Geology students at UNamur are encouraged to continue their studies at another university after completing their bachelor’s degree. This transition has been successful, as recently confirmed by two professors from KULeuven who visited the students.
In early May, three former geology students from UNamur returned to the Faculty of Sciences to share their experiences of the master’s program at KULeuven with second- and third-year undergraduate students. Joining them were two professors from the Flemish university who had traveled to present their program.
Positive feedback from these alumni: “The bachelor’s program at UNamur provides very comprehensive preparation for further studies. During our first two semesters at KU Leuven, we didn’t feel any need to catch up,” explain Arthur and Guilhem, two Master’s students at KU Leuven. “Beyond the linguistic differences, which are real opportunities, we found a close relationship with the faculty, a flexible curriculum, and direct access to research. “The KU Leuven program perfectly complements our studies at UNamur by opening doors to the Flemish region and offering expanded professional opportunities, particularly through internships and a global reputation in research,” the two students continue.
“We are very pleased to see that our former students are doing well at other universities, including in environments where English is not their first language,” says Johan Yans, professor and chair of the Department of Geology.
At KU Leuven, the situation is similar. Faculty members praise the quality of students trained at UNamur and their ability to adapt quickly: “Our program shares many similarities with the one in Namur. This is also reflected in the skills acquired by UNamur graduates, such as optical microscopy. Since the master’s program is taught in English, there is no language barrier either. UNamur graduates have no trouble integrating with KU Leuven graduates,” confirm Robert Speijer and Manuel Sintubin, professors of geology at KU Leuven.
Third-year undergraduate students at UNamur and KU Leuven can already broaden their horizons through the Erasmus Belgica program.
This meeting also highlights broader collaborations between the two universities. Joint research projects have already been launched, particularly on the evolution of fossil faunas, and could continue in the future with the recent appointment of Professor Max Collinet, who specializes in planetary science. He is also involved in evaluating and supervising theses for this same Master’s program.
Starting in the 2028–2029 academic year, the Bachelor’s degree in Geological Sciences will be renamed the “Bachelor’s degree in Geosciences” at universities in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.