The teaching team’s project had two objectives: to give students hands-on experience with current issues in software quality and to produce an overview that would be useful to academics and professionals in the field. Rather than limiting themselves to analyzing existing practices, the students were fully involved in an applied research project, ranging from the design of a measurement tool to the analysis and dissemination of results. This approach fostered active learning, centered on collaboration, critical thinking, and an understanding of real-world practices in the field.

The project began with an in-depth analysis of the scientific literature and leading international reports on software development. This phase helped identify the key themes to be investigated: team organization, methodologies, testing practices, automation, documentation, artificial intelligence, security, technologies, and developer experience.

Based on this, a 78-question survey was collaboratively developed through an iterative process during joint sessions involving students and faculty. Particular attention was paid to the clarity of the questions, their relevance, and their alignment with the practices observed within various organizations that presented their approaches as part of the course.

The survey was distributed between April and July 2025 to software development professionals in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation through academic and industry networks. A total of 52 respondents from organizations of various sizes and sectors (SMEs, mid-sized companies, large corporations, and the public sector) participated in the study. Once the survey was completed, the collected data underwent rigorous analysis by researchers at the SNAIL laboratory, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, before being synthesized and contextualized in the final report.

The SNAIL Report 2025 provides a structured overview of software development practices in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Among the trends highlighted are:

• widespread adoption of Agile approaches;
• a central role for collaborative tools and code reviews;
• widespread use of testing practices and automation via CI/CD pipelines;
• the growing integration of artificial intelligence into development activities;
• as well as persistent challenges regarding the formalization of practices, documentation, security, and training.

The report also highlights the importance of human and organizational factors in software quality, particularly collaboration, accountability, and team autonomy.

Beyond the results presented, this initiative illustrates the value of an educational approach based on the co-construction of knowledge, the close link between teaching and research, and openness to the professional world.

For the students, the project was a formative experience, allowing them to develop technical, methodological, and analytical skills while gaining an understanding of current challenges in software development. For the University of Namur, it is a concrete example of how pedagogical innovations can be leveraged to support teaching and research missions.

Transformative Service Research (TSR) examines the transformative power of services in the lives of individuals, communities, and society. It focuses on how service systems—whether public, health, educational, digital, or technological—can serve as drivers of well-being, inclusion, and social justice. Moving beyond a vision focused solely on organizational performance, TSR places fundamental issues such as equity, access, dignity, the reduction of vulnerabilities, and the creation of positive societal impact at the heart of its analysis. It thus invites us to rethink services not only as spaces for exchange, but as instruments of transformation for a more just, inclusive, and humane society.

Flamure Ibrahimi’s research is rooted in this transformative perspective and focuses on corruption in service interactions involving frontline employees or service providers, particularly its implications for vulnerable and underserved populations. Shaped by her personal journey as the daughter of refugees who did everything they could to rebuild their lives in a new country with limited resources, Flamure became aware at a very early age of the essential role that service systems play in access to rights, recognition, dignity, and well-being. This experience inspired her interest in the ethical and societal dimensions of service systems.

Her doctoral thesis examines corruption beyond its legal, structural, or normative aspects, focusing instead on the phenomenon from a more interactional, process-oriented, ethical, and behavioral perspective.  Her current research, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Wafa Hammedi (University of Namur), Prof. Dr. Linda Alkire (Texas State University), and Prof. Dr. Gazi Islam (Grenoble Ecole de Management), further explores this perspective.  In the context of frontline service interactions, corruption can impair access to essential resources and undermine mechanisms of equity and trust. While these effects affect all users, they are particularly pronounced for people in vulnerable situations or from underserved populations, for whom access to services is often a decisive factor in their life trajectories.

ServCollab is an international nonprofit organization at the forefront of global research in Service Research. Founded under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Raymond P. Fisk, a leading pioneer in the field, the organization draws on a network of top academic experts to translate scientific theory into drivers of societal impact. Transformative Service Research (TSR) is based on the idea that individuals operate within service systems that shape their access to resources and their well-being. When these systems malfunction, they can lead to inequality and suffering. The ServCollab Scholarship is awarded following a selection process by a jury composed of eminent researchers in this field, and supports doctoral students whose research aligns with this perspective and contributes to the betterment of humanity. 

Their book "Cinématech - Twenty Works to Understand Digital Technology" is primarily educational in nature, as it allows readers to better understand digital technology and its challenges. But the originality of the approach chosen by the two authors makes it both entertaining and informative. 

