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Pedagogy in the field - Archaeological field schools

Art history and archaeology
Students

As part of their training in archaeology, students at the University of Namur experience a unique immersion in their future profession thanks to workcamps. This program, developed by the Department of Archaeology and Art Sciences, closely combines field experience and academic learning.

Chantier école sur le site de Rome - Ostia

This article is taken from the "Tomorrow learn" column in the December 2024 issue of Omalius magazine.

This initiative is spearheaded by Fanny Martin, lecturer in national archaeology at UNamur. "Leaving archaeology studies without having experienced the discipline doesn't make much sense. When I arrived, the University of Namur didn't yet have any field schools. It seemed essential to me to offer a project for students, because field archaeology is a discipline in its own right," she explains. Julian Richard, professor of Greek and Roman archaeology and head of the department, adds: "At UNamur, our trump card is to take students out into the field as much as possible. Right from the bachelor's level, they are brought into contact with the object, observing it, manipulating it, understanding it. This is a pedagogy we're keen on, and setting up work-schools is part of it."

During these work-schools, students, confronted with the realities of the field, have to apply their theoretical knowledge to concrete situations, developing not only their technical skills, but also analytical and problem-solving abilities. "In the first and second years, students receive a methodological background on excavation. And then, between their second and third years, they go out on the training site for two weeks and put these principles into practice," adds Fanny Martin.

These internships offer an immersive experience. Bérénice Didier, an art history and archaeology student, worked on the site of Tintigny, an Iron Age tomb necropolis in the Gaume region, while others went to the Feudal castle of Moha, in the Province of Liège.

Chantier école sur le site de Tintigny
Excavations at the Tintigny site

I got a lot out of this internship. The team on site was lovely. We first learned the basics of excavation, then, little by little, explored all the stages of the discipline, which was exciting", she recounts. Marion Drabbé, a third-year bachelor's student in archaeology, backs up Bérénice's words, adding, "I was a little apprehensive, as the workcamps are like a little exam in our curriculum. But in the end, it was a great experience. We were surrounded by lovely professionals, and I was supervised by Fanny Thirion, archaeologist at the Musée des Celtes. It was great! These workcamps let you see what you're studying, and you realize just how precise and meticulous archaeology is. There's also the satisfaction of discovering previously unseen objects: we found an urn with bone residues and a fibula pin, which is quite rare in excavations. We were delighted!".

The experience of workcamps is not just professional. For Bérénice Didier, it was also a time for sharing and cohesion: "It felt a bit like summer camp. It was really great and I had the opportunity to forge a lot of bonds." Outside digging hours, the students share their daily lives, which fosters strong bonds and develops their ability to work as a team.

These workcamps, which constitute research projects in their own right, require significant organization and varied support. "We chose to work in the Tintigny region, in Gaume. The site is in conservation danger, and we benefit from funding from the Agence wallonne du Patrimoine as well as a partnership with the Musée des Celtes de Libramont and the Commune de Tintigny to carry out the operations. This type of project requires a lot of collaboration to manage the logistics and the study," explains Fanny Martin. What's more, support from partners and UNamur means that internships are free of charge, so that no student is deprived of this opportunity.

A dual mission and an opening onto the professional world

These projects fulfill a dual societal mission: to preserve and pass on heritage to society. With this in mind, students welcome visitors to the site to share their discoveries, enabling them to acquire cultural mediation skills. Bérénice testifies: "Giving guided tours really appealed to me, to the point of making me want to explore this field in the future". Marion adds: "The tours were really enriching. You realize that being able to express your budding knowledge in front of people who are interested in what you're telling them is also very glorifying". This dimension makes these internships much more than mere digs: they are also places of transmission where students value their work to society.

The work sites are also a first experience in the professional world. "They offer them a first baggage for the future", notes Julian Richard. Students can also take part in international missions, such as those organized by Julian Richard in Ostia, the ancient port of Rome, with UCLouvain. These excavations abroad bring a complementary perspective and enrich their training through the study of other contexts, particularly built, as well as other periods.

Thanks to this approach, UNamur archaeology students develop a deeper understanding of their field while building a useful professional network for the future. The workcamp-school becomes a landmark experience, preparing students both academically and personally for the rest of their career.

A new name for the department!

Le Département a récemment pris le nom de Département d’archéologie et sciences de l’art. Selon Mathieu Piavaux, professeur à l’UNamur et ancien directeur du département ayant contribué au projet, « ce changement visait deux objectifs. Premièrement, mettre en évidence une approche très pratique de l’archéologie, fortement mise en avant dans notre démarche pédagogique et dans l’activité scientifique du département. Que ce soit dans les cours dédiés aux méthodes de l’archéologie, à la technologie des objets et de l’architecture, mais aussi dans les travaux pratiques des étudiants comme dans les cours donnés en partie in situ. Deuxièmement, privilégier une appellation d’origine germanique, "sciences de l’art" (Kunstwissenschaft), qui recouvre un domaine beaucoup plus vaste que l’histoire de l’art stricto sensu et apparaissait donc mieux adaptée à la diversité des approches de nos disciplines, qui comptent par exemple la muséologie ou encore la conservation du patrimoine. Cette nouvelle appellation révèle aussi la polyvalence du département, impliqué dans des masters de spécialisation liés à la gestion et à la conservation du patrimoine. Enfin, le fait de mettre "sciences" dans le nom, est aussi un clin d’œil à la Faculté des sciences, avec laquelle nous collaborons régulièrement compte tenu de l’interdisciplinarité inhérente à nos disciplines. Tout cela représente un beau travail d’équipe, une belle dynamique collective qui permet ce genre d’évolution. Se redéfinir ensemble et faire évoluer notre identité est toujours enthousiasmant. » 

This article is taken from the "Tomorrow learn" section of Omalius magazine #35 (December 2024).

