Democracy is by no means a fixed concept. It is the subject of debate, especially today. Louis Carré, Director of the Department of Philosophy and member of the Espace philosophique de Namur (Institut ESPHIN), proposes a three-dimensional definition: a political regime, a state of law and a way of forming society.

"Etymologically, democracy is a political regime that consists in giving power to the people," he reminds us. "Our Western democracies today are based on the idea that the people are sovereign, without governing directly. From this arises a tension between ideal democracy and real democracy."Vincent Jacquet, professor in the Department of Social, Political and Communication Sciences and president of the Transitions Institute supports the point: "Democracy is an ideal of citizen self-government, but it is in tension with more centralizing, authoritarian logics. [...] Our political systems are crisscrossed by these different tensions, with both authoritarian logics increasingly present, including in our own country, and logics of participation that are sometimes accompanied by a great deal of hope and disappointment too."

The second pillar according to Louis Carré: the rule of law. Democracy guarantees the fundamental rights of all citizens through the constitution. But here again, beware of paradoxes: "One could indeed imagine laws passed by a majority of representatives or by a referendum, but which contravene fundamental rights" the philosopher stresses. Democracy cannot therefore be summed up by the majority principle alone.

Finally, democracy is also a way of forming society. It is based on real pluralism: diversity of opinions, beliefs and values. "This presupposes the existence of a relatively autonomous public space in the face of the power in place, which at times challenges the decisions taken by the governments that have been elected,"insists Louis Carré.

In this context, what is the university's responsibility? Louis Carré begins by reminding us of a simple fact: a large proportion of our elected representatives have passed through university benches. But its teaching mission doesn't stop there. "It's about training enlightened citizens, not just rulers. Universities must offer quality higher education, open to as many people as possible", he asserts.

"Democracy does indeed presuppose citizens capable of debating, reflecting, problematizing issues", adds Sephora Boucenna, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Training Sciences and member of UNamur's Institut de Recherches en Didactiques et Éducation (IRDENA). It's all about training reflective minds, capable of questioning their times.

Universities also train those who, tomorrow, will educate future generations: teachers. And here again, democracy is at stake.

In addition to teaching, universities also have a research and social service mission. It produces knowledge that can enlighten public policy, but also question it. This critical function presupposes real independence from politics. "To analyze democratic mechanisms with lucidity, including those that governments put in place, the university must retain its freedom of research and speech," insists Vincent Jacquet.

This critical function of the university presupposes strong independence. In Belgium, however, university funding is largely a matter for the political authorities. "Celane must not mean being placed under tutelage", warns Louis Carré. "Conducting critical research that doesn't satisfy short-term sponsors requires independence, including in terms of resources. We need a large number of researchers who can analyze different types of dynamics. The more we cut research funding, as is the case today, the fewer researchers we'll have and therefore the less capacity for independent analysis and diversity of perspectives, insists Vincent Jacquet.

The "Université en colère" movement, recently launched within the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, intends to denounce the effects of definancement. Its representatives are calling for "guarantee the conditions for the development of an open, independent, quality university accessible to the greatest number. Faced with the social, economic and political challenges of our time, and because other choices for society, and therefore budgets, are possible, it is more essential than ever to strengthen the institutions and players at the heart of knowledge production."

Democracy is therefore not limited to elections or institutions. It is based on collective vigilance, carried by citizens, knowledge... and the places where this knowledge is built. In this respect, universities are an essential link in the chain of democratic vitality. Provided it remains independent, accessible and open to society.

"Democracy is not just a matter of institutions. It's about citizens who bring it to life and organize themselves to assert their perspectives at different times", insists Vincent Jacquet. A clear invitation not to remain a spectator, but to participate, with lucidity and exigency, in the construction of a common democratic future.

Whether it concerns linguistics, economics, politics, sustainable development, law, history, educational sciences, literature or translation, research in the humanities and social sciences is as eclectic as it is rich and essential for tackling society's challenges. Of UNamur's eleven research institutes, seven are directly involved in SHS research. While there is a high degree of complementarity in these areas of research, better pooling of resources, sharing and easier access to certain services, resources and support will help to sustain and strengthen the excellence of SHS research at UNamur. It is with this in mind that the SHS impulse platform has just been created.

