

The vast majority of physicists working with CERN (over 13,000) are in fact sent to CERN for varying periods of time by their employing national research institutes. CERN offers an exceptional opportunity to develop international experience under excellent conditions, in an environment that is unique in the world! What an inspiration for our young students!

The projet d'Action Recherche Concertée (ARC) PHOENIX aims to renew our understanding of medieval parchments and ancient coins. Artificial intelligence will be exploited to analyze the data generated by material characterization.

This joint study between the Department of Physics and the Namur Institute of Structured Matter (NISM) and the Department of History and the Institut Patrimoines, Transmissions, Héritages (PaTHs) will address questions relating to the production chain and use of these objects and materials in past societies.

At the same time, Serge Mathot presented a seminar in heritage science attended by some 50 people. In particular, he presented his research and the brand-new ELISA accelerator: a miniaturized gas pedal capable of delivering a 2 MeV proton beam used to perform real measurements at the Science Portal.

Having the opportunity to exchange views with François Briard, Group Leader of the CERN Science Portal is a rare opportunity. Comparing outreach activities has opened up new avenues, discovering and sharing approaches, assessing what works and what doesn't, depending on the target audience. A highly satisfying enrichment for the members present from Confluent des Savoirs (CDS), the University of Namur's research outreach and dissemination service.

Professor Anne-Catherine Heuskin and Dr. Boris Hespeels are currently working on the BEBLOB project, a Belspo project with ESA support, as part of the UNIVERSEH (European Space University for Earth and Humanity) alliance. They are particularly interested in its astonishing ability to withstand high doses of radiation.

Anne-Catherine Heuskin also works in radiobiology. Particles are used to irradiate cancerous cells in order to destroy their genetic material and prevent them from proliferating: this is the basis of radiotherapy and proton therapy.

The meeting confirmed the willingness of FaSEF and UNamur to get involved in coordinating the Belgian National Teacher Programme in French-speaking Belgium, which CERN intends to relaunch in 2026. Consideration was also given to other avenues for teacher training, such as CERN's forthcoming involvement in the "Salle des Pros", the training venue for the various players involved in teacher training at UNamur.

The TRAKK is Namur's creative hub supported by 3 complementary partners in the field: BEP, KIKK, and UNamur. In addition to the venue, François Briard was able to visit the ProtoLab , which bridges the gap between ideas and industry by being a decentralized research and development hub accessible to SMEs and project leaders by offering advanced support in prototyping products or services.

Graduating in law and information technology management (DGTIC) in 1994 after his bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science in 1993, François Briard works at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva, the world's largest particle physics laboratory.

During his school career, which was 100% at UNamur, he was vice-president of the Régionale namuroise and student delegate during his years as a candidate in economic and social sciences, computer science option.

Thanks to the multidisciplinary training provided at UNamur, he was able to seize several opportunities to redirect his career at CERN, where he was an information systems engineer from 1994 and then, from 2014, redirected his career until he became Group Leader of the Science Portal, which is CERN's general public communications center.

Serge Mathot obtained his doctorate in applied sciences from UNamur in 1992, following his bachelor's degree in physical sciences in 1985.

He then carried out a post-doctorate at the Joint Research Center (EU science hub) in Geel, which aims to bring together multidisciplinary skills to develop new measurement methods and tools such as reference materials.

He perfected his expertise in physical metallurgy before joining CERN in 1995 as a Referent Applied Physicist. He has worked on numerous research projects (CLOUD, MACHINA, ELISA...) and developed numerous parts for the manufacture of CERN's gas pedals.

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world's largest and most prestigious scientific laboratories. Its vocation is fundamental physics, the discovery of the constituents and laws of the Universe. It uses highly complex scientific instruments to probe the ultimate constituents of matter: the fundamental particles. By studying what happens when these particles collide, physicists understand the laws of Nature.

The instruments used at CERN are particle gas pedals and detectors. Gas pedals carry beams of particles at high energies to collide with other beams or fixed targets. Detectors observe and record the results of these collisions.

