Chapter 2 March 2021 - ISite ULNE
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[ Chapter 2 ]
March 2021
OUR FOUNDING INSTITUTIONS
Vivre mieux
plus longtemps
OUR SPONSORS
This publication was made possible through the financial support of the French government via the Investments for the Future Programme
(I-SITE ULNE/ANR-16-IDEX-0004 ULNE) administered by the French National Research Agency (ANR).
Photo credits: University of Lille, INSERM, Cyril Frésillon/CNRS Photo Library, S. Jarry/Istock2021
Design and development: Caillé associés
2
CONTENTS
04
Foreword
06
Educational
08
Strengthening
innovation: a partnerships with
central focus area I-SITE ULNE’s
for I-SITE ULNE international
partners
10
A project in sync
12
Promoting
14
An institution
with the social research and centred around
and economic disseminating large-scale
challenges of the knowledge in the projects
region outside world
16
Four Lille
18
Placing
laboratories interdisciplinarity at
named the heart of projects
Laboratories and programmes
of excellence
(Labex)
3
I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2
Foreword
THE UNIVERSITY OF LILLE 2022:
looking ahead toward the transition
a number of challenges, including having
to adapt to a change in its managing
director in the spring of 2018, a shift in
the institutional makeup of the project
required by the ANR in the fall of 2018,
and, more recently, the consequences of
the pandemic.
Each of these hurdles was overcome
Gilberte Chambaud, through widespread participation
President from everyone involved - not just from
operational staff, but also from the
of I-SITE ULNE Foundation’s Board of Directors. Every
decision has been made in concert
with the legal representatives of the
T
institutions, taking care to achieve a
broad consensus and ensure the greatest
“Every decision aking an active role possible transparency at every turn.
in the deep structural
has been made in transformations in Higher To achieve our aim of furthering
concert with the legal Education Institutions (HEIs) environmental, economic, and societal
representatives of the called for by the French changes, four initiatives combining
government, the HEIs of research, training, and international social
institutions, taking Greater Lille formed the I-SITE ULNE and economic partnerships - our “hubs
care to achieve a broad initiative, which officially received the of excellence” - were created to structure
consensus and ensure I-SITE label in February 2017 for a period our priority areas of activity: “precision
of four years. This Initiative of Excellence health”, “science for a changing planet”,
the greatest possible (IDEX) project showcases every aspect “the human-friendly digital world”, and
transparency at every of the national I-SITE label - Science, “changing culture, societies and practices”.
turn.” Innovation, Territory, and Economy - with a These initiatives stand out through their
focus on the transitions needed to respond forward-thinking approach and their
to the sweeping changes taking place in commitment to applying interdisciplinary
society. solutions by combining the diverse areas
of expertise possessed by the site’s
The result was a vibrant group composed research units.
of the University of Lille, Greater Lille’s This commitment was put to the test with
Grandes Ecoles, Lille University Hospital, the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in
and several Public Scientific and Technical March 2020, as the site collectively set out
Research Establishments (EPSTs), with an to find the solutions required, mobilising a
annual budget allocation totalling €15m. €2m budget to fund 21 research projects
In January 2018, the Foundation and its that were selected and financed in under
governance were created to manage the two months.
project.
This initial period was rich in exchanges The strategic location of the Hauts-de-
between communities with different France region has enabled I-SITE ULNE
cultures who, although they already knew to take advantage of its strong ties with
and had been in contact with one another, foreign universities, driven by a cross-
were now given the opportunity to work border network with KU Leuven and Ghent
side by side in the service of a shared University in Belgium and the University of
project. The Foundation was faced with Kent in the United Kingdom.
4
Together, they have jointly conducted
research projects within the context
3 questions with
of numerous student and researcher
exchanges and joint PhD programmes.
