The importance of languages in university studies
Why take English classes when you want to become a veterinarian? How can you teach Spanish to future management engineers? Far from vocabulary lists or lab classes with headphones, these languages are taught as genuine cross-disciplinary skills that are essential for the jobs of tomorrow.
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Two complementary points of view to put environmental protection back at the heart of public debate
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.
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A look back at Printemps des Sciences 2025: science and technology take center stage for a week at UNamur
The 24th edition of Printemps des Sciences was held from March 24 to 30 throughout Wallonia and Brussels, on the theme of "Eau-rêka". The aim of this annual event is to make science and technology accessible to as many people as possible. Mission accomplished for this new edition!
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180 seconds to talk about research
The 11th edition of the Ma Thèse en 180 secondes competition was held this Friday, March 28, 2025 at the Faculty of Science. Three biologists will represent UNamur at the Belgian final, to be held in Mons on May 21.
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Landscape analysis: three questions to understand this key concept in regional development
How can we better understand the landscape around us? For over ten years, UNamur has been offering continuing education in landscape analysis. What does this concept involve? What are its objectives? And how is landscape analysis practiced? Answers with Corentin Fontaine, Coordinator and Trainer for "Les Ateliers du Paysage" organized by UNamur's center for continuing education in science and mathematics (CeFoSciM).
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An exploratory mission to forge ties with Senegal
A delegation from the Université de Namur took part in an exploratory mission to the Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) in Dakar, Senegal. The aim: to discover the research carried out in the field, meet UCAD researchers and initiate future collaborations between the two institutions.
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Two prestigious publications for our network dynamics researchers
Maxime Lucas is an FNRS Research Fellow in the Department of Mathematics and a member of the naXys Institute. He works on complex systems within the "Network Dynamics" cluster headed by Professor Timoteo Carletti. He is co-author of two papers on complex systems, recently published in prestigious journals Nature Physics and Physical Reviews Letters.
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Covid-19, five years on: A look back at UNamur's major role in the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic is a human tragedy that has caused millions of deaths worldwide and put our entire society under great strain. But it has also been a tremendous collective moment for many UNamur scientists, whose research continues in an attempt to better understand this disease and its consequences.
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CHITEL 2024 - Congress of Theoretical Chemists of Latin Expression
Initiated in 1969 by Pullmann and Del Re, the congress is an annual meeting to promote collaboration and friendship between Latin-speaking theoretical chemists. In its early years, European researchers were the main contributors. Subsequently, the Latin American community has made a major contribution, with the emergence of teams whose international reputation now extends far beyond our own community.We are delighted to be holding this meeting at the University of Namur, 55 years after the first CHITEL was organised in Paris, France. We are sure that this 2024 edition will once again be an opportunity to take advantage of the good humour and dynamism of Latin to encourage, develop and strengthen scientific exchanges.We look forward to welcoming you at the University of Namur,The CHITEL 2024 Local Organising Committee.
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EMBO Workshop | Establishing state-of-the-art mollusc genomics
EMBO Courses and Workshops are selected for their excellent scientific quality and timelines, provision of good networking activities for all participants and speaker gender diversity (at least 40% of speakers must be from the underrepresented gender). Organisers are encouraged to implement measures to make the meeting environmentally more sustainable.Upon registration - More info and registration on the EMBO website.
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Chill&Sciences | From viruses to space, it's mathematical!
On Thursday May 30, for our last Chill&Sciences of the season, Candy Sonvaux and Alexis Coyette, mathematics researchers, invite you to discover the mathematics where the movements of the planets and the spread of viruses intertwine until they impact our society.Chill&Science: enriching encountersWith nearly 20 years' experience of scientific cafés, the Confluent des Savoirs has set up a new concept of scientific encounters. The Chill&Sciences are a unique opportunity for the public to come and discuss and ask questions of experts on research topics related to current affairs and citizen issues.Come and enjoy the unique, relaxed atmosphere of Quai22. Researchers and experts from the seven faculties of the University of Namur will present their research and discuss with you over a drink (or two, but never without exaggeration).In practiceThe meetings are open to everyone aged 16 and over. Evenings are limited to around 20 people to ensure a relaxed atmosphere and to facilitate discussions. Meetings take place if a minimum of 10 people are registered. Except in exceptional circumstances, meetings take place every 2 months at the University of Namur's cultural space, Quai22, located at n°22 Rue du Séminaire.Tarif Participation in a Chill&Sciences costs 5€. A discounted annual pass is available. Please note: preferential rate for students (discount code: PromoCDS).The booking fee includes a drink* (soft or beer), a snack (chips and cookies) and management fees linked to the organization Unless cancelled by us, bookings are non-refundable. (*additional drinks will be available upon electronic payment.)
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Public thesis defense - Valentin GOFFINET
Title of the dissertation: Ion implantation in Low-E coatings
Low-emissivity (Low-E) coating technology revolutionizes glass applications for windows, offering high optical transparency while reducing heat transfer. They consist of a silver-based thin film deposited on a glass panel by physical vapor deposition. However, these coatings are fragile and must be placed inside a double-glazing cavity where an inert gas resides. Otherwise, they can be easily degraded by bad atmospheric conditions.The thesis approach is to combine low-E technology with a post-treatment of ion implantation. The research question driving this thesis is: how does ion implantation enhance the durability of low-E coatings containing silver?The experiments conducted during the thesis show that implantation indeed increases the coating resistance while having a small impact on its color. However, the treatment degrades the thermal insulation properties. Hence, a series of hypotheses are formulated based on the literature to explain and control this behavior.A deeper investigation shows that implantation impacts the silver nanostructure. First by dewetting the film which allows reorganization into larger crystallites, second by forcing silver mixing at its interface through ballistic ejections. These two phenomena increase the toughness of the silver interface by interlocking effects. However, dewetting has also been linked to thermal insulation properties degradation. Nonetheless, it was shown that using light gas implantation limits the destructive effect (dewetting) while still inducing good durability (due to interface mixing)..
Jury
Prof. Julien COLAUX (UNamur), presidentProf. Stéphane LUCAS (UNamur), promoter and secretaryDr Amory JACQUES (Service Public de Wallonie)Dr Philippe ROQUINY (AGC Glass Europe)Prof. Rony SNYDERS (University of Mons)
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