Founded in 1954, CERN is located on either side of the French-Swiss border, near Geneva. It was one of the first organizations on a European scale and today has 25 member states, including Belgium.

The "Sustainable Campus" objective in both content and form is part of UNamur's Univers2025 strategic plan. With this in mind, teachers at the Faculté des Sciences de l'éducation et de la formation (FaSEF) organized the first "Foire aux associations ". An activity linked to the course "Enseigner en interdisciplinarité : l'exemple du développement durable", it is aimed at students in Bloc2 en enseignement Section 3 (future teachers of a discipline for students in the last third of the Tronc Commun, from 5th primary to 3rd secondary) in co-graduation with Henallux.

On March 18 and 19, 2025, some 50 students took part in the 2 half-days organized and were able to explore various experiential methods proposed by the associations and the course's teaching team comprising Julie Dagnely, Virginie Meyer and teachers Charlotte Dejaegher and Cédric Vanhoolandt.

This 1st Association Fair has a dual objective for future teachers:

• Use the experiential method to concretize actions to be implemented in teaching activities;
• Analyze and use the experienced workshops to build their future courses with greater integration of the SDGs.

When asked about their feelings, students who took part in the workshops enjoyed the experience. Generally speaking, they emphasized the value of an active approach to learning, which facilitates memorization and inspires them in turn to design engaging activities for their future students. Many also noted the relevance of interventions led by associations rooted in concrete actions in the field. Through games, testimonials and real-life situations, these workshops sparked reflection and awareness.

The diversity of reactions shows how important it is to offer a sufficiently varied range of activities to enable everyone to find their bearings and nurture their representations. These workshops thus provide interesting avenues for thinking about didactic transposition adapted to different audiences. In fact, this is the objective for the rest of the course: that these students themselves become levers for raising awareness of the transition. Now it's their turn to appropriate the tools and mobilize them in their future professional field.

Alongside other initiatives such as the Journées d'Éducation au Développement Durable et à la Transition (JEDDT), the course "Enseigner en interdisciplinarité : l'exemple du développement durable" is also one of the courses offered for UNamur as part of the "AGIR dans l'enseignement supérieur namurois" action-research project supported by the Vice-rectorat à la formation et au développement durable. This project is financed by ARES with a view to the creation of a Chair in sustainable development at FWB higher education level, and led by Cédric Vanhoolandt and Charlotte Dejaegher, also researchers in educational sciences at the IRDENa Institute. Other pilot courses have also been identified in each establishment of the Pôle académique de Namur, to ensure that teachers become ambassadors for sustainable development among students.

L'asbl COREN, represented by Céline Grandjean, is active in the field of the environment and sustainable development, mainly in schools. It supports schools in setting up environmental management projects and in their efforts to obtain a "sustainable school" label.

L'asbl EFDD, represented by Justine Henning, supports schools (secondary) and higher education establishments in their transition towards more sustainable development, thanks to educational tools developed with the support of Wallonia.

The ALIMEN'TERRE game, from the EFDD network, was presented by Isabelle Picquot. The aim of this game is to compose an original menu (starter, main course, dessert, drink) from different foods while respecting a set meal context. But be careful not to exceed the ecological footprint that's sustainable for the planet! The aim is to get participants to weave a link between their food choices and their impact on the environment, to identify the elements that influence the ecological footprint and to modify their food choices.

Guillaume Bernard is a PhD student in the Biology Department, under the supervision of Arnaud Vervoort (IRDENa researcher). His thesis focuses on the impact of humans on ecosystems. He interviews students before and after class, to get an overview of their knowledge of the subject from different angles. At the same time, he questioned secondary school teachers, 40% of whom stated that they did not address this topic in transitional teaching due to lack of time. Then, through classroom observations, he attempts to understand what worldviews are conveyed, and how they might be addressed in a mobilizing way.

