Arcadie, a new research centre in the ESPHIN institute
Arcadia is the name of an ideal society, a bucolic utopia. But it is also the name chosen by the members of a brand-new research centre at UNamur. This centre, created within the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters and attached to the ESPHIN institute, questions three themes at the heart of our contemporaneity: the Anthropocene, history and utopias.
See content
Common good must be saved!
Since the pandemic, this cry of alarm from the Nobel Prize in Economics, Jean Tirole, seems more relevant than ever. On 19 and 20 May 2022, the second Summit of the Common Good, organised in Toulouse, mobilised hundreds of thousands of internet users. On 24 May 2022, in Brussels, the Night of the Common Good raised over half a million euros in donations. And next year, the Our Lady of Peace Chair at UNamur will be dedicated to the common good. But what is this 'common good' that belongs to everyone and to no one? Four researchers from UNamur share their thoughts with us to stimulate our own.
See content
Geologists discover that pterosaurs had feathers
A pterosaur from Brazil that preserved melanosomes in its feathers provides insight into the function of primitive feathers. An international team of palaeontologists and geologists, including UNamur (Dr Aude Cincotta and Prof. Johan Yans), has demonstrated that pterosaurs, the flying cousins of dinosaurs, had feathers and were able to control their colour.
See content
Fluorescence: A Closer Look at Insects’ Transparent Wings
In a new study published in February 2023 in the Journal of Luminescence, an international team of scientists led by Sébastien Mouchet of UNamur has revealed previously unknown fluorescent properties of the transparent wings of certain insects. This research demonstrates that valuable information can be obtained using state-of-the-art optical characterization techniques. Here’s how it works.
See content
Research fields
ILEE combines a broad range of basic, applied and social science skills that focus on three key areas of study, including historical perspectives and extensive partnerships with the global South.
See content
Characterization and management of natural resources
The availability of natural resources for future generations can only be ensured through prudent use.
See content
Human-Environment Interactions
Through a variety of chemical, biological and physical factors, humans are modifying ecosystems, often with negative results. Environmental changes, in turn, affect the dynamics of human populations.
See content
Biodiversity and evolutionary adaptation
For four billion years, life on earth has been evolving and transforming in response to environmental change, resulting in fluctuating biological diversity. Ecosystems provide humanity with a wide range of free services that must be managed responsibly.
See content
Environmental history
Since arriving on Earth, man has begun to influence and modify his environment.
See content
Cooperation with developing countries
ILEE collaborates with partners located in the countries of the South: Africa, Central and South America and Southeast Asia.
See content