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Organized by the Children's Rights Unit of the Vulnerabilities & Societies Center. Information and registration

Abstract Deep learning has revolutionized computer vision in recent years and has been applied to many fields. This thesis focuses on medical endoscopy, where deep learning can assist physicians in many tasks, such as navigating the lungs during bronchoscopy, assisting in the detection of lung diseases, detecting Crohn's disease from capsule endoscopy (PillCam), or automating the detection of polyps during colonoscopy procedures.This thesis, entitled From Pixels to Practice: Deep Learning for Endoscopy, explores how modern neural networks and learning paradigms can improve visual understanding in endoscopy, with the aim of contributing to computer-aided detection (CAD) systems that can be integrated into clinical workflows.This work follows an article-based structure and links methodological advances in geometric and temporal modeling to techniques for handling data scarcity and imbalance, as well as to the practical and clinical implications of deep learning for lung tumor detection, both from a clinical and practitioner perspective. The first part of the manuscript provides a common foundation for all subsequent parts. First, we present a general introduction to the field of machine learning in Chapter 1, explaining concepts such as classification, loss functions, and artificial neural networks. Next, Chapter 2 focuses on the field of deep learning for computer vision, detailing the main vision tasks, the concept of convolutional neural networks, ResNet, and U-Net. Finally, Chapter 3 describes medical imaging, with a focus on computed tomography (CT) scans and optical imaging. The second part of the thesis focuses on learning spatio-temporal representations. In Chapter 4, we use deep neural networks combining spatial features and temporal recurrence to address the problem of detecting the bronchial carina, an anatomical landmark that helps doctors navigate the lungs. By evaluating classification (ResNet-50), segmentation (nnU-Net), and recurrent (GRU) models on a bronchoscopy dataset we created, the study highlights the benefits of combining information from segmentation masks and temporal features. Chapter 5 continues the segmentation task by analyzing the extent to which rotation-equivariant U-Nets, based on E(2)-CNNs with C4, C8, and D4 symmetry groups, can improve performance when the orientation of objects in the image is arbitrary. Together, these chapters show how temporal and geometric modeling capture complementary aspects of visual structure. They further highlight that data imbalance and scarcity are recurring problems in deep learning. The third part studies learning in situations of data scarcity and imbalance. First, Chapter 6 explores supervised contrastive pre-training [1] on large, domain-close endoscopic datasets (Hyper-Kvasir [2], LDPolyp [3]), which is then transferred to smaller, disease-specific data (Crohn-IPI [4]). This methodology performs better than pre-training on ImageNet or based on cross-entropy, highlighting the value of domain-specific contrastive representations. Next, Chapter 7 introduces Mask-Aware Cropping (MAC), a new data augmentation technique that mitigates pixel-level imbalance in segmentation. On various datasets with varying imbalance regimes (URDE [5], Kvasir-SEG [6], HAM10000 [7]), MAC consistently improves Dice and IoU metrics under conditions of extreme imbalance. Together, these methods form a data-centric framework for effective learning when annotations are scarce or unevenly distributed. The fourth part of the thesis focuses on deep learning in the operating room. Chapter 8 proposes a first model (ResNet-50) for the visual detection of lung cancer in bronchoscopy, trained on real, in-vivo data. The model outperforms junior physicians, while remaining inferior to experts. This result shows that CAD systems for lung cancer detection are promising. Chapter 9 extends this work by evaluating the usability of a CAD system based on a deep learning model. Combining probability indices, temporal graphs, and saliency map overlays, a multicenter evaluation with 10 physicians is conducted. The tool received favorable feedback, with high usability (SUS score of 80.5 [8]) and strong clinical acceptance. Beyond endoscopy, the results concerning rotation equivariance and pixel imbalance can be generalized to other fields such as microscopy, dermatology, and aerial imaging. This shows that the proposed methods are applicable to visual learning under structured variability and limited data constraints.Keywords: machine learning, computer vision, medicine, endoscopy, convolutional neural networks, segmentation, recurrent models, equivariance.  Jury Prof. Bruno Dumas - University of NamurProf. Frénay Benoit - University of NamurProf. Schobbens P-Y. - University of NamurProf. Beuls Katrien - University of Namur,Dr. Benjamin Mertens - Lys MédicalProf. Oramas Mogrojevo José Antonio - University of AntwerpDr. Mancas Matei - University of Mons Register

Far from a conference or a lecture, this is a convivial, participatory moment, led by our project manager Valérie Tilman, to question - in particular - European policies on managing migration and welcoming refugees.Practicalities : - Meet on Thursday December 4, from 12:45 to 1:45 pm, at FUCID- Lunch offered: in order to anticipate the number of sandwiches, please register by Tuesday December 2, with info@fucid-unamur.beParticipants are advised to listen to the podcast "Shelters of fortune. Partie 2" avant le débat : Le monde allant vers | Abris de fortune. Part 2: Hotspots and informal camps | Ausha Event link