Network of associations active in Environmental Education (ErE) in Wallonia and Brussels, the Réseau Idée, represented by Laëtitia Fernandez, offers teachers, facilitators, trainers, eco-counsellors, parents, citizens... clear, centralized information on environmental education: existing teaching tools, environmental education organizations active in Wallonia and Brussels, their activities (events, training courses, courses, walks, etc.), teaching approaches, etc.

Jean-Pierre Grootaerd represented "Stars Shine for Everyone", an association that postulates that everyone should have the opportunity to admire the sky with a telescope. It works for quality education for all, regardless of gender, using astronomy. Thanks to donations and the expertise of UGent, it has distributed do-it-yourself telescopes in over 145 countries.

FUCID (Forum Universitaire pour la Coopération Internationale au Développement) was represented by Maxime Giegas.The NGO, based at the University of Namur, has a mission to contribute to raising awareness and training responsible actors committed to promoting a more just and united world, where the values of freedom, democracy, tolerance and peace are deployed.

The implementation of the reform of initial teacher training (RFIE) began at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. In the so-called S1-S2-S3 sections (for teaching kindergarten to lower secondary), studies have been extended from 3 to 4 years to bring the diploma in line with most European countries. Thanks to close collaboration between Universities and Hautes Écoles, the aim of this reform of initial teacher training is to enable the acquisition of university-level skills while reinforcing professional practice.

16% of young people believe that the earth is flat. Nearly 50% believe that the best method of getting information is to go online, compared with less than 10% who say they trust school more. These figures are alarming. And even more worrying: they're on the rise. Generally speaking, citizens are credulous about what they discover on the Internet. Learning to doubt is therefore a real challenge. The need is far from new, but today, with the development of digital technology and artificial intelligence, it is even more pressing. With examples like Trump, who doesn't care whether what he says to millions of people is true or false, we need to educate people in this discernment more than ever. Doesn't Trump's victory reflect the failure of the American school system? By teaching young people to think right from school, based on a better understanding of why they think wrong, they will become cautious, critical digital citizens who are aware of the traps laid by the sirens of disinformation.

In part, but not enough. Within French-speaking education in Belgium, there is very clearly an awareness of the urgency and necessity of educating for doubt. In fact, this is one of the major thrusts of the Pacte d'Excellence, which is implementing a series of educational reforms from kindergarten to the end of secondary school. However, education in critical thinking is not sufficiently integrated into curricula. It should be part of every subject, from science to French, mathematics and history. What's more, schools don't know how to implement this learning.

This is the subject of my book (1), in which I develop a method for teaching critical thinking for the digital age. At the heart of my proposal is a pedagogy of metacognition, extended to thought processes. The first step is to make students aware of their own "me-thinking" mechanisms, i.e. their spontaneous and sometimes fallacious reasoning. Students must also be made aware of the biases that lead them to be excessively credulous. In other words, when confronted with a piece of information, students need to ask themselves spontaneously, but reasonably: "Is it right? How can I tell if it's right or wrong? At present, the education system has too much of a tendency to do this for the student, to tell him or her what is true and what is not. Yet there are a multitude of fairly simple techniques and activities to be carried out at school that train doubt, when necessary.

(1) "À l'école du doute", Marc Romainville, Presse universitaire de France, 2023

Because it takes time, and so we'd have to give up certain program elements in favor of educating people to doubt. But education is an ocean liner. To change direction just a little, you have to put a lot of energy into it. You have to convince a lot of players: politicians, teachers, inspectors, parents, etc. All of this leads to a certain inertia. All this leads to a certain amount of inertia. You can see it in every educational reform: there's a certain slowness in implementing change.

Of course. In recent years, the school, through the Pacte d'excellence reform, has changed its habits. It has adapted even better to the needs of our society. Real progress has been made in digital education, culture and the arts. Or in the introduction of the first reference framework for kindergartens. These are successes that we'll be able to accurately assess with the CEB exams in 2026.

Climate change education. This is also a central issue. At UNamur, we are already conducting research on this subject to determine the role of schools in this area. Here too, the need is great and urgent.