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Beautiful victory for Margaux Mignolet, a researcher at the Faculty of Medicine's Unité de Recherche en Physiologie Moléculaire (URPhyM), who wins 1st prize in the Belgian inter-university final of the Ma thèse en 180 secondes (MT180) competition. Her research? To better understand the mechanisms of antibodies active in cases of long COVID. The second prize in this national competition was also won by a candidate from Namur. It was Petra Manja, from the Unité de Recherche en biologie des micro-organismes (URBM), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, and is pursuing a thesis aimed at understanding resistance mechanisms in the bacterium E. coli. Both are also researchers at the NARILIS Institute.

Founded some 50 years ago, the Laboratoire d'Analyse par Réactions Nucléaires (LARN) in the Department of Physics at the University of Namur is home to a 2MV tandem particle gas pedal named ALTAÏS (Accélérateur Linéaire Tandetron pour l'Analyse et l'Implantation des Solides), in operation since 1999.

The IPCC warns of the growing impact of global warming on water, with more frequent droughts and floods threatening global supplies. By 2050, 42% of river basins will be severely affected, and flood damage could quadruple in the event of 4°C warming. Although they bear little responsibility, the most vulnerable populations suffer the worst consequences. In Wallonia, recent climatic disasters and water pollution illustrate the stakes. To raise public awareness, an event is being organized in Charleroi with debates and screenings.Program17:00 | Introductory session Head of UNESCO Belgium Mr Aurélien Dumont, Secretariat of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, World Water Situation17:40 | Screening of the film "H2O, water, life and us: the Emergency"18:30 | Break18:45 | Lectures and debate Prof. Dr. Marnik Vanclooster (U.K.). Marnik Vanclooster (UCLouvain), "Situation en Wallonnie" Prof. Alfred Bernard (UCLouvain), "Normes et toxicologie" Debate Moderated by Prof. Karim ZouaouiBouin (UCLouvain). Karim ZouaouiBoudjeltia (ULB), with the participation of Aurélien Dumont, Marnik Vanclooster, Alfred Bernard.20:30 | Cocktail dinnerGRATULAR : Registration required: f.amer@wbi.beThe members of the "exact and natural sciences" Sub-CommissionBernard Feltz (UCLouvain, Chairman), Bertrand Hespel (UNamur), Marie-Geneviève Pinsart (ULB, CIGB), René Rezsohazy (UCLouvain), Frédéric Rychter (Secrétaire général), Olivier Sartenaer (UNamur), Didier Serteyn (ULiège), Anne Staquet (UMons), Marnik Vanclooster (UCLouvain), Karim Zouaoui Boudjeltia (ULB)

Le Printemps des Sciences is the must-attend science and technology event in Wallonia and Brussels. It takes place every year in early spring and offers free activities accessible to all.

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.

The three Belgian scientific experiments selected to be carried out on board the International Space Station (ISS) during astronaut Raphaël Liégeois' mission in 2026 have just been unveiled by the Federal Science Policy Public Service (Belspo). One of them is carried by a team from UNamur for an experiment at the crossroads of biology and physics aimed at analyzing the resistance of the "blob", an atypical unicellular organism.

Law students at UNamur, Marilyn Emmerechts and Delphine Blomme are part of the MUN Society Belgium (MSB), an organization that offers debate simulations in UN committees. In March, their team travelled to Manila, Philippines, to compete in the World Student Diplomacy Championships, organized by Harvard University. For five days, they debated alongside over 1,000 students. Interview.

Since 2022, the Faculty of Law at the University of Namur has been inviting students and teachers to come together around a common theme every year. Entitled "Fil Rouge", this project is expressed through courses, practical work and various educational, cultural and civic initiatives. It instills an original dynamic by encouraging the faculty community to tackle societal issues in a cross-disciplinary, concrete and committed way.

SummaryIn 2025, machine learning continues to revolutionize various scientific fields, with major implications in physics, particularly photonics. The integration of advanced machine learning algorithms has enabled significant advances in the design and control of photonic systems, improving their efficiency and performance. These advances are essential for the development of communication, imaging and quantum computing technologies. However, physics research presents many challenges that go beyond simple performance measurements: identifying patterns and building analytical models is often just as crucial.In this thesis, we apply computational intelligence tools, in particular heuristic optimization and neural networks, to develop data-driven approaches to solving various tasks in physics. Although data-centric, our approach remains rooted in physics, always seeking to understand the physical phenomena underlying the algorithms. The results of this thesis cover a wide range of applications, from the design of complex metasurfaces and diffraction gratings to the analysis and interpretation of spectral data. We have also successfully developed an optimizer capable of learning and adapting to the problems encountered, particularly in physics. This key tool in our arsenal outperforms state-of-the-art methods in our applications. In particular, it has enabled the design of a coronagraphic phase plate for exoplanet imaging, with a performance 25% better than the best previous solutions.We have also designed a compact, all-dielectric beam deflection device, operating efficiently for all polarizations, reaching a maximum efficiency of 90%. Starting from a purely data-driven design, we were able to extract and validate an analytical model based on the behavior of an echelle lattice, providing a physical understanding of its operation. In addition to simulation-based tasks, we also processed experimental data, developing an animal origin classifier for scrolls, capable of distinguishing three animal species with 90% accuracy. This tool offers a non-invasive method for conservators and historians wishing to analyze fragile historical materials.Jury members Prof. Michaël LOBET (UNamur), PresidentProf. Alexandre MAYER (UNamur), SecretaryDr. Charlotte BEAUTHIER (CENAREO)Prof. Benoît FRENAY (UNamur)Prof. Olivier DEPARIS (UNamur)Prof. Denis LANGEVIN (Université de Clermont Auvergne)Prof. Hai Son NGUYEN (Ecole Centrale de Lyon)

For many years now, students at the University of Namur's Master of Specialization in Digital Law have been offering high-quality, free legal support to young start-ups active in the digital sector.