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The Spring of Science is a major scientific and technological (STEM) event in Wallonia and Brussels. Initiated by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the event is coordinated by the Sciences.be network and organized by French-speaking universities and colleges. It takes place every year at the beginning of spring and is open to everyone, young and old alike. Throughout the week, numerous free activities are offered to students during the week and to anyone who is curious. Through this week of scientific and technological discovery, the Printemps des Sciences inspires or confirms scientific vocations, helps teachers improve and enrich science education, gives students a more realistic perception of what science is today, improves the general perception of science and technology, contributes to reintegrating science into the heart of general culture, and improves the scientific culture of citizens.About this year's theme"The awakening mind: 25 years of scientific culture"Scientific culture helps us see the world differently: it teaches us to ask questions. Thanks to it, we discover hidden or surprising things that make everyday life more interesting. Scientific culture transforms what seems mundane into something extraordinary. It allows us to better understand our environment, to question ourselves, and to marvel at its beauty and complexity.  Full program & practical information

The exhibition, which opened on December 4, is also an opportunity to highlight 12 original pictorial works by Filipino artists around the person of Rizal. This is the BeLikha project, produced by the Filipino diaspora in Belgium.In conjunction with the exhibition, a film-debate evening will be held in the first week of February. The students have selected the documentary "Overseas" (2019), whose director Sung-A Yoon is an INSAS graduate; the film is produced by a Belgian company (Iota Production). It focuses on a domestic training school in the Philippines. The debate scheduled after the film will focus on modern slavery, in the presence of the director and experts in the history of slavery.Guided tours by appointment: expo-philippines@unamur.be.Context of the exhibitionGiven the desire and support of Senator Loren LAGARDA (in the Philippines) wishing to promote research on the Philippines, the University of Namur has signed several agreements (the latest in November 2024) with the Philippine Embassy in Belgium undertaking to promote the study of the Philippines, particularly in Geography and History. The program is called Philippine Studies.The University of Namur has a long tradition of exchanges with universities and various associations in the Philippines (Geography, Philosophy of Science, FUCID, History...)The date chosen to hold this exhibition corresponds to the launch of the year commemorating the death of Philippine revolutionary hero José Rizal (†1896), who stayed in Belgium and wrote his main work El Filibusterismo, and to the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belgium and the Philippines (1946). A commemorative work on Rizal will also close the year in December 2026 (the precise date of the commemoration of his death).

MT180 is much more than a competition: it is a real exercise in popularization that highlights the creativity, commitment, and ingenuity of young researchers. With humor, simplicity, or emotion, each participant recounts their research, its challenges, and their discoveries, in order to reveal science in a different light.Are you curious to see how sometimes highly specialized theses can become captivating stories in just a few minutes? Would you like to encourage the Namur candidates who will be taking to the stage?Save the date for Friday, March 27, 2026, and come support them!Practical information (schedule, location, registration details) will be announced shortly. Stay tuned: the event promises to be an inspiring evening that is accessible to all. More info and previous editions

Description Why is the history of energy so closely linked to that of social inequality? How can we frame debates on energy transition in light of conflicts over wealth distribution?For thousands of years, the use of energy has shaped human societies, structuring their hierarchies and power relations. Its control is a vehicle for emancipation as much as it is a tool of domination. Ownership of energy resources and infrastructure is a battleground for social, political, and geostrategic struggles. Depending on who owns energy, radically different societal choices can arise.But how has the link between energy and inequality developed since prehistoric times? By combining the results of research in economic history, archaeology, and climate science, Lucas Chancel seeks to show how, over the long term, the technical and political frameworks that determine energy use are linked to the distribution of wealth among individuals, social groups, and nations.The history of energy cannot be reduced to its technical dimension, nor to the sum of past political choices. It opens up a diversity of possible futures, where the decoupling of energy consumption, material resources, and prosperity is inseparable from the question of social justice.This book advocates for an ecological transition based on a collective reappropriation of energy. Drawing on experiences of wealth redistribution from the past century, it outlines an alternative to ecological disaster and extreme inequality through the development of new forms of public and participatory ownership in the 21st century. Biography Lucas Chancel is a professor at Sciences Po Paris, at the Center for Research on Social Inequality, and co-director of the Laboratory on Global Inequality at the Paris School of Economics. He has taught at Harvard University in the United States.