"The idea is simple: use 20 films and series to illustrate the history of digital technology, three important technologies (AI, robotics, XR) and their challenges. To do this, we start with Terminator, Her, Wall-E, Minority Report, and many others to make these subjects accessible," explains Anthony Simonofski, Professor in the Faculty of Economics, Management, Political Science, and Communication (EMCP).

"With the book, we can expand on the podcast's content, providing greater consistency and scientific references," explains Benoit Vanderose, professor in the Faculty of Computer Science. 

This new book is aimed at three audiences: 

• Those who want to better understand digital technology without jargon
• Film buffs curious to see their favorite works from a different angle
• Teachers and trainers looking for concrete materials to discuss digital technology in the classroom

The "Credits & Projects" call for proposals resulted in 12 grants being awarded for ambitious new projects. These include two "equipment" grants, eight "research credits (CDR)" grants, and two "research projects (PDR)" grants, one of which is in collaboration with the ULB. The FRIA call for doctoral research support will fund eleven doctoral scholarships and the FRESH call will fund three. 

Two prestigious Scientific Impulse Mandates (MIS) were also obtained. This three-year funding supports young permanent researchers who wish to develop an original and innovative research program by acquiring scientific autonomy within their department.  

We would also like to highlight the two projects funded under the "WelCHANGE" call, a funding instrument for research projects with potential societal impact, led by a principal investigator in the humanities and social sciences.

Call for Equipment  

• Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute, Co-promoter in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Luca Fusaro, NISM Institute 

Call for Research Grants (CDR) 

• Marc Hennequart, NARILIS Institute
• Nicolas Gillet, NARILIS Institute
• Jean-Yves Matroule, NARILIS Institute
• Patricia Renard, NARILIS Institute
• Francesco Renzi, NARILIS Institute
• Stéphane Vincent, NISM Institute
• Laurence Meurant, NaLTT Institute
• Emma-Louise Silva, NaLTT Institute  

Call for Research Projects (PDR) 

• Jérémy Dodeigne, Transitions Institute, Co-supervisor in collaboration with ULB
• Luc Henrard, NISM Institute; Co-supervisor: Yoann Olivier, NISM Institute 

Fund for Training in Research in Industry and Agriculture (FRIA)

• Emma Bongiovanni - Supervisor: Catherine Michaux, NISM Institute
• Simon Chabot - Supervisor: Carine Michiels, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Anne-Catherine Heuskin, Narilis Institute
• Lee Denis - Supervisor: Muriel Lepère, ILEE Institute
• Maé Desclez - Supervisor: Johan Yans, ILEE Institute; Co-supervisor: Hamed Pourkhorsandi (University of Toulouse)
• Pierre Lombard - Supervisor: Benoît Muylkens, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Damien Coupeau, Narilis Institute
• Amandine Pecquet - Supervisor: Nicolas Gillet, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Damien Coupeau, Narilis Institute
• Kilian Petit - Supervisor: Henri-François Renard, Narilis Institute; Co-supervisor: Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute
• Simon Rouxhet - Supervisor: Catherine Michaux, NISM Institute; Co-supervisor: Nicolas Gillet, Narilis Institute
• William Soulié - Supervisor: Yoann Olivier, NISM Institute
• Elisabeth Wanlin - Supervisor: Xavier De Bolle, Narilis Institute
• Laura Willam - Supervisor: Frédérik De Laender, ILEE Institute 

Fund for Research in the Humanities (FRESH) 

• Louis Droussin - Supervisor: Arthur Borriello, Transitions Institute; Co-supervisor: Vincent Jacquet, Transitions Institute
• Nicolas Larrea Avila - Supervisor: Guilhem Cassan, DeFIPP Institute
• Victor Sluyters – Supervisor: Wafa Hammedi, NADI Institute
• Amandine Leboutte - Co-supervisor: Erika Wauthia (UMons); Co-supervisor: Cédric Vanhoolandt, IRDENa Institute.

Scientific Impulse Mandate (MIS) 

• Charlotte Beaudart, Narilis Institute
• Eli Thoré ILEE Institute 

WelCHANGE Call  

• Nathalie Burnay Transitions Institute, in collaboration with UCLouvain
• Catherine Guirkinger, DeFIPP Institute

Congratulations to all!