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The lack of primary care is a major public health issue. In 2022, it was estimated that 52 municipalities in French-speaking Belgium were facing a severe shortage of general practitioners. This is a worrying situation that the University Observatory for Rural Medicine (OUMRu) has been addressing since 2023, with the aim of identifying concrete solutions. Working alongside a doctor and a health geographer, Amélie Pierre, a sociologist and lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, Management and Communication SciencesPo (EMCP), is studying the factors that influence access to healthcare, particularly from the patients' point of view. She emphasizes the need to take into account the realities experienced by vulnerable groups.

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.

At a time when bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a public health problem, Professor Stéphane Vincent's team is currently developing dynamic constitutional frameworks (Dynamic Constitutional Frameworks, DCF): a molecular system that would be able to break down certain resistances and thus deliver antibiotics as close as possible to pathogens.

AbstractIn CO2-rich atmospheres such as that of Venus, the study of water vapor requires the use of H2O collision parameters for CO2. However, due to a lack of data, models still use collision parameters for air to estimate the abundance of water vapor in this type of atmosphere. In this thesis, new experimental laboratory measurements of the collision parameters of H2O, HDO, and D2O by CO2 were carried out. These were then used as the basis for dedicated theoretical calculations. Their impact was evaluated using radiative transfer simulations applied to the atmosphere of Venus, under conditions close to those of future observations by the European EnVision mission. The results clearly show that using collision parameters for air instead of CO2 can lead to an overestimation of nearly 40% of the abundance of water vapor in the mesosphere and to inversion difficulties in the troposphere. This work thus provides essential elements for improving the spectral analysis of CO2-rich atmospheres.JuryDr. Ha TRAN (Sorbonne University), ChairProf. Muriel LEPÈRE (University of Namur), SecretaryDr. Emmanuel MARCQ (University of Versailles)Dr. David JACQUEMART (Sorbonne University)Dr. Laurence RÉGALIA (University of Reims)Dr. Séverine ROBERT (Royal Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgium)

AbstractNosocomial infections are a major public health problem, exacerbated by the global spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Faced with this challenge, it is crucial to explore alternatives or complementary strategies to conventional treatments. Among these, the use of copper is attracting renewed interest. This metal has natural antibacterial properties that have been recognized since ancient times. It acts through multiple mechanisms such as membrane alteration, the generation of reactive oxygen species, and the denaturation of proteins and nucleic acids, leading to rapid cell death. These characteristics make it an effective biocidal agent in many contexts, particularly in hospitals.However, the selective pressure exerted by the increased presence of copper in the environment has led to the emergence of specific resistance systems in certain bacteria. These systems allow strict control of copper homeostasis by limiting its intracellular accumulation through efflux, sequestration, or oxidation mechanisms. In Caulobacter crescentus, an environmental bacterial model, copper resistance is based in particular on the Pco system. This system is composed of the PcoB protein, located in the outer membrane. Although its structure has been partially described in E. coli, its precise function remains unclear. Preliminary observations suggest that it may be involved in the export of copper from the periplasm to the outside of the cell, thus acting as a release pathway.To explore the role of PcoB in bacterial copper resistance, this study focused on the structural and functional characterization of the protein. After extraction and purification, PcoB was incorporated into artificial liposomes to develop an in vitro transport assay to assess its ability to release copper across a lipid bilayer. At the same time, a truncated mutant lacking the disordered N-terminal region was produced and subjected to the same analyses. The comparison between the complete and truncated forms aims to determine the involvement of this flexible region in the transport mechanism and stability of the protein. These approaches have laid the initial experimental foundations for studying the transport mechanism of PcoB and constitute a first step towards a detailed understanding of how the Pco system works. They also open up prospects for the development of new antibacterial strategies targeting copper management systems in bacteria.JuryProf. Johan WOUTERS (UNamur), ChairDr. Catherine MICHAUX (UNamur), SecretaryProf. Jean-Yves MATROULE (UNamur)Dr. Guillaume ROUSSEL (UCLouvain)Prof. Francesca CECCHET (UNamur)Prof. Hennie VALKENIER (ULB)

In line with its predecessors, ICEL 2026 will provide an excellent opportunity for the intellectual and social exchanges that keep our community closely connected. It will bring together participants from all over the world involved in the research, development, and manufacturing of emissive materials. A wide array of subjects will be explored, offering a comprehensive perspective on contemporary advances in these fields. We extend a warm invitation for the dissemination of recent breakthroughs in related topics, with a particular emphasis on fostering the active participation of young and motivated researchers.We especially expect to cover the following topics:Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence emittersRadical emittersOrganometallic complexesPerovskitesLasingCircularly polarized luminescenceLight emission from exciplexesGreen- and biophotonicsComputational modeling of light-emitting materialsAll practical information (registration, abstract submission, and accommodation) is available on the ICEL2026 website. Access the ICEL2026 website

Our keynote speakers for 2026 are Professor Roosmarijn Vandenbroucke (Ghent University) and Professor Nelly Litvak (Eindhoven University of Technology). More information on the "Women in Science" website

The IBAF Meetings have been organized since 2003, every two years since 2008, by the Ion Beams Division of the French Vacuum Society (SFV), the oldest national vacuum society in the world, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2025.As in previous editions, IBAF 2026 will offer a rich and varied program with guest lectures, oral and poster presentations, and technical sessions. All this will be complemented by an industrial presence to promote exchanges between research and innovation. The conference will cover a wide range of topics, from ion beam instruments and techniques to the physics of ion-matter interactions, including the analysis and modification of materials, applications in the life sciences, earth and environmental sciences, and heritage sciences. More information on the IBAF2026 website

The F.R.S.-FNRS has just published the results of its various 2025 calls for proposals. These include the "Credits & Projects" and "WelCHANGE" calls, as well as the "FRIA" (Fund for Research Training in Industry and Agriculture) and "FRESH" (Fund for Research in the Humanities) calls, which aim to support doctoral theses. What are the results for UNamur? Twenty-eight projects have been selected, demonstrating the quality and richness of research at UNamur. 

Practical information:When: Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.Cost: FreeLanguage: FrenchAudience: 5th and 6th year secondary school studentsMeeting place: University of Namur (The exact address will be provided at a later date) Program:This morning event will feature several highlights:A warm welcome for groups to get the day off to a good start.Introductory lecture session: Mini-lectures in plenary sessions will address a variety of compelling topics, setting the stage and sparking curiosity about current mathematical themes.Parallel and successive practical workshops: After a short break, students are invited to participate actively. They rotate between three different workshops, offered in parallel. These sessions encourage experimentation and hands-on learning in small groups on specific topics.Offer your students a free and enriching morning to (re)discover the joy of mathematics!This activity is organized with the support of Wallonia Research.

Terminator to talk about AI? Wall-E to talk about technological dependence? The Truman Show to discuss social media? In a new book, two professors from UNamur, Anthony Simonofski (digital transformation—EMCP Faculty—NaDI Institute) and Benoît Vanderose (software engineering—Faculty of Computer Science—NaDI Institute), take readers on a journey at the crossroads of digital technology and cinematic imagination. 

On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science proclaimed on February 11 by the United Nations General Assembly, and as part of the European alliance European Space University for Earth and Humanity (UNIVERSEH) focusing on the theme of space, discover the testimonies of four women scientists from UNamur working on astronomical themes.