Visuel de Omalius #35 - décembre 2024

UNamur at the sixth edition of SETT

Digital transition
IA
Pedagogy

On January 23 and 24, 2025, UNamur experts were present at the SETT (School Education Transformation Technology) trade show for its sixth edition. A must-attend event for digital education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, dedicated to principals, teachers and technical-pedagogical advisors.

Photo du stand de l'UNamur au SETT

Organized in partnership with the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and UNamur, SETT is recognized as inter-network training days by the Institut interréseaux de la Formation Professionnelle Continue (IFPC). The aim of the event is to bring together all those involved in education to discuss the latest digital and pedagogical advances. According to Julie Henry, head of UNamur's Scientific Committee and an expert in digital education, "the SETT is a key space for the dissemination and impact of our research and a unique opportunity to share knowledge, confront our work with the reality in the field and influence educational practices on a large scale. Since its creation, the SETT has provided a forum for dialogue and strategic intelligence, enabling us to discuss the challenges and opportunities of digital technology in education, a central issue in the evolution of teaching practices". Julie Henry adds: "Today, digital technology is an essential skill for every citizen. It's not just a question of mastering tools, but of developing a digital culture that integrates critical thinking and an understanding of the societal, economic and environmental issues linked to technologies. That's why SETT, a space for collective reflection, is essential to anticipate the transformations to come and to support education players in these changes."

From basic to higher education, SETT offers a variety of workshops, talks and conferences. On the program for these two days, conferences around STE(A)M, Artificial Intelligence, video games, critical digital education... Three major themes in connection with teaching and new technologies were addressed by UNamur experts:

  • digital at the service of learners/teachers
  • digital media education
  • STEM education

Focus on some testimonials from our researchers.

Showing "Black Mirror" to teach digital literacy?

Can we use Black Mirror to educate about the digital? The series, known for its dark tales of technology and its impact on society, offers a basis for discussion of digital issues. In this conference, Benoît Vanderose and Anthony Simonofski, professors at the University of Namur, looked back at the usefulness of the podcast's effectiveness as a pedagogical tool, its possible use in the classroom, and the major themes that can be tackled via this channel.

Welcoming complexity with open arms: a paradigm shift in learning to program

For years, learning computer science has been based on a bottom-up approach: starting with the basics of programming, via simple exercises, towards more advanced concepts of teamwork, object-oriented, version management, testing and so on. Nevertheless, this approach may seem questionable in view of the mixed results, particularly in learning object-oriented best practices. This problem could be due to the fact that we are constantly putting off complexity until later, rather than welcoming it as an intrinsic element and learning to manage it as soon as possible.

In this café-causerie, Benoît Vanderose and Xavier Devroey, professors at UNamur, proposed to discuss a new approach to learning programming, based on the good development practices in place in industry, notably, thinking through test cases before programming. The aim being to think about the program in terms of its behaviors, rather than directly tackling the algorithmic way of solving the problem.

Generative artificial intelligence and education: what now?

Initially scheduled to give a talk at SETT, UNamur professor Michaël Lobet was unfortunately unable to attend due to a health impediment. Nevertheless, he was keen to share his views on the importance of taking part in such a show. "We're talking about a 3rd (or even 4th) industrial revolution with the arrival of new information and communication technologies. Recent events such as covid or the advent of AI have had a big impact on our society and, de facto, on teaching. Although not new, the challenge of digital training remains paramount to avoid aggravating social fractures. Through my talk, my message would have been to take stock of the impact of generative AI/IA on teaching. I remain convinced of the need to train teachers in this new technology, to use it critically, responsibly and innovatively. Our institutions must be able to deliver clear messages to accompany user teachers in this challenge," explains Michaël Lobet.

Presentation of a collaborative lexicon for the French Sign Language of Belgium (LSFB)

Sign languages emerge naturally in deaf communities around the world. The ASBL Ecole et Surdité active within the Sainte Marie school in Namur is working to offer bilingual French / Langue des Signes Francophone de Belgique (LSFB) courses for primary and secondary schools. In cooperation with them that Laurence Meurant and her team at UNamur's Research Institute NaLTT have created a collaborative lexicon enabling the deaf community to consult and propose LSFB vocabulary autonomously. This presentation by Magaly Ghesquière and Jérôme Fink, both professors at UNamur, looked back at the sources of this collaboration and offered feedback on the tool developed and its future.

Back to SETT in video

Discover some of SETT's highlights (©SETT).

