Authorities
The General Assembly
The University of Namur (UNamur) was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1831. It is constituted as a non-profit making organisation. The General Assembly, which includes all the associated members, is the governing body.
It defines the statutes, appoints the directors, approves the budgets and annual accounts, and has direct responsibility in the choice and development of the institution’s objectives. It is assisted by the Board of Trustees, which manages the university in a ‘responsible manner’.
An Academic Council manages aspects directly linked to the six faculties. Similarly, each faculty is structured around a Faculty Council.
Various committees, general and transversal services, ensure that the university operates smoothly. A thousand people - administrative staff, technicians, labourers, scientists, and academics – work towards the same objectives: education, research, and service to society, such as defined by the legislator, and in conformance with the institution’s mission, which is defined in a charter.
The new rectorial team
The new rectorial team took office on the day of the start of the academic year, September 14, 2021 for a 4-year term. The key word of the new organization put in place around this team is proximity. Some members of the Rectoral Council will welcome you at the Hotel Orban, others at their home faculty. Their offices are open to you, and their secretariats are available for any information. So don't hesitate to walk through their door and contact them!
- Annick Castiaux, Rector
- Jeroen Darquennes, Vice-Rector for International and External Relations
- Stéphane Faulkner, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation and Quality
- Valérie Flohimont, Vice-Rector of Human Resources, Well-being and Safety at Work
- François-Xavier Fiévez, Vice-Rector for Social and Student Affairs
- Carine Michiels, Senior Vice-President and Vice-President, Research and Libraries
- Laurent Shumacher, Vice-rector for training and sustainable development
The Board of Trustees exercises its powers in compliance with the direction and objectives defined by the General Assembly. Its responsabilities and composition is defined in the University's statutes.
Notably, the Board of Trustees decides on matters concerning teaching, research, service to the community, on proposals made by the responsible bodies, general assembly, faculty councils, the academic council, the educational council, etc. More concretely, it approves the rules of the different faculties, defines the personnel organisation and recruits staff, prepares and approves the budget and the annual accounts that it submits to the General Assembly.
The Deans and the Academic Council
The Dean is elected for a four-year mandate that can be renewed once. He provides the day-to-day management of the faculty, ensures its smooth operation and that the administrative services function correctly. He represents the faculty and serves as an intermediary between it and the Board of Trustees. He ensures the coordination between education and research as well as the implementation of resolutions taken by the Faculty Council.
List of Deans
- Dean of the Faculty of Arts : David Vrydaghs
- Dean of the Faculty of Law : Marc Nihoul
- Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences and Business Administration : Alain de Crombrugghe
- Dean of the Faculty of Sciences : Robert Soprken
- Dean of the Faculty of Medicine : Pierre Garin
- Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science : Wim Vanhoof
The Academic Council is made up of the Deans, the Rector, and the Vice-Rector. It ensures the cooperation and coordination, for academic matters, between the faculties. It supervises the inter-faculty bodies with an educational vocation.
The Research Council
The Research Council is made up of the manager responsible for research, who is the president, the director of the external relations service, who provides the secretariat, the director of the research administration, an academic representative per faculty and three scientific members.
The Research Council has a consultative and advisory role: every year it submits a report to the Board of Trustees about the institution’s research activities as well as a critical analysis of the state of research at UNamur, and proposals for the research strategy to be undertaken.
On its own initiative, or at the request of the Board of Trustees, it provides the latter with opinions about the principal research projects, as well as about any topic related to research.
The General Assembly of Students
The General Assembly of Students has the mission of assembling and defending the University of Namur’s students. Its main functions are to represent the students to the faculty authorities and within the Federation of French-speaking Students, and to organise activities on the campus
The General Assembly of Students organises the principal student festivities: the new school year parties which end with the freshman’s ball, the Saint Nicholas ball and its parade, participation in the 24 hours bicycle race in Louvain-La-Neuve, the failures ball,...
On quite another level, it organises a cultural festival, in collaboration with a social project (kots à projet), in collaboration with various associations (the faculties or others) it sets up “political” conferences,…