• Axis 1 - Support for the acquisition of databases, documentary resources and software
• Axis 2 - Subsidy for cutting-edge training in the use of specialized methods
• Axis 3 - Funding access to the SMCS "Support en Méthodologie et Calcul Statistique" platform at UCLouvain, thanks to an inter-university partnership.
• Axis 4 - Setting up an SHS space, containing a laboratory for running experiments and shared work tools promoting exchanges between researchers.

This initiative, launched in January 2025, addresses the specific challenges faced by SHS researchers. The long-term aim is to sustain and expand the services. "We will also hire a researcher expert in methodological analysis in SHS who will be able to inform innovative methodologies and frame the methodological design of research projects," emphasizes Sandrine Biémar, vice-dean of UNamur's Faculty of Education and Training Sciences, a member of the IRDENA institute and the SHS Impulse management committee. "The wish is also to support networking between SHS researchers at UNamur and to be a lever for setting up interdisciplinary projects," adds Sandrine Biémar.

The platform's management team is made up of representatives of the university's various SHS institutes, and ensures efficient management of resources. The platform's impact will be assessed during its initial phase (2025-2027), enabling strategies for its sustainability and development to be defined.

The "Sustainable Campus" objective in both content and form is part of UNamur's Univers2025 strategic plan. With this in mind, teachers at the Faculté des Sciences de l'éducation et de la formation (FaSEF) organized the first "Foire aux associations ". An activity linked to the course "Enseigner en interdisciplinarité : l'exemple du développement durable", it is aimed at students in Bloc2 en enseignement Section 3 (future teachers of a discipline for students in the last third of the Tronc Commun, from 5th primary to 3rd secondary) in co-graduation with Henallux.

On March 18 and 19, 2025, some 50 students took part in the 2 half-days organized and were able to explore various experiential methods proposed by the associations and the course's teaching team comprising Julie Dagnely, Virginie Meyer and teachers Charlotte Dejaegher and Cédric Vanhoolandt.

This 1st Association Fair has a dual objective for future teachers:

• Use the experiential method to concretize actions to be implemented in teaching activities;
• Analyze and use the experienced workshops to build their future courses with greater integration of the SDGs.

When asked about their feelings, students who took part in the workshops enjoyed the experience. Generally speaking, they emphasized the value of an active approach to learning, which facilitates memorization and inspires them in turn to design engaging activities for their future students. Many also noted the relevance of interventions led by associations rooted in concrete actions in the field. Through games, testimonials and real-life situations, these workshops sparked reflection and awareness.

The diversity of reactions shows how important it is to offer a sufficiently varied range of activities to enable everyone to find their bearings and nurture their representations. These workshops thus provide interesting avenues for thinking about didactic transposition adapted to different audiences. In fact, this is the objective for the rest of the course: that these students themselves become levers for raising awareness of the transition. Now it's their turn to appropriate the tools and mobilize them in their future professional field.

Alongside other initiatives such as the Journées d'Éducation au Développement Durable et à la Transition (JEDDT), the course "Enseigner en interdisciplinarité : l'exemple du développement durable" is also one of the courses offered for UNamur as part of the "AGIR dans l'enseignement supérieur namurois" action-research project supported by the Vice-rectorat à la formation et au développement durable. This project is financed by ARES with a view to the creation of a Chair in sustainable development at FWB higher education level, and led by Cédric Vanhoolandt and Charlotte Dejaegher, also researchers in educational sciences at the IRDENa Institute. Other pilot courses have also been identified in each establishment of the Pôle académique de Namur, to ensure that teachers become ambassadors for sustainable development among students.

L'asbl COREN, represented by Céline Grandjean, is active in the field of the environment and sustainable development, mainly in schools. It supports schools in setting up environmental management projects and in their efforts to obtain a "sustainable school" label.

L'asbl EFDD, represented by Justine Henning, supports schools (secondary) and higher education establishments in their transition towards more sustainable development, thanks to educational tools developed with the support of Wallonia.