Image de la Ministre Valérie Glatigny au SETT 2025

Through such interventions, Julie Henry affirms that "since the first edition, the University of Namur remains invested in the quality of the program via the chaire Educonum (Faculty of Computer Science) and its members. Participating - as a speaker, exhibitor or visitor - is a way of extending this commitment and actively contributing to the evolution of digital education. UNamur, notably through the Educonum Chair, thus reaffirms its commitment to research and innovation in digital education, in the service of more effective, inclusive teaching adapted to the challenges of today and tomorrow."

Did you know?

L'UNamur propose deux certificats et une formation dans le domaine du numérique et participe à un certificat coordonné par une autre institution.

René Preys: the archaeologist who examines Egyptian menus

Art history and archaeology

What exactly did the ancient Egyptians eat? How did they prepare and preserve their food? What was their nutritional value? René Preys, an Egyptologist at UNamur, is currently involved in this astonishing research. This expert is a major figure in Belgian Egyptology. Interview.

Photo de René Preys examinant des hiéroglyphes

This article is taken from the "Impact" section of the June 2024 issue of Omalius magazine.

Omalius: When did you fall into the "pot" of Egyptology?

René Preys: I've been an Egyptologist with a passion for Pharaonic culture from an early age. I've always wanted to study this culture. As a student, I enrolled in oriental philology, of which Egyptology was a part and which focused on writing, reading texts, etc.

Photo de René Preys devant des hiéroglyphes

The next thing that interested me was Egyptian religion, mythology, temple life, architecture and decoration. Egyptology is very broad. Every student interested in Egypt can therefore find his or her "dada" in this choice of studies: texts, ceramics, statuary, art, temples, papyri.

For me, it's Egyptian religion and particularly temple religion that fascinates me: ritual life, how the temple functioned, what was done there. Egyptian temples also had an economic aspect, as they managed fields, orchards, bakeries and butcheries. Egyptian temples are over 3,000 years old!

O. How did you become interested in Egyptian diet?

R.P.: I'm involved in a research project funded by the prestigious FNRS EOS (Excellence Of Science) program. I'm working on it with several Belgian and international researchers. We're focusing on the Greco-Roman period in Egypt, since food remains were found during excavations in a Roman-era city. Preserved thanks to the dry, warm Egyptian climate, they are being sifted for their nutritional value. We often think that people in ancient times ate poorly. But this idea is based on the nutritional value we know today, comparing things that are not comparable. We don't prepare and preserve our food today as we did in ancient times. The consortium includes chemistry researchers who will, among other things, analyze the nutritional value of these food scraps.

In parallel, we also need to understand what the Egyptians ate and in what quantities. This is the aspect that will concern the UNamur researchers. We'll be analyzing hieroglyphic texts on temples and in tombs. We're going to establish the menu of the Egyptians! And we'll be able to compare the results with modern diets. In April, as part of the EOS project, we welcomed a number of renowned international researchers to a symposium devoted to the role of fish in ancient Egypt. Indeed, fish was not only used as food. It was also used as an offering to the gods, for example. Another surprising and little-known research topic on Egypt.

O. : So we still don't know everything about ancient Egypt?

R.P.: Indeed! Egypt is eternal, the buildings constructed thousands of years ago are still there. Egyptology, too, is eternal. New subjects of research appear regularly, new points of view that we analyze in relation to ancient texts, the results of ancient excavations can be analyzed with modern techniques, for example. Egyptology is 200 years old. It was born with the deciphering of hieroglyphics by Jean-François Champollion in 1823, but there are always new subjects to study: food, which is the subject of our EOS research project, or climate. We're trying to establish how climatic changes can explain events that have marked Egypt's history: changes in the Pharaonic Empires, for example, can be explained by economic crises linked to fluctuations in the Nile's behavior. The river's flooding was necessary for wheat production. Without flooding, there was no agricultural yield sufficient to feed the population.

O. : A new archaeology laboratory has been launched at UNamur, can you tell us more about it?

R.P.: This is LASA, the Laboratoire d'Archéologie et des Sciences de l'Art. It was recently created within the Department of Archaeology and Art Sciences. It is dedicated to the study of movable heritage. Our students are in direct contact with archaeological material. The department doesn't want to limit itself to ex cathedra courses, but places great emphasis on practical work in the field through internships and trips, and therefore also through this new laboratory. It includes wooden statuary, stained glass, ceramics, granite and limestone objects. We're very lucky to have specialists in a wide range of disciplines within the department: architecture, art, technology, materials and so on. Our students are exposed to all aspects of archaeology and the art sciences. The profession for which they are preparing is not one of sitting in one's corner, but of examining the subject of research from every angle. Our students really appreciate not being cooped up in their classrooms all the time.

Learn more about research in the Department of Archaeology and Art Sciences

O. : You recently became co-director of the Association égyptologique Reine Élisabeth. What's it all about?

R.P.: It's an association bringing together Belgian Egyptologists, founded nearly 100 years ago by Jean Capart.

Image
Photo de René Preys devant des hiéroglyphes

Jean Capart, the "father" of Belgian Egyptologists, did his early studies at the Faculties of Namur.