This event will provide students, researchers, and industry representatives with an opportunity to explore the evolution of electron microscopy, deepen their understanding of advanced analysis techniques, and participate in live demonstrations in a real research environment.Programme09:00 – 09:30 Welcome Reception with coffee and pastries09:30 – 09:45 Opening & Introduction of the Day10:30 – 11:30 Lecture with Emanuel Katzmann - Presentation: TEM / CRYO TEM.11:30 – 12:30 Lecture with Yamaguchi-san - Presentation: SEM imaging, CP and FIB sample prep.12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break13:30 – 14:30 Lecture with Rick Verberne - Presentation: Analytical methods in electron microscopy - (EDS, windowless EDS, WDS, SXES, EBSD)14:30 – 14:45 Discover electron microscopy platform - General introduction before guided lab tour with J.-F. Colomer14:45 – 16:45 Hands-on Session - JEOL JCM-7000 Benchtop SEM - Discover how accessible and intuitive high-quality SEM imaging can be.During this session we will demonstrate:Suitable sample types and simple preparation guidelinesHow to choose the optimal observation mode (SE, BSE, low vacuum, etc.)Practical use of the instrument’s detectors and imaging featuresLive sample analysis — feel free to bring your own samples - Please inform us in advance which samples you plan to bring.Discussions, exchange ideas and NetworkingGuided Tour of the Microscopes and Laboratories16:45 – 17:15 Closing Sessions Q&A, drinks and snacks.The event offers 1 ECTS credit to PhD students and a certificate of participation upon request. I'm signing up Download the programme

RUN IN THE WOODS – 2026 EDITION On Saturday, March 28, 2026, we're doing it again with a new edition of Run in the Woods!PLEASE NOTE: this year, the starting point has changed ➜ we will no longer be starting from the lodge at No. 73, but from the villa at No. 75 on Route d'Andenne (right next door).Same street, same atmosphere... but a new official starting point!DISTANCES850 m for children – €2 (€3 on site) – Start at 9:45 a.m.8.5 km – €7 (€9 on site) – Start 11:30 a.m.14 km – €9 (€12 on site) – Departure at 11:00 a.m.28 km – €12 (€15 on site) – Start 10:00 a.m.ELEVATION GAINS:850 m: +11 m8.5 km: +240 m14 km: +400 m28 km: +800 mON SITERegistration from 9 a.m.Awards ceremony at 1:30 p.m.Canicross permittedCheff Burger (free burgers for participating UNamur staff and students)Inflatable castle with supervisionBar (soft drinks, lagers, specialty beers) NEW STARTINGADDRESS Villa Haugimont – Route d’Andenne 75 - 5340 Faulx-les-Tombes  Advance sales & information: www.otop.be/runinthewoods Contact: Maxime Scavée - 0499231908 - maxime.scavee@unamur.be More info

This film is a vibrant tribute to all those Raphaël Volon met during his stays in this colorful country. Their commitment, generosity, and courage had a profound impact on the director's career.A journey marked by commitment and rich in emotions to be shared. Event link

As part of its seminar, Centre Arcadie will be pleased to welcome Igor Krtolica for a session devoted to his book Romain Gary. De l'humanisme à l'écologie, Gallimard, 2025.Maître de conférences en philosophie à l'Université de Picardie Jules-Verne, junior member of the Institut universitaire de France, Igor Krtolica is the author (in addition to the work to be discussed) of Gilles Deleuze (PUF, coll. "Que sais-je? ", 2015), of Gilles Deleuze et Félix Guattari : Une philosophie des devenirs-révolutionnaires(Éditions Amsterdam, 2024) and of a commentary on an extract from Romain Gary's Les Racines du ciel entitled Antifascism, humanism and ecology (PUF, coll. "Classiques de l'écologie", 2025).After a presentation of the work, Igor Krtolica will be interviewed by Jean-Baptiste Vuillerod and Thibault De Meyer.Free admission. All welcome.Book presentation 1956: the Prix Goncourt is awarded to Racines du ciel, a novel whose hero, Morel, fights against the extermination of elephants in an Africa struggling for independence. Romain Gary described it as the first ecological novel. Ecology enabled him to resolve the unbearable political contradiction in which the post-war West finds itself: the impossibility of believing in man, the impossibility of giving up believing in man. How can we continue to give meaning to the idea of civilization? If we are to maintain the humanist ideal, we need to wage a battle in which man is no longer at the center. Such is the paradox explored here. This literary and philosophical essay reveals the complexity of Romain Gary's thought, his constant irony and humor, his contradictions, his rejection of dogmatism. And its modernity: ahead of his time, the novelist anticipated the controversies driving contemporary ecological thinking, where the human being is only a part of nature, but where nature itself becomes inseparable from history, society and politics. This previously unpublished synthesis of Romain Gary's work is an original analysis of the tension between humanist commitment and ecological cause.. Toutes les activités du Centre Arcadie