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New impetus for the humanities and social sciences at UNamur

A new platform dedicated to research in the humanities and social sciences (SHS) is being launched at UNamur. The aim? To offer SHS researchers methodological support tailored to their needs and strengthen SHS excellence at UNamur. This platform, SHS Impulse, will provide various services such as financial support for training, consultancy, access to resources, or co-financed software purchases.
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Academic freedom and democracy. University in danger?

The notion of "academic freedom" is often evoked in public debates, but is it really known in its singularity? Where does it come from? What is its history? What decisive role does it play in our democracies and the defense of the university's role as a counter-power? To what extent is it threatened today, particularly by the reforms announced?This morning of reflection, open to all, will explore these questions from a variety of perspectives. Historians, philosophers and jurists will shed light on the subject. Institutional leaders will share their concrete experience and their analysis of the threats that reforms could pose to this essential principle.An organization of the Philosophy Department, the History Department, the ESPHIN Institute in collaboration with the Centre d'Action Laïque Namur.The speakers- Anne-Emmanuelle Bourgaux, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Mons- Nicolas Offenstadt, Professor of History at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne- Quentin Landenne, Qualified Researcher at the FRS-FNRS at the UCLouvain Saint-Louis Brussels, scientific leader of the ERC BildungLearning project- Susanna Zellini, Research Fellow at the FRS-FNRS at UCLouvain Saint-Louis Brussels- Annick Castiaux, Rector of UNamur- Edouard Delruelle, Professor of political philosophy at ULiège; Chargé de mission by the Rectrice of ULiège on "ULiège facing global conflicts".PracticalitiesThéâtre Jardin Passion 39, rue Marie Henriette - 5000 Namur.Free admission - Welcome from 9amAn organization of the Departments of Philosophy and History of the University of Namur and the ESPHIN Institute in collaboration with the Centre d'Action Laïque Namur with the support of the ERC BildungLearning project. I want to register The ERC BildungLearning project is funded by the European Union (n° 101043433). The views and opinions expressed, however, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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Methods" seminar | Computational approaches to meaning change

Semantic change, i.e. the evolution of word meanings over time, offers crucial information about historical, cultural and linguistic processes. Language acts as a mirror of societal change, reflecting evolving values, norms and technological advances. Understanding how the meaning of words evolves enables us to trace these transformations and gain a deeper understanding of our distant and recent past.This seminar explores how computational methods are revolutionizing our ability to analyze semantic change in historical texts, addressing a major challenge in the field of digital humanities. While advanced computational methods enable us to analyze vast datasets and uncover previously inaccessible patterns, few natural language processing algorithms fully take into account the dynamic nature of language, particularly semantics, which is essential for research in the humanities. As AI systems develop to better understand the historical context and dynamics of language, human annotation and interpretation remain essential to capture the nuances of language and its cultural context.In this presentation, I will show how computational and human-centered approaches can be effectively combined to examine semantic change and its links to cultural and technological developments. I will present examples illustrating how semantic change can be analyzed across temporal, cultural and textual dimensions."Methods "seminarsThe Methods Seminar is a series of seminars organized at the University of Namur with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. All seminars take place in a hybrid format.This seminar series focuses on advanced methodological approaches, particularly in the fields of natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence (AI), video and image analysis, and multimodal analysis.To stay informed about details of upcoming seminars, please subscribe to our mailing list below. I subscribe to the "Methods" mailing list
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Methods" seminar | Philine Widmer

More info to come."Methods "seminarsThe Methods Seminar is a series of seminars organized at the University of Namur with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. All seminars take place in a hybrid format.This seminar series focuses on advanced methodological approaches, particularly in the fields of natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence (AI), video and image analysis, and multimodal analysis.To stay informed about details of upcoming seminars, please subscribe to our mailing list below. I subscribe to the "Methods" mailing list
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TRANSDEM Seminar | Markus Hermann Meckl

Victimization and identity: the post-heroic society More info to come All TRANSDEM seminars
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University and democracy: a living, sometimes threatened, link

Trust of traditional political institutions and elected representatives, rise of authoritarian logics, definition of public services... Democracy today seems to be going through a turbulent zone. What role does the university play in this context? To shed light on this question, we interviewed four researchers from different disciplines: educationalist Sephora Boucenna, philosopher Louis Carré, political scientist Vincent Jacquet and legal scholar Aline Nardi. Their contrasting views sketch out the contours of an issue that is more topical than ever: thinking about and defending the link between university and democracy.
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Conference on Organizations in Developing Countries

Invited speakers: Manuel GARCÍA-SANTANA (Pompeu Fabra University) and Eric VERHOOGEN (Columbia University)Audience: PhD studentsCall for papers: PhD students and postdocs are invited to submit a paper by April 15, 2026. Applicants will be notified by May 15, 2026. Accepted contributions will be presented in a poster session, with a subset selected for seminar-style presentations. Please send your paper to this address: nathan.jespere@unamur.be
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NHNAI project: when democracy meets artificial intelligence

Increasingly sophisticated technologies are invading our spheres of activity without our prior consultation as citizens. Shouldn't the new digital tools, artificial intelligence or technologies resulting from progress in neuroscience, which are transforming our identity and social relationships, be the subject of broad and sufficiently informed democratic debates? This question is at the heart of the international "research-action" project "A new humanism in the age of neuroscience and artificial intelligence" in which UNamur is participating.
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The UNamur to host two prestigious international Francqui Chairs in April 2023

From 17 April 2023, UNamur will host two prestigious international Francqui Chairs. Professor Timoteo Carletti (Department of Mathematics - naXys Institute) will host Professor Ginestra Bianconi, one of the leading experts on networks and high-order structures. Professor Romain Houssa (Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences and Management - DeFiPP Institute) will welcome Professor Karel Mertens, an expert in macroeconomics.
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Spiritualities, sciences and societies in dialogue

Success for the interfaith and interdisciplinary colloquium organised by the University Chair Our Lady of Peace and the eponymous research centre, in collaboration with the Abbey of Maredsous.
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At the heart of Madagascar's ethical and environmental challenges

Located in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is an island with a rich natural heritage and multiple cultural influences. For over 15 years, researchers from the University of Namur have been working with a number of Madagascan universities and institutes on a variety of themes, including environmental preservation, water management and institutional capacity building. Focus on some of these projects.
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Space, between dream and strategic challenge

Space has become a major economic and strategic issue. As a member of the European UNIVERSEH Alliance, UNamur explores this space theme in its various departments, from physics to geology, via mathematics, computer science or philosophy. Without forgetting to address the general public, who still dream of the stars...
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