René preys Professor

This famous Belgian Egyptologist accompanied Queen Elisabeth, wife of King Albert 1st, on her visit to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Jean Capart, the "father" of Belgian Egyptologists, did his early studies at the Facultés de Namur (today's UNamur). Egyptology studies didn't exist in Belgium a hundred years ago, so he went to study in Paris. On his return to Belgium, he created the very first chair in Egyptology. He was also curator of the Egyptological section of the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels. The Queen Elisabeth Egyptological Association has a scientific objective. Creating exchanges between researchers, publishing scientific articles, as well as an objective more focused on the general public: raising the profile of Egypt through exhibitions, conferences, etc.

.

O. : You combine teaching and research duties. Do you travel regularly to Egypt?

R.P.: Combining the role of teacher with the scientific aspect is obviously a challenge. But I manage to go to Egypt at least once a year, for a month at a time. I work on various archaeological sites. I'm researching three temples in particular: firstly, the great temple of the god Amun at Karnak. This is the largest and best-known temple in Egypt, managed by the Franco-Egyptian Centre for the Study of the Temples of Karnak. I'm also working with a Swiss and German team on the Greco-Roman temple of Kôm Ombo. Finally, the last site, and my personal favorite, is the temple of Denderah. It is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, goddess of love and fertility. She is also considered the mother of the solar god. For the ancient Egyptians, she therefore played a very important role in the continuation of the solar cycle. I completed my doctoral thesis on this temple and am now fortunate enough to be able to work on it in collaboration with the Institut français d'Archéologie orientale.

Sophie Arc

The EOS program - The Excellence of science

The EOS program aims to promote joint research between researchers from the Flemish and French-speaking communities by funding joint basic research projects (FNRS and FWO) in all scientific disciplines.

Logo du programme EOS - The excellence of science

This article is taken from the "Expert" section of Omalius magazine #33 (June 2024).

Couverture Omalius#33

Candidate mandates

Eight researchers have been awarded an aspirant mandate to start doctoral research:

  • Ilario AMATO, Dorian HÈNE, Violaine PIENGEON and Camille PONSARD from the Faculty of Science,
  • Hadrien COUSIN from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters,
  • Aline NARDI from the Faculty of Law
  • Angela LÜLLE and Elena PEREZ VELASCO from the Faculty of Economic, Social and Management Sciences.

The success rate of our doctoral researchers is 30%!

Postdoctoral research fellowships

At postdoctoral researcher level, UNamur is proud to welcome eight new research fellows for a 3-year term (success rate: 30%).

These are

  • Andrea BONVICINI, Damien DETRAUX and Louise THINES from the Faculty of Sciences
  • Hannah DE CORTE, Angela COSSU, Silverio FRANZONI and Mounir HABACHY from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters
  • Juliette CRESPIN BOUCAUD from the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences.

In addition, Mr Vincent LIEGEOIS has been promoted to the title of "Maître de recherches".

Télévie call

The Télévie call has enabled Professor Carine MICHIELS to obtain funding to further research aimed at improving the radiotherapeutic approach to inducing systemic anti-tumor immunity after local irradiation.

Logo du Télévie - un coeur rouge

Grants for scientific publications

Let's also mention the receipt of a subsidy for scientific publications (periodicals), one for Benoît CHAMPAGNE and the second for Carolin MAYER.

Congratulations to them!

Pedagogy in the field - Archaeological field schools

Art history and archaeology
Students

As part of their training in archaeology, students at the University of Namur experience a unique immersion in their future profession thanks to workcamps. This program, developed by the Department of Archaeology and Art Sciences, closely combines field experience and academic learning.

Chantier école sur le site de Rome - Ostia

This article is taken from the "Tomorrow learn" column in the December 2024 issue of Omalius magazine.

This initiative is spearheaded by Fanny Martin, lecturer in national archaeology at UNamur. "Leaving archaeology studies without having experienced the discipline doesn't make much sense. When I arrived, the University of Namur didn't yet have any field schools. It seemed essential to me to offer a project for students, because field archaeology is a discipline in its own right," she explains. Julian Richard, professor of Greek and Roman archaeology and head of the department, adds: "At UNamur, our trump card is to take students out into the field as much as possible. Right from the bachelor's level, they are brought into contact with the object, observing it, manipulating it, understanding it. This is a pedagogy we're keen on, and setting up work-schools is part of it."

During these work-schools, students, confronted with the realities of the field, have to apply their theoretical knowledge to concrete situations, developing not only their technical skills, but also analytical and problem-solving abilities. "In the first and second years, students receive a methodological background on excavation. And then, between their second and third years, they go out on the training site for two weeks and put these principles into practice," adds Fanny Martin.

These internships offer an immersive experience. Bérénice Didier, an art history and archaeology student, worked on the site of Tintigny, an Iron Age tomb necropolis in the Gaume region, while others went to the Feudal castle of Moha, in the Province of Liège.

