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The Democratic Transformations Cluster studies how political systems are evolving in response to major contemporary shifts — from the structural fractures emerging out of capitalist crises to the upheavals of the Anthropocene and the technological revolutions transforming communication.Its research addresses crucial questions such as climate governance, the evolution of party politics, minority representation, new forms of protest, political personalization, and new modes of citizen participation. These themes also invite reflection on the philosophical foundations of modern democracies.

The Territorial and Socio-Environmental Transformation cluster brings together researchers who seek to understand and support—even stimulate—the transformations that human societies must undertake in the face of major contemporary challenges.

The transformation of our societies is affecting the construction of our lives and life courses. These are traversed by a dual movement of de-standardization and de-institutionalization, leading to a gradual detachment from social roles, but also to a rise in social, cultural and gender uncertainties and inequalities. The "Transitions and Ages of Life" cluster studies the way in which these life courses are recomposed according to new social constraints and normative imperatives. It thus focuses on the fragility of populations at any age of life, and also on the repercussions of political devices and measures on the construction of life courses.This cluster brings together researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds who analyze both the normative transformations affecting life courses and life-age transitions..

The Chair is dedicated to the study of security, from both traditional and critical approaches. Its axis of rotation is the analysis of safety performance - at cultural, organizational and technological levels - and its relationship to social order. Here, safety is approached primarily from a transdisciplinary angle. This localization of safety, at the intersection of several disciplinary influences, directly structures the theoretical and methodological orientations of the studies conducted within the Chair.

Image Democratic Transformations Cluster See content Image Territorial and Environmental Transformations Division See content Image Pole Transitions and Ages of Life See content Image Center for Vulnerabilities and Societies (V&S) See content Image Tocqueville Chair See content

A lifelong video game enthusiast, Fanny Barnabé, a researcher at the CRIDS research center (Namur Digital Institute) and lecturer at the University of Namur, explores behind the scenes of a major cultural phenomenon: video game streaming on Twitch. Between humor, irony and toxic discourse, she deciphers the issues at stake in a digital space in the throes of change.

For more than 30 years, the Department of Flexible Scheduling at the Faculty of Economics, Management, Communication, and Political Science (EMCP) at the University of Namur has been helping adults returning to school to acquire new skills. In 2023, the Department launched a brand-new program: a Master's degree specializing in sustainable development management and economics. This one-year program addresses environmental and societal challenges by training professionals to support the ecological and economic transition. 

The NaDI-CeRCLe research center has distinguished itself brilliantly on the international scene in recent weeks. Three young researchers from the EMCP Faculty have received prestigious recognition at leading international events for their research in service management: they are Floriane Goosse, Victor Sluÿters and Florence Nizette. This summer, let's discover the work of these PhD students and their significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge and practice in this field.

The morning will be devoted to presenting the detailed results of the study and putting them into perspective in the broader context of current economic, social, and environmental issues.The afternoon will give the floor to stakeholders in the field through testimonials and round tables, illustrating how the tourism sector is adapting to the challenges posed by climate change. Registration and detailed program here: Walloon tourism in the face of climate change: between risks and opportunities (January 26, 2026): Home · UNamur Event (Indico) 

The University of Namur takes another step forward in its commitment to supporting digital transformation. It is joining the prestigious European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS) network as a Partner Institution, via the MINDIT research center (Management de l'Information et Transformation Numérique).

Nathalie Burnay, professor at the EMCP Faculty and researcher at the Transitions Institute, has just been awarded prestigious WELChange funding from the F.R.S-FNRS for her interdisciplinary research project dedicated to extending careers. This is a highly topical social issue, which she is tackling in collaboration with a team of demographers from UCLouvain.

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.