On September 25, UNamur welcomed Willy Borsus, Vice-President of Wallonia and Minister of Research and Innovation, to present these facilities and discuss collaborations with the research and development departments of Walloon companies.
In the photo, foreground from left to right: Annick Castiaux, Willy Borsus, and Carine Michiels. Background from left to right: Stéphane Lucas, Guillaume Berionni, Bao-Lian Su, and Yoann Olivier.
Annick Castiaux, Rector of UNamur, began the visit with a presentation of the partnerships and collaborations with Walloon companies, showing in particular that UNamur graduates are well integrated into Walloon companies. University education is constantly reinventing itself, in particular to better adapt to the realities of business.
This is certainly the case at UNamur, where courses are taught by entrepreneurs and business leaders, bringing a practical dimension to the curriculum. Examples include initiatives in the Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences and Management and the Faculty of Computer Science. On the other hand, courses are offered in the evening, at staggered times, to enable continuing education for workers who are busy with their jobs during the day.
The Rector discussed the role of research in innovation, but also in job creation and the socio-economic benefits for Wallonia through patents, licenses, and support for the creation of spin-offs.
The UNamur Research Administration is specifically responsible for this aspect. The Rector highlighted the dynamism and excellence of UNamur researchers, which has enabled them to obtain regional funding (for example, through the Win4Doc program set up by SPW Recherche).
The afternoon continued with a visit to the MORPH-IM (Morphology and Imaging) Technology Platform (PFT), where Professor Henri-François Renard, head of the PFT, explained to the Minister the many services offered to Walloon companies such as Straticell, Volition, GSK, and ATB Therapeutics.