Chantier école sur le site de Tintigny
Excavations at the Tintigny site

I got a lot out of this internship. The team on site was lovely. We first learned the basics of excavation, then, little by little, explored all the stages of the discipline, which was exciting", she recounts. Marion Drabbé, a third-year bachelor's student in archaeology, backs up Bérénice's words, adding, "I was a little apprehensive, as the workcamps are like a little exam in our curriculum. But in the end, it was a great experience. We were surrounded by lovely professionals, and I was supervised by Fanny Thirion, archaeologist at the Musée des Celtes. It was great! These workcamps let you see what you're studying, and you realize just how precise and meticulous archaeology is. There's also the satisfaction of discovering previously unseen objects: we found an urn with bone residues and a fibula pin, which is quite rare in excavations. We were delighted!".

The experience of workcamps is not just professional. For Bérénice Didier, it was also a time for sharing and cohesion: "It felt a bit like summer camp. It was really great and I had the opportunity to forge a lot of bonds." Outside digging hours, the students share their daily lives, which fosters strong bonds and develops their ability to work as a team.

These workcamps, which constitute research projects in their own right, require significant organization and varied support. "We chose to work in the Tintigny region, in Gaume. The site is in conservation danger, and we benefit from funding from the Agence wallonne du Patrimoine as well as a partnership with the Musée des Celtes de Libramont and the Commune de Tintigny to carry out the operations. This type of project requires a lot of collaboration to manage the logistics and the study," explains Fanny Martin. What's more, support from partners and UNamur means that internships are free of charge, so that no student is deprived of this opportunity.

A dual mission and an opening onto the professional world

These projects fulfill a dual societal mission: to preserve and pass on heritage to society. With this in mind, students welcome visitors to the site to share their discoveries, enabling them to acquire cultural mediation skills. Bérénice testifies: "Giving guided tours really appealed to me, to the point of making me want to explore this field in the future". Marion adds: "The tours were really enriching. You realize that being able to express your budding knowledge in front of people who are interested in what you're telling them is also very glorifying". This dimension makes these internships much more than mere digs: they are also places of transmission where students value their work to society.

The work sites are also a first experience in the professional world. "They offer them a first baggage for the future", notes Julian Richard. Students can also take part in international missions, such as those organized by Julian Richard in Ostia, the ancient port of Rome, with UCLouvain. These excavations abroad bring a complementary perspective and enrich their training through the study of other contexts, particularly built, as well as other periods.

Thanks to this approach, UNamur archaeology students develop a deeper understanding of their field while building a useful professional network for the future. The workcamp-school becomes a landmark experience, preparing students both academically and personally for the rest of their career.

A new name for the department!

Le Département a récemment pris le nom de Département d’archéologie et sciences de l’art. Selon Mathieu Piavaux, professeur à l’UNamur et ancien directeur du département ayant contribué au projet, « ce changement visait deux objectifs. Premièrement, mettre en évidence une approche très pratique de l’archéologie, fortement mise en avant dans notre démarche pédagogique et dans l’activité scientifique du département. Que ce soit dans les cours dédiés aux méthodes de l’archéologie, à la technologie des objets et de l’architecture, mais aussi dans les travaux pratiques des étudiants comme dans les cours donnés en partie in situ. Deuxièmement, privilégier une appellation d’origine germanique, "sciences de l’art" (Kunstwissenschaft), qui recouvre un domaine beaucoup plus vaste que l’histoire de l’art stricto sensu et apparaissait donc mieux adaptée à la diversité des approches de nos disciplines, qui comptent par exemple la muséologie ou encore la conservation du patrimoine. Cette nouvelle appellation révèle aussi la polyvalence du département, impliqué dans des masters de spécialisation liés à la gestion et à la conservation du patrimoine. Enfin, le fait de mettre "sciences" dans le nom, est aussi un clin d’œil à la Faculté des sciences, avec laquelle nous collaborons régulièrement compte tenu de l’interdisciplinarité inhérente à nos disciplines. Tout cela représente un beau travail d’équipe, une belle dynamique collective qui permet ce genre d’évolution. Se redéfinir ensemble et faire évoluer notre identité est toujours enthousiasmant. » 

This article is taken from the "Tomorrow learn" section of Omalius magazine #35 (December 2024).

Visuel de Omalius #35 - décembre 2024

UNamur at the sixth edition of SETT

Digital transition
IA
Pedagogy

On January 23 and 24, 2025, UNamur experts were present at the SETT (School Education Transformation Technology) trade show for its sixth edition. A must-attend event for digital education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, dedicated to principals, teachers and technical-pedagogical advisors.

Photo du stand de l'UNamur au SETT

Organized in partnership with the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and UNamur, SETT is recognized as inter-network training days by the Institut interréseaux de la Formation Professionnelle Continue (IFPC). The aim of the event is to bring together all those involved in education to discuss the latest digital and pedagogical advances. According to Julie Henry, head of UNamur's Scientific Committee and an expert in digital education, "the SETT is a key space for the dissemination and impact of our research and a unique opportunity to share knowledge, confront our work with the reality in the field and influence educational practices on a large scale. Since its creation, the SETT has provided a forum for dialogue and strategic intelligence, enabling us to discuss the challenges and opportunities of digital technology in education, a central issue in the evolution of teaching practices". Julie Henry adds: "Today, digital technology is an essential skill for every citizen. It's not just a question of mastering tools, but of developing a digital culture that integrates critical thinking and an understanding of the societal, economic and environmental issues linked to technologies. That's why SETT, a space for collective reflection, is essential to anticipate the transformations to come and to support education players in these changes."

