Benoît Frenay
Guillaume Mele
With AI, it's all about putting the user in control
For Bruno Dumas, computer science fits in with the principles of applied psychology Artificial intelligence (AI) is interfering in our professional as well as our private lives. It both seduces and worries us. On a global scale, it is at the heart of major strategic, societal or economic issues, still being debated in mid-February 2025, at the AI World Summit in Paris. But how can we, as users, avoid being subjected to it? How can we gain access to the necessary transparency of its workings? By placing his research prism on the user's side, Bruno Dumas is something of a "computer psychologist". An expert in human-computer interaction, co-president of the NaDI Institute (Namur Digital Institute), he defends the idea of a reasoned and enlightened use of emerging technologies.
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Marc Romainville: Learning to think right by discovering why we think wrong
In a digital context where fake news and other "alternative truths" abound and spread frantically, how can we educate to doubt? That's the question answered by pedagogy expert Professor Marc Romainville. He shows how schools must appropriate this central mission to shape tomorrow's citizen.
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Towards a new generation of human-inspired linguistic models: a groundbreaking scientific study conducted by UNamur and VUB
Can a computer learn a language like a child? A recent study published in the leading journal Computational Linguistics by Professors Katrien Beuls (Université de Namur) and Paul Van Eecke (AI-lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel) sheds new light on this question. The researchers argue for a fundamental revision of the way artificial intelligence acquires and processes language.
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Public thesis defense - Movsun KUY
This thesis presents a novel approach to address the challenges of deploying and managing Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) in resource-constrained and multi-domain environments. The proposed solution leverages a Raspberry Pi clusterbased approach for NFV deployment in resource-constrained environments, combined with a deployable Sidecar VNF (S-VNF) coordinator for multi-domain NFV orchestration.The thesis demonstrates the feasibility of integrating NFV into edge computing environments by successfully deploying and managing Network Services (NSs) on a Raspberry Pi cluster. The S-VNF coordinator facilitates efficient cross-cloud NFV deployment and management while ensuring security and interoperability.While the obtained deployment and scaling delays in the testbed setup were significant due to the bare-metal deployment process used, the proposed solution remains valuable in environments where service maintenance time is a critical factor.By automating deployment and scaling, organizations can minimize the impact of service maintenance time, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance system resilience. Moreover, the solution enables NFV to be deployed effectively in edge environments, providing benefits such as reduced latency and improved network performance.Overall, this thesis contributes to the advancement of NFV by providing innovative solutions for deployment and management in challenging environments. The proposed framework has the potential to enable the widespread adoption of NFV and drive the development of new network services.Directed by Prof. Laurent SCHUMACHER and Prof. Sokchenda SRENG.In front of a jury composed of:Prof. Wim VANHOOF, President, University of NamurProf. Laurent SCHUMACHER, Co-Promoter, University of NamurProf. Sokchenda SRENG, Co-Promoter, ITC Graduate School (Cambodia)Prof. Florentin ROCHET, Internal Member, University of NamurProf. Johann MARQUEZ-BARJA, External Member, University of AntwerpProf. Bruno QUOITIN, External Member, University of MonsProf. Raveth HIN, External Member, ITC Graduate School (Cambodia)You are cordially invited to a drink, which will follow the public defense.For good organization, please give your answer by Thursday March 20 by means of this link.Contact: Daelman Isabelle - isabelle.daelman@unamur.be
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MOSI, from word to sign: a bilingual reading aid from French to Langue des signes de Belgique francophone (LSFB)
Instantly obtain a translation in sign language (LSFB) of a word written in French: that's what MOSI (Du mot au signe) makes possible. This new tool is the fruit of a collaboration between the University of Namur, the asbl École et Surdité and the asbl LSFB, supported by the King Baudouin Foundation.
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Teaching critical thinking
Critical thinking, the art of productive doubt, can be learned and cultivated. Faced with information overload and the spread of artificial intelligence, it is more important than ever for students to develop this skill throughout their studies. At UNamur, this educational necessity takes many forms.