The ALIMEN'TERRE game, from the EFDD network, was presented by Isabelle Picquot. The aim of this game is to compose an original menu (starter, main course, dessert, drink) from different foods while respecting a set meal context. But be careful not to exceed the ecological footprint that's sustainable for the planet! The aim is to get participants to weave a link between their food choices and their impact on the environment, to identify the elements that influence the ecological footprint and to modify their food choices.

Guillaume Bernard is a PhD student in the Biology Department, under the supervision of Arnaud Vervoort (IRDENa researcher). His thesis focuses on the impact of humans on ecosystems. He interviews students before and after class, to get an overview of their knowledge of the subject from different angles. At the same time, he questioned secondary school teachers, 40% of whom stated that they did not address this topic in transitional teaching due to lack of time. Then, through classroom observations, he attempts to understand what worldviews are conveyed, and how they might be addressed in a mobilizing way.

Network of associations active in Environmental Education (ErE) in Wallonia and Brussels, the Réseau Idée, represented by Laëtitia Fernandez, offers teachers, facilitators, trainers, eco-counsellors, parents, citizens... clear, centralized information on environmental education: existing teaching tools, environmental education organizations active in Wallonia and Brussels, their activities (events, training courses, courses, walks, etc.), teaching approaches, etc.

Jean-Pierre Grootaerd represented "Stars Shine for Everyone", an association that postulates that everyone should have the opportunity to admire the sky with a telescope. It works for quality education for all, regardless of gender, using astronomy. Thanks to donations and the expertise of UGent, it has distributed do-it-yourself telescopes in over 145 countries.

FUCID (Forum Universitaire pour la Coopération Internationale au Développement) was represented by Maxime Giegas.The NGO, based at the University of Namur, has a mission to contribute to raising awareness and training responsible actors committed to promoting a more just and united world, where the values of freedom, democracy, tolerance and peace are deployed.

The implementation of the reform of initial teacher training (RFIE) began at the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. In the so-called S1-S2-S3 sections (for teaching kindergarten to lower secondary), studies have been extended from 3 to 4 years to bring the diploma in line with most European countries. Thanks to close collaboration between Universities and Hautes Écoles, the aim of this reform of initial teacher training is to enable the acquisition of university-level skills while reinforcing professional practice.

Gabriel Dias De Carvalho Junior is a multi-skilled academic who brings unique expertise to the field of physics didactics. Originally from Brazil, Gabriel began his training in his native country, before specializing in educational sciences with a master's degree and then a doctorate in physics didactics.

After a post-doctoral internship in Geneva, focusing on cognitive psychology, Gabriel dedicated 18 years of his career to teaching physics at secondary level in Brazil. He has constantly reflected on essential questions such as "How can we raise the level of learning in physics?" and "What are the learning difficulties encountered by students?"

From 2008 to 2022, he worked at the Federal Institute of Education in Minas Gerais as a professor of cognitive psychology, learning assessment, physics didactics, as well as science epistemology. This institute stands out for its innovative approach, offering secondary education, technical training and university courses up to master's and doctorate level, all in the same establishment.

His interest in conceptualization and learning translates into pedagogical methods where physics is used as a backdrop to create challenges and puzzles designed to enrich conceptual understanding. He also supervises a PhD student, Sara Lahlali, whose work focuses on learning practices using generative artificial intelligences.

Gabriel is a member of the Institut de Recherches en Didactiques et Education de l'UNamur (IRDENA). He is also part of an international group in which he collaborates with researchers from prestigious universities such as Université de Paris Cité, Université de Lyon, Université d'Itajuba in Brazil and Université du Québec à Trois Rivières. This group is interested in conceptual field theories in physics education and strives to build long-term collaborations to disseminate these ideas.

In parallel, Gabriel has just begun a collaboration with a research team at the University of Geneva on issues of physics didactics.

Passionate about inclusivity, Gabriel has developed innovative projects in Brazil aimed at designing equipment and tools to support people with learning difficulties. For example, he has worked on creating models to help blind subjects learn the principles of optics in a tangible way. He is looking to establish partnerships with ASBLs and other organizations tackling specific issues to better understand learning needs and develop adapted resources.

His international experience and commitment to promoting innovative pedagogical approaches make him an asset to the University of Namur and its students.