From basic to higher education, SETT offers a variety of workshops, talks and conferences. On the program for these two days, conferences around STE(A)M, Artificial Intelligence, video games, critical digital education... Three major themes in connection with teaching and new technologies were addressed by UNamur experts:

  • digital at the service of learners/teachers
  • digital media education
  • STEM education

Focus on some testimonials from our researchers.

Showing "Black Mirror" to teach digital literacy?

Can we use Black Mirror to educate about the digital? The series, known for its dark tales of technology and its impact on society, offers a basis for discussion of digital issues. In this conference, Benoît Vanderose and Anthony Simonofski, professors at the University of Namur, looked back at the usefulness of the podcast's effectiveness as a pedagogical tool, its possible use in the classroom, and the major themes that can be tackled via this channel.

Welcoming complexity with open arms: a paradigm shift in learning to program

For years, learning computer science has been based on a bottom-up approach: starting with the basics of programming, via simple exercises, towards more advanced concepts of teamwork, object-oriented, version management, testing and so on. Nevertheless, this approach may seem questionable in view of the mixed results, particularly in learning object-oriented best practices. This problem could be due to the fact that we are constantly putting off complexity until later, rather than welcoming it as an intrinsic element and learning to manage it as soon as possible.

In this café-causerie, Benoît Vanderose and Xavier Devroey, professors at UNamur, proposed to discuss a new approach to learning programming, based on the good development practices in place in industry, notably, thinking through test cases before programming. The aim being to think about the program in terms of its behaviors, rather than directly tackling the algorithmic way of solving the problem.

Generative artificial intelligence and education: what now?

Initially scheduled to give a talk at SETT, UNamur professor Michaël Lobet was unfortunately unable to attend due to a health impediment. Nevertheless, he was keen to share his views on the importance of taking part in such a show. "We're talking about a 3rd (or even 4th) industrial revolution with the arrival of new information and communication technologies. Recent events such as covid or the advent of AI have had a big impact on our society and, de facto, on teaching. Although not new, the challenge of digital training remains paramount to avoid aggravating social fractures. Through my talk, my message would have been to take stock of the impact of generative AI/IA on teaching. I remain convinced of the need to train teachers in this new technology, to use it critically, responsibly and innovatively. Our institutions must be able to deliver clear messages to accompany user teachers in this challenge," explains Michaël Lobet.

Presentation of a collaborative lexicon for the French Sign Language of Belgium (LSFB)

Sign languages emerge naturally in deaf communities around the world. The ASBL Ecole et Surdité active within the Sainte Marie school in Namur is working to offer bilingual French / Langue des Signes Francophone de Belgique (LSFB) courses for primary and secondary schools. In cooperation with them that Laurence Meurant and her team at UNamur's Research Institute NaLTT have created a collaborative lexicon enabling the deaf community to consult and propose LSFB vocabulary autonomously. This presentation by Magaly Ghesquière and Jérôme Fink, both professors at UNamur, looked back at the sources of this collaboration and offered feedback on the tool developed and its future.

Back to SETT in video

Discover some of SETT's highlights (©SETT).

Image de la Ministre Valérie Glatigny au SETT 2025

Through such interventions, Julie Henry affirms that "since the first edition, the University of Namur remains invested in the quality of the program via the chaire Educonum (Faculty of Computer Science) and its members. Participating - as a speaker, exhibitor or visitor - is a way of extending this commitment and actively contributing to the evolution of digital education. UNamur, notably through the Educonum Chair, thus reaffirms its commitment to research and innovation in digital education, in the service of more effective, inclusive teaching adapted to the challenges of today and tomorrow."

Did you know?

L'UNamur propose deux certificats et une formation dans le domaine du numérique et participe à un certificat coordonné par une autre institution.

René Preys: the archaeologist who examines Egyptian menus

Art history and archaeology

What exactly did the ancient Egyptians eat? How did they prepare and preserve their food? What was their nutritional value? René Preys, an Egyptologist at UNamur, is currently involved in this astonishing research. This expert is a major figure in Belgian Egyptology. Interview.

Photo de René Preys examinant des hiéroglyphes

This article is taken from the "Impact" section of the June 2024 issue of Omalius magazine.

Omalius: When did you fall into the "pot" of Egyptology?

René Preys: I've been an Egyptologist with a passion for Pharaonic culture from an early age. I've always wanted to study this culture. As a student, I enrolled in oriental philology, of which Egyptology was a part and which focused on writing, reading texts, etc.

Photo de René Preys devant des hiéroglyphes

The next thing that interested me was Egyptian religion, mythology, temple life, architecture and decoration. Egyptology is very broad. Every student interested in Egypt can therefore find his or her "dada" in this choice of studies: texts, ceramics, statuary, art, temples, papyri.