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Anthony Cleve
From video games to artificial intelligence, a stopover in Japan
Japan is almost 10,000 kilometers from Belgium, a country that fascinates, not least for its rich culture full of contrasts. Researchers at UNamur maintain close ties with several Japanese institutions, particularly in the fields of computer science, mathematics and video games. Let's take a look at some of these collaborations..
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Collaborative research on differentiation
A collaboration between UNamur - Hénallux - IFEC
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Since September 2022, Hénallux and UNamur have been collaborating with IFEC (Institut de Formation de l'Enseignement Catholique) with the aim of raising awareness and training those involved in secondary education in educational differentiation, advocated in the Pacte pour un enseignement d'excellence. To achieve this, various modalities have been devised and implemented: in-school pedagogical days, follow-ups in schools that request them, courses for differentiation referent teachers, courses for CSAs (support and accompaniment advisors).The convention is coordinated by Sandrine Biémar (UNamur) and Alain Bultot (Hénallux), and the team of researchers includes Anne Libert (UNamur), Virginie Meyer (UNamur) and Sylvie Van der Linden (Hénallux).
Background
This collaborative research is part of a wider project devoted to differentiation, which brings together several courses with different aims and audiences. These include in-school pedagogical training, the training of teacher-referents whose vocation is to be facilitators of the development of differentiation practices in their schools, training for all IFEC CSAs, as well as regular meetings with IFEC in-house trainers interested in this theme. Collaborative research is part of this continuity, with each path nourishing the others. It aims to anchor reflection on differentiation in classroom practices in a mutual enrichment of theory and practice.
In practice
School courses :
pedagogical training and follow-up courses lasting from 1 to several days.
CSA course :
4-day training for all CSAs and IFEC.
Referent courses :
Training of pairs of school referents for 4 days + 1 day.
Trainers' courses :
community of practice with IFEC internal differentiation trainers
Collaborative research path :
accompanying teachers over a school year in implementing differentiation practices.
The objectives
Fostering teachers' power to act by mobilizing and interpreting objective data gathered in the field.Collaborative research is built on negotiation between participants and researchers. Each stage of the research is therefore constructed together, in order to respond as closely as possible to the concerns and issues related to differentiation that are encountered in the specific contexts of each participant.For example, the research question and sub-questions are co-formulated to respond as closely as possible to the concerns and issues in the field regarding the impact of a differentiated teaching posture on student motivation and autonomy..
Methodology
This research is inspired by the protocol developed by Schildkamp (2018, 2019) within "Data TEAMS". It aims to develop and foster teachers' power to act through decision-making based on data collection and evaluation of school practices.The data resulting from this research pathway will feed the referent and trainer pathways. In addition, data and productions resulting from this collaborative research will also be destined for colleagues and organizations from the various stakeholders (schools, CSA).
Want to get involved?
We are looking for pairs of teachers from the same school, which will facilitate the implementation of the process within each school concerned.
The themeDevelop and regulate differentiation practices in light of classroom data.The objectivesUnderstand and actUnderstand, through analysis of available classroom data and exchanges of practice between professionals, the effects of a differentiated teacher posture on student motivation and autonomy.Objectivate one's intuition to act effectively.Terms and conditions7 meetings over the course of the year at the Salle des Pros (Rue Godefroid, 7 - in the center of Namur)Why participate?To enrich research by drawing on practices in the field.To enrich your practices thanks to the support of the researcher-trainers.To meet other teachers who share your concerns.
Contact
For further information, please contact the research teamAnne Libert : anne.libert@unamur.beVirginie Meyer : virginie.meyer@unamur.beSylvie Van der Linden : sylvie.vanderlinden@henallux.be
Project coordinator
Sandrine Biémar: sandrine.biemar@unamur.be
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UNamur's Faculty of Informatics joins the Informatics Europe network
This is great recognition for the excellence of the research carried out at the University of Namur: the Faculty of Informatics has been asked to join the prestigious Informatics Europe network, which brings together the most dynamic departments and faculties of Informatics across Europe.
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