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The University of Namur is soon to offer two inaugural lessons for two Francqui Chairs, one in the Faculty of Science and the other in the Faculty of Law. Open to all, the inaugural lectures will be followed by a local drink. These events are free, upon registration.

Program 12:45 | Welcome13:00 - 13:10 | Introduction by the Center's Co-Directors: Stéphanie Wattier and Géraldine Mathieu:Combating sexual violence - Legal approaches13:10 - 14:00 | FIRST ROUND TABLE: SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDRENModerator : Nathalie Colette-Basecqz (professor at UNamur)The sexual self-determination of online minors in the light of their vulnerability | Géraldine Mathieu (professor at UNamur), Emma Bourcelet (assistant at UNamur)Child sexual assault allegations and civil accommodation litigation | Michaël Mallien (lecturer at UNamur), Céline Derclaye (assistant at UNamur) and Pauline Mailleux (assistant at UNamur)Sexual violence committed by members of the Church | Stéphanie Wattier (professor at UNamur) and Romain Mertens (lecturer at UNamur)14:05- 14h55 | SECOND ROUND TABLE: SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST OTHER VULNERABLE PERSONSModerator: Stéphanie Wattier (professor at UNamur)La libération de la parole des personnes en situation de handicap victimes de violences sexuelles | Justine Dehon (coordinatrice et chargée de projets pour le service Handicap & Santé)Les violences sexuelles à l'égard des personnes âgées | Albert Evrard (lecturer at the Institut catholique de Toulouse)The administrative approach to sexual violence on higher education campuses from a disciplinary angle | Marc Nihoul (professor at UNamur)Sexual violence committed during the Rwandan genocide: 30 years later, new convictions by the Brussels Assize Court | Elise Delhaise (lecturer at UNamur)Obstetric violence and the question of consent | Charlotte Lambert (assistant at UNamur) and Margaux Thiry (assistant at UNamur)The assessment of physical injury to victims of sexual violence | Pauline Colson (lecturer at UNamur)3:00 pm | Coffee breakcafé15h20 | THIRD ROUND TABLE: COMBATTING SEXUAL VIOLENCE ON THE GROUND TESTIMONIALSModerator: Géraldine Mathieu (professor at UNamur)Introduction to psycho-traumatic mechanisms linked to sexual violence | Gwendoline Faravel (project manager and peer-aidante) et Céline Campanella (psychologue)Présentation de la Lawyers Victim assistance | Pascale Poncin (avocate) 17h10 | Conclusions17h25 | Verre de l'amitiéInfos pratiquesLa demande d'intervention pour les frais des magistrats a été introduite auprès de l'IFJ (en cours).- €95.00 incl. VAT: conference registration with book - Free registration for UNamur students and members I want to register

JuryProf. Eli THORÉ (UNamur), PresidentProf. Patrick KESTEMONT (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Ranjàna RANDRIANARIVO (Université d'Antananarivo)Dr. Valérie CORNET (UNamur)Dr. Omayma MISSAWI (UNamur)Prof. Catherine MOUNEYRAC (Université Catholique de l'Ouest)Prof. Gauthier EPPE (ULiège)SummaryThe widespread production and use of plastics have led to their continuous release into the environment. Microplastics (MPs) are now ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems, where their bioavailability to organisms and potential entry into the food web raise serious environmental and public health concerns. Substantial progress has been made in understanding MP toxicity, and their hazardous potential is now widely acknowledged. However, MP toxicity studies remain complex, as multiple particle characteristics, such as size, shape, polymer type, and sorbed contaminants might influence both bioavailabilityTo bridge this gap, the present thesis adopted a dual, complementary approach: (i) characterizing the environmental occurrence and bioavailability of MPs, and (ii) assessing the ecological relevance of using environmentally derived MPs in in vivo toxicity experiments.Overall, this thesis provides insights into the reproductive and transgenerational effects of environmentally relevant MPs while underscoring the importance of considering particle-pollutant interactions. By combining in situ field data with in vivo laboratory experiments, it demonstrates that the use of environmentally derived MPs represents a more realistic and ecologically meaningful approach to hazard characterization. Further studies should be carried out in this same perspective to generate robust, exploitable data and contribute to establishing a comprehensive MP risk characterization.

South America is a subcontinent rich in natural and cultural resources. Between biodiversity preservation and development cooperation, UNamur maintains valuable partnerships to address the challenges of biodiversity loss and understand current socio-economic transformations. Immersion in Ecuador and Peru. 

JuryProf. Nicolas DENDONCKER (UNamur), PresidentProf. Sabine HENRY (UNamur), SecretaryDr. Sébastien DUJARDIN (UNamur)Prof. Pierre OZER (ULiège)Prof. Emmanuel TWARABAMENYE (University of Rwanda)Prof. Caroline MICHELLIER (MRAC and UCLouvain)AbstractThis research investigates community vulnerability to landslides and floods in Northwestern Rwanda, hazards that frequently interact to produce compound disasters. The research focused on understanding the institutional, social, and structural factors that shape vulnerability and adaptive capacity in this disaster-prone region. Using a mixed-methods approach at local-scale, including institutional analysis, household surveys (n = 904), and field observations, the research highlights how vulnerability is shaped by socio-economic conditions, weak institutional coordination, and limited adaptive capacity. A Contextualized Vulnerability Index (CoVI) was developed to map vulnerability patterns, revealing particularly high vulnerability in landslide-prone and dual-hazard zones. The analysis of adaptive capacity showed that while awareness of hazards is high due to lived experiences, financial constraints, and limited technical knowledge hinder communities' ability to adapt effectively. The study contributes to the literature on social vulnerability and disaster risk reduction by emphasizing the importance of locally grounded, evidence-based strategies to strengthen community resilience in hazard-prone regions.

