Research institut

Institute of Life, Earth and Environment

Welcome to ILEE, the Institute of Life, Earth and Environment at the University of Namur, committed to addressing pressing environmental issues.We bring together a team of experts from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to work collaboratively using innovative technologies and rigorous scientific methods to make meaningful contributions to the field of environmental science. 

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"La Salle des Pros", the new partner of education professionnals

The four UNamur continuing education centers specializing in the education sector have come together within "La Salle des Pros" to strengthen their collaborations, their cross-functional approach and their visibility. However, each center retains its autonomy and its faculty roots in order to preserve its specificities and maintain a close link with research and the initial training of teachers.
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REF: 4 days of meetings on education and didactics

The Réseau international francophone de recherche en éducation et formation (REF), founded in 1989, brings together every two years in one of the four founding countries (France, Belgium, Quebec, Switzerland) researchers in education sciences and didactics. The meetings are usually held over two days and take the form of parallel symposia on different educational research themes, linked by a common thread. They took place at UNamur last July. A look back at a successful edition.
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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.
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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.
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The May'AGE project: an apiary in the city

In 2021, five projects were selected in the framework of the call for CANDLE 2021 projects (for a sustainable campus). These projects were led by staff members and/or students of the UNamur and financed by the Fonds Jérôme. Among them, the May'AGE project.
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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.
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Characterization and management of natural resources

The availability of natural resources for future generations can only be ensured through prudent use.
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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.
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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.
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Environmental history

Since arriving on Earth, man has begun to influence and modify his environment.
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Cooperation with developing countries

ILEE collaborates with partners located in the countries of the South: Africa, Central and South America and Southeast Asia.
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