Her research project, titled “Care or Control? Conceptualizing Smart Service System Paternalism Beyond the Technological Prism,” was selected as one of the best international doctoral proposals in marketing and management following a prestigious, large-scale competition. 

This distinction recognizes the scientific excellence and conceptual originality of the research conducted under the supervision of Professor Wafa Hammedi (University of Namur) and Professor Thomas Leclercq (IÉSEG School of Management). 

Specializing in services marketing, Sara Belghiti focuses on smart service systems, smart technologies, and the transformations they bring about in the relationships between individuals, organizations, and institutions. 

Her work explores, in particular, the relational, ethical, and societal dimensions of smart technologies. Her article on “smart service relationships” was recently published in the Journal of Service Management, a leading international academic journal in the field. 

A graduate of ESCP Business School, Sara Belghiti has also presented her research at major international academic conferences such as the American Marketing Association (AMA), SERVSIG, QUIS, and Frontiers. 

Organized jointly by the AMS Review and the Sheth Foundation, the DoCCA competition aims to identify the most promising conceptual work by doctoral students in marketing and management from around the world. 

Beyond academic recognition, the competition offers a prize funded by the Sheth Foundation and invites the winners to present their work at the annual conference of the Academy of Marketing Science (AMS), thereby providing exceptional international visibility within the global academic community. 

The top candidates receive personalized support from leading experts in the field, as well as mentors from the AMS Review, to facilitate the publication of their work. 

Through this distinction, Sara Belghiti contributes to the University of Namur’s international reputation in the fields of marketing and management research. 

Transformative Service Research (TSR) examines the transformative power of services in the lives of individuals, communities, and society. It focuses on how service systems—whether public, health, educational, digital, or technological—can serve as drivers of well-being, inclusion, and social justice. Moving beyond a vision focused solely on organizational performance, TSR places fundamental issues such as equity, access, dignity, the reduction of vulnerabilities, and the creation of positive societal impact at the heart of its analysis. It thus invites us to rethink services not only as spaces for exchange, but as instruments of transformation for a more just, inclusive, and humane society.

Flamure Ibrahimi’s research is rooted in this transformative perspective and focuses on corruption in service interactions involving frontline employees or service providers, particularly its implications for vulnerable and underserved populations. Shaped by her personal journey as the daughter of refugees who did everything they could to rebuild their lives in a new country with limited resources, Flamure became aware at a very early age of the essential role that service systems play in access to rights, recognition, dignity, and well-being. This experience inspired her interest in the ethical and societal dimensions of service systems.

Her doctoral thesis examines corruption beyond its legal, structural, or normative aspects, focusing instead on the phenomenon from a more interactional, process-oriented, ethical, and behavioral perspective.  Her current research, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Wafa Hammedi (University of Namur), Prof. Dr. Linda Alkire (Texas State University), and Prof. Dr. Gazi Islam (Grenoble Ecole de Management), further explores this perspective.  In the context of frontline service interactions, corruption can impair access to essential resources and undermine mechanisms of equity and trust. While these effects affect all users, they are particularly pronounced for people in vulnerable situations or from underserved populations, for whom access to services is often a decisive factor in their life trajectories.

ServCollab is an international nonprofit organization at the forefront of global research in Service Research. Founded under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Raymond P. Fisk, a leading pioneer in the field, the organization draws on a network of top academic experts to translate scientific theory into drivers of societal impact. Transformative Service Research (TSR) is based on the idea that individuals operate within service systems that shape their access to resources and their well-being. When these systems malfunction, they can lead to inequality and suffering. The ServCollab Scholarship is awarded following a selection process by a jury composed of eminent researchers in this field, and supports doctoral students whose research aligns with this perspective and contributes to the betterment of humanity. 

The "Credits & Projects" call for proposals resulted in 12 grants being awarded for ambitious new projects. These include two "equipment" grants, eight "research credits (CDR)" grants, and two "research projects (PDR)" grants, one of which is in collaboration with the ULB. The FRIA call for doctoral research support will fund eleven doctoral scholarships and the FRESH call will fund three. 

Two prestigious Scientific Impulse Mandates (MIS) were also obtained. This three-year funding supports young permanent researchers who wish to develop an original and innovative research program by acquiring scientific autonomy within their department.  

We would also like to highlight the two projects funded under the "WelCHANGE" call, a funding instrument for research projects with potential societal impact, led by a principal investigator in the humanities and social sciences.

Call for Equipment  

• Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute, Co-promoter in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Luca Fusaro, NISM Institute 

Call for Research Grants (CDR) 

• Marc Hennequart, NARILIS Institute
• Nicolas Gillet, NARILIS Institute
• Jean-Yves Matroule, NARILIS Institute
• Patricia Renard, NARILIS Institute
• Francesco Renzi, NARILIS Institute
• Stéphane Vincent, NISM Institute
• Laurence Meurant, NaLTT Institute
• Emma-Louise Silva, NaLTT Institute  

Call for Research Projects (PDR) 

• Jérémy Dodeigne, Transitions Institute, Co-supervisor in collaboration with ULB
• Luc Henrard, NISM Institute; Co-supervisor: Yoann Olivier, NISM Institute 

Fund for Training in Research in Industry and Agriculture (FRIA)

• Emma Bongiovanni - Supervisor: Catherine Michaux, NISM Institute
• Simon Chabot - Supervisor: Carine Michiels, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Anne-Catherine Heuskin, Narilis Institute
• Lee Denis - Supervisor: Muriel Lepère, ILEE Institute
• Maé Desclez - Supervisor: Johan Yans, ILEE Institute; Co-supervisor: Hamed Pourkhorsandi (University of Toulouse)
• Pierre Lombard - Supervisor: Benoît Muylkens, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Damien Coupeau, Narilis Institute
• Amandine Pecquet - Supervisor: Nicolas Gillet, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Damien Coupeau, Narilis Institute
• Kilian Petit - Supervisor: Henri-François Renard, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute
• Simon Rouxhet - Supervisor: Catherine Michaux, NISM Institute; Co-supervisor: Nicolas Gillet, Narilis Institute
• William Soulié - Supervisor: Yoann Olivier, NISM Institute
• Elisabeth Wanlin - Supervisor: Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute
• Laura Willam - Supervisor: Frédérik De Laender, ILEE Institute 

Fund for Research in the Humanities (FRESH) 

• Louis Droussin - Supervisor: Arthur Borriello, Transitions Institute; Co-supervisor: Vincent Jacquet, Transitions Institute
• Nicolas Larrea Avila - Supervisor: Guilhem Cassan, DeFIPP Institute
• Victor Sluyters – Supervisor: Wafa Hammedi, NADI Institute
• Amandine Leboutte - Co-supervisor: Erika Wauthia (UMons); Co-supervisor: Cédric Vanhoolandt, IRDENa Institute.

Scientific Impulse Mandate (MIS) 

• Charlotte Beaudart, Narilis Institute
• Eli Thoré ILEE Institute 

WelCHANGE Call  

• Nathalie Burnay Transitions Institute, in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Catherine Guirkinger, DeFIPP Institute

Congratulations to all! 

The ERCIS network brings together universities and companies from 25 - mainly European - countries around a common goal: to advance information systems research and meet the challenges of digital transformation. To achieve this, the ERCIS network emphasizes collaborative research, innovation and knowledge sharing.

In practical terms, this membership paves the way for training opportunities for MINDIT researchers and PhD students: networking events, annual workshops, summer school or PhD Colloquium. It also creates bridges to develop partnerships at the level of academic programs.

Finally, ERCIS relies on a corporate advisory board, guaranteeing synergy between research and field practices.