For me, it's Egyptian religion and particularly temple religion that fascinates me: ritual life, how the temple functioned, what was done there. Egyptian temples also had an economic aspect, as they managed fields, orchards, bakeries and butcheries. Egyptian temples are over 3,000 years old!

O. How did you become interested in Egyptian diet?

R.P.: I'm involved in a research project funded by the prestigious FNRS EOS (Excellence Of Science) program. I'm working on it with several Belgian and international researchers. We're focusing on the Greco-Roman period in Egypt, since food remains were found during excavations in a Roman-era city. Preserved thanks to the dry, warm Egyptian climate, they are being sifted for their nutritional value. We often think that people in ancient times ate poorly. But this idea is based on the nutritional value we know today, comparing things that are not comparable. We don't prepare and preserve our food today as we did in ancient times. The consortium includes chemistry researchers who will, among other things, analyze the nutritional value of these food scraps.

In parallel, we also need to understand what the Egyptians ate and in what quantities. This is the aspect that will concern the UNamur researchers. We'll be analyzing hieroglyphic texts on temples and in tombs. We're going to establish the menu of the Egyptians! And we'll be able to compare the results with modern diets. In April, as part of the EOS project, we welcomed a number of renowned international researchers to a symposium devoted to the role of fish in ancient Egypt. Indeed, fish was not only used as food. It was also used as an offering to the gods, for example. Another surprising and little-known research topic on Egypt.

O. : So we still don't know everything about ancient Egypt?

R.P.: Indeed! Egypt is eternal, the buildings constructed thousands of years ago are still there. Egyptology, too, is eternal. New subjects of research appear regularly, new points of view that we analyze in relation to ancient texts, the results of ancient excavations can be analyzed with modern techniques, for example. Egyptology is 200 years old. It was born with the deciphering of hieroglyphics by Jean-François Champollion in 1823, but there are always new subjects to study: food, which is the subject of our EOS research project, or climate. We're trying to establish how climatic changes can explain events that have marked Egypt's history: changes in the Pharaonic Empires, for example, can be explained by economic crises linked to fluctuations in the Nile's behavior. The river's flooding was necessary for wheat production. Without flooding, there was no agricultural yield sufficient to feed the population.

O. : A new archaeology laboratory has been launched at UNamur, can you tell us more about it?

R.P.: This is LASA, the Laboratoire d'Archéologie et des Sciences de l'Art. It was recently created within the Department of Archaeology and Art Sciences. It is dedicated to the study of movable heritage. Our students are in direct contact with archaeological material. The department doesn't want to limit itself to ex cathedra courses, but places great emphasis on practical work in the field through internships and trips, and therefore also through this new laboratory. It includes wooden statuary, stained glass, ceramics, granite and limestone objects. We're very lucky to have specialists in a wide range of disciplines within the department: architecture, art, technology, materials and so on. Our students are exposed to all aspects of archaeology and the art sciences. The profession for which they are preparing is not one of sitting in one's corner, but of examining the subject of research from every angle. Our students really appreciate not being cooped up in their classrooms all the time.

Learn more about research in the Department of Archaeology and Art Sciences

O. : You recently became co-director of the Association égyptologique Reine Élisabeth. What's it all about?

R.P.: It's an association bringing together Belgian Egyptologists, founded nearly 100 years ago by Jean Capart.

Image
Photo de René Preys devant des hiéroglyphes

Jean Capart, the "father" of Belgian Egyptologists, did his early studies at the Faculties of Namur.

René preys Professor

This famous Belgian Egyptologist accompanied Queen Elisabeth, wife of King Albert 1st, on her visit to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Jean Capart, the "father" of Belgian Egyptologists, did his early studies at the Facultés de Namur (today's UNamur). Egyptology studies didn't exist in Belgium a hundred years ago, so he went to study in Paris. On his return to Belgium, he created the very first chair in Egyptology. He was also curator of the Egyptological section of the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels. The Queen Elisabeth Egyptological Association has a scientific objective. Creating exchanges between researchers, publishing scientific articles, as well as an objective more focused on the general public: raising the profile of Egypt through exhibitions, conferences, etc.

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O. : You combine teaching and research duties. Do you travel regularly to Egypt?

R.P.: Combining the role of teacher with the scientific aspect is obviously a challenge. But I manage to go to Egypt at least once a year, for a month at a time. I work on various archaeological sites. I'm researching three temples in particular: firstly, the great temple of the god Amun at Karnak. This is the largest and best-known temple in Egypt, managed by the Franco-Egyptian Centre for the Study of the Temples of Karnak. I'm also working with a Swiss and German team on the Greco-Roman temple of Kôm Ombo. Finally, the last site, and my personal favorite, is the temple of Denderah. It is dedicated to the goddess Hathor, goddess of love and fertility. She is also considered the mother of the solar god. For the ancient Egyptians, she therefore played a very important role in the continuation of the solar cycle. I completed my doctoral thesis on this temple and am now fortunate enough to be able to work on it in collaboration with the Institut français d'Archéologie orientale.

Sophie Arc

The EOS program - The Excellence of science

The EOS program aims to promote joint research between researchers from the Flemish and French-speaking communities by funding joint basic research projects (FNRS and FWO) in all scientific disciplines.