Because one important aspect of the Régis Bordet
I-SITE’s activities is training and education,
over ten large-scale projects in the area Managing Director
of educational innovation have received of I-SITE ULNE
support, including the creation of the Lille
Learning Lab in collaboration with our
partners at KU Leuven and UC Louvain.
This focus on education has also taken
the form of equipping campuses to
enable hybrid learning - which, for obvious I-SITE ULNE’s trial period training, international visibility, and ties
reasons, became a priority during the with society and the business world.
is scheduled to end in March.
current pandemic. We have been working on this survey
Has a timeline for future
since the start of the academic year.
The transformation of the graduate level milestones been established? It will provide suggestions for new
of studies through interdisciplinary and Yes, the SGPI and the ANR have large-scale projects that will serve as
international programmes was recently announced that in the third week of a trajectory of sorts for the decade to
approved within the context of the SFRI January 2022, a committee will organise come. I-SITE ULNE’s leaders will also
call for proposals, reserved solely for an assessment to determine whether participate in further structuring the
member sites of the IDEX. final approval will be granted. An on-site organisational model of the future EPI at
visit by part of the committee will take a crucial moment for the site’s future.
Lastly, as one of the key aims of place in late November 2021. In the
universities is to foster innovation meantime, the end of the trial period is
and serve as a bridge to pass on this slated for 24 March 2021, and on Can you describe roughly what
innovation to the industrial and economic 30 July 2021, we will submit an the initial trajectory for these
world, I-SITE ULNE, with the unwavering assessment and planning report to the projects will be?
support of the Hauts-de-France Region, committee for evaluation. In April 2021, The risk with an EPI as big as the one
was able to implement apprenticeship the articles of association of the future in Lille is that each department and
programmes and create industrial Experimental Public Institution (EPI) will institution can continue working on its
university chairs in collaboration with need to be approved by the boards of own, independently, without a project to
partner firms. directors of the University of Lille and bring them all together.
Numerous steps have already been taken the other member institutions, to be It will be I-SITE ULNE’s role to spark
to enable the upcoming creation of the published by the ministry in the months large-scale initiatives bringing together
University of Lille 2022 in just a few short thereafter, with the creation officially set different faculties and institutes,
months, even if several crucial institutional for 1 January 2022. institutions, and research units in
milestones remain. Involvement has come Elections held in mid November 2021 a comprehensive interdisciplinary
from every side, particularly thanks to the will select the team who will take over approach to issues related to
numerous inter-institutional programmes the EPI and argue before the committee transitions.
that have, with the support of the that we should be allowed to keep our A few examples come to mind:
Foundation, enabled partners to come label. sustainable public policies in the service
together in the service of a shared vision. of transition, innovative engineering
Obstacles have been shattered, new ways What will the I-SITE’s leadership for tailor-made healthcare, etc. It is
of working together have become the do during this time? by promoting a culture of ambitious
norm, and a strong local dynamic has First and foremost, they will need to initiatives that ULNE will be able to
taken shape to prepare, in ideal conditions, establish a comprehensive survey of take its place on the national and
the advent of an entirely new university in all the activities made possible and international stage and train its students
Lille. supported, so that this can be expressed for careers that will enable them to face
in memorable terms, from research to - and change - a complex world!
5
I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2
Education
EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION
A central focus area
for I-SITE ULNE
Coordinated and funded Operated in conjunction with various This project will also repurpose existing
by I-SITE ULNE, the Lille partners from the world of research and spaces to suit evolving needs and
higher education (including KU Leuven, teaching and learning methods.
Learning Lab (LLL) is part UC Louvain, the TELS* chair, and the For instance, a traditional auditorium
of the overall strategy for LearningLab network), the Lille Learning at the faculty of pharmacology will be
educational transformation Lab project offers a network of training transformed into a hybrid collaborative
and work spaces in Lille entirely devoted learning space.
within the University. to testing and disseminating innovative This will enable both traditional
teaching practices. transmissive modes of teaching and
In addition to existing spaces such as the quick reorganisation of the room to
the