Abstract Since its emergence in 1996, the Asian H5 Goose/Guangdong (Gs/Gd) lineage has circulated widely in poultry in southern China, spilling over to wild birds by 2002. Wild bird infections facilitated global dissemination via migratory waterfowl and repeated spillback into poultry, challenging the view that HPAI primarily arises from LPAI mutation. Subclade 2.3.4.4b emerged in Asia in 2013, reached Europe in 2016, caused recurrent epizootics, diversified into multiple genotypes, became dominant in wild birds, and shows zoonotic potential.This thesis investigates critical knowledge gaps regarding H5Nx subclade 2.3.4.4b in poultry: (1) early within-flock spread after punctual introduction in chickens, particularly during the first European epizootics; (2) influence of pre-existing immunity on silent circulation; (3) limitations in diagnostic throughput during epizootic peaks; (4) potential of environmental surveillance, including air and dust sampling; and (5) impact on egg contamination and the reproductive tract, relevant for food safety and zoonotic risk.Four main objectives were addressed: (1) development of an experimental model simulating punctual introductions and spread, comparing 2017 and 2020 strains and assessing pre-existing immunity; (2) enhancement of diagnostic capacity via alternative sampling, semi-automated RNA extraction, and high-throughput processing; (3) evaluation of air and dust sampling for virus monitoring under experimental and field conditions; and (4) assessment of egg contamination risk. Alternative sampling and environmental monitoring were also applied to Newcastle disease virus as a comparative notifiable pathogen. Jury Prof. Catherine LINARD (UNamur), ChairProf. Benoît MUYLKENS (UNamur), SecretaryDr. Damien COUPEAU (UNamur)Dr. Jean-Luc GUÉRIN (INRAE & ENVT)Dr. Cyril BARBEZANGE (ECDC)Dr. Steven VAN BORM (Sciensano)Dr. Mieke STEENSELS (Sciensano)Dr. Bénédicte LAMBRECHT (Sciensano)

At UNamur, research is not confined to laboratories. From physics to political science, robotics, biodiversity, law, AI, and health, researchers collaborate daily with numerous stakeholders in society. The goal? To transform ideas into concrete solutions to address current challenges. 

JuryProf. Nicolas DENDONCKER (UNamur), ChairProf. Sabine HENRY (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Frédéric SILVESTRE (UNamur)Dr. Sébastien DUJARDIN (UNamur)Prof. Kara PELLOWE (Stockholm University)Prof. Romain GLELE KAKAI (University of Abomey Calavi)Prof. Patrick KESTEMONT (UNamur)Prof. Eli THORE (UNamur)AbstractMangroves play an important role in environmental conservation and livelihood provision yet remain one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. This doctoral study assesses pathways to enhance coastal sustainability in the Anthropocene, by promoting the sustainable use of mangroves and strengthening their social-ecological resilience through an interdisciplinary approach. The thesis is structured into four specific objectives: assessing the role of traditional beliefs and local deities in promoting the sustainable use of mangroves, analyzing the synergies between legal frameworks and traditional beliefs in enhancing the social-ecological resilience of mangroves, developing a novel interdisciplinary framework to evaluate the social-ecological resilience of mangroves, and operationalizing the proposed framework in Benin's mangroves, West Africa.  We collected field data using ethnobiological surveys, drone image analysis and document review, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, plant and fish inventories across three coastal communities in Benin. The study draws insights from the seven principles of resilience to analyze mangrove sustainability. The interdisciplinary methodology of this study links plant biology, fisheries sciences, and human geography to analyze mangroves as complex social-ecological systems. Findings of the thesis show that traditional beliefs and local deities play a significant role in regulating the use of mangrove resources, while the overlapping of formal and informal institutions offer opportunities to enhance their social-ecological resilience. The novel proposed framework called Mangrove Social Ecological Resilience Appraisal (MaSERA) outlines variables and indicators tailored to mangroves to assess their social-ecological resilience. Its application in Benin highlights its potential in identifying factors that enable or erode mangrove resilience, for informed decision making. The study argues that promoting the sustainable use of mangroves and enhancing their social-ecological resilience represent dual imperatives for achieving coastal sustainability in the Anthropocene. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge on mangrove conservation and provides actionable insights for integrated coastal zone management.

At UNamur, parchments are much more than objects of curiosity: they are at the heart of an interdisciplinary scientific adventure. Starting with historical sciences and conservation, the research has gradually incorporated the disciplines of physics, biology, chemistry, and archaeology.  This convergence has given rise to research in heritage sciences, driving innovative projects such as Marine Appart's doctoral work, supervised by Professor Olivier Deparis. This research has now been recognized with a publication in the prestigious journal Heritage Science (Nature Publishing Group).

A chemist by training, Véronique Steukers is now the first woman to head the global organization of nickel producers, the Nickel Institute. Her career path has taken her far from the laboratory and into the heart of an industry facing significant environmental, industrial, and social challenges. We meet her.

Brendan Reid has just joined the Environmental and Evolutionary Biology Research Unit (URBE) team in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science. This unit functions as a collaborative ecosystem, bringing together skills and expertise to advance research on organisms and their dynamic interactions with the environment. Dive into aquatic and semi-aquatic research!

At UNamur, research is not confined to laboratories. From physics to political science, robotics, biodiversity, law, AI, and health, researchers collaborate daily with numerous stakeholders in society. The goal? Transform ideas into concrete solutions to address current challenges.