Logo du programme EOS - The excellence of science

This article is taken from the "Expert" section of Omalius magazine #33 (June 2024).

Couverture Omalius#33

Candidate mandates

Eight researchers have been awarded an aspirant mandate to start doctoral research:

  • Ilario AMATO, Dorian HÈNE, Violaine PIENGEON and Camille PONSARD from the Faculty of Science,
  • Hadrien COUSIN from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters,
  • Aline NARDI from the Faculty of Law
  • Angela LÜLLE and Elena PEREZ VELASCO from the Faculty of Economic, Social and Management Sciences.

The success rate of our doctoral researchers is 30%!

Postdoctoral research fellowships

At postdoctoral researcher level, UNamur is proud to welcome eight new research fellows for a 3-year term (success rate: 30%).

These are

  • Andrea BONVICINI, Damien DETRAUX and Louise THINES from the Faculty of Sciences
  • Hannah DE CORTE, Angela COSSU, Silverio FRANZONI and Mounir HABACHY from the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters
  • Juliette CRESPIN BOUCAUD from the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences.

In addition, Mr Vincent LIEGEOIS has been promoted to the title of "Maître de recherches".

Télévie call

The Télévie call has enabled Professor Carine MICHIELS to obtain funding to further research aimed at improving the radiotherapeutic approach to inducing systemic anti-tumor immunity after local irradiation.

Logo du Télévie - un coeur rouge

Grants for scientific publications

Let's also mention the receipt of a subsidy for scientific publications (periodicals), one for Benoît CHAMPAGNE and the second for Carolin MAYER.

Congratulations to them!

All news

Agenda

  • 27
  • 05

Spring open courses

Corporate event

Spring open courses

Futurs étudiants
27
08:30 - 5
16:30
Rue de Bruxelles, 85 - 5000 Namur
Contact person :  Info études

7 days to discover the daily life of students

During the secondary school vacations, UNamur opens the doors of its auditoriums for you to live a few hours or a few days with students, attend classes (over 300 hours available), take part in practical work, meet professors and explore the city and campus.

Cours ouverts de printemps 2025

In practice

Who are open courses for?

Open courses are open to all, although they are primarily aimed at secondary school students to help them take that first step in exploring higher education.

What is the schedule for open courses?

Courses are open from February 27 to Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 08:30 to 16:30.

To find out the precise timetable and location of each course, please visit the Info études service (Rue de Bruxelles, 85 5000 Namur), 15 minutes before the start of the course.

The provisional program is available 15 days before the start of open courses.

How to meet a guidance counselor

You have the opportunity to meet a guidance counselor at the guidance workshop scheduled for Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 1:30 to 4:00 pm.

The aim of this workshop is to help you think about the guidance process, gain a better understanding of the higher education landscape and define the main markers in the process of clarifying your project (educational and professional).

Our advisor is also available by appointment for a one-to-one meeting throughout the week of open courses and outside of it.

Do you have to register to take part?

Access to open courses is without prior registration.

To participate in the orientation workshop, however, online registration is mandatory and will be available some ten days before the start of the open courses.

Who organizes the open courses?

Open courses are organized by Info études, the service that provides information on all matters relating to choice of studies, prerequisites, reorientation, gateways, course curricula, job opportunities, additional training, recognition of prior learning... or any general questions about university life in Namur.

12

Francqui Chair 2024-2025 in the Department of History - Inaugural lecture

Colloquium

Francqui Chair 2024-2025 in the Department of History - Inaugural lecture

Histoire
12
18:00 - 20:00
Université de Namur - Auditoire L12 - Faculté de philosophie et lettres - 5000 Namur
Contact person :  Rochet Bénédicte

Jan Dumolyn, Professor of History at Ghent University, is in charge of the inaugural lesson of the 2024-2025 Francqui Chair of the History Department at UNamur: "Een canon, een verhaal en de kritiek", a popularization of "national" history in Belgium and Flanders.

"Urban history and social tensions: the Southern Netherlands before 1302", is the theme of this 2024-2025 Francqui Chair of the UNamur History Department.

Visuel de la Chaire Francqui 2025 en Histoire
13

French and Romance Languages and Literature students meet Julia Kerninon

Colloquium

French and Romance Languages and Literature students meet Julia Kerninon

Langues et littératures classiques
13
17:00 - 21:00
Université de Namur - Auditoire L03 - 5000 Namur
Contact person :  Sinte Aurélie

On Thursday March 13, French author and translator Julia Kerninon (Liv Maria, Sauvage, Ma dévotion, ...) will talk about her latest book (Le passé est ma saison préférée) and how her academic background (she holds a PhD in American literature) led her to a career as a novelist. As a prelude to this conference, students from Langues et Littératures Françaises et Romanes will present a reading aloud of some extracts from the author's books.

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Visuel de la rencontre avec Julia Kerninon

Program

  • 5-6pm: Student read-aloud
  • 6-7:30pm: Lecture by Julia Kerninon
  • 7:30pm-9pm: Drink

Conference and performance aimed at students but open to all, interns and externs. Free but reservation required (aurelie.sinte@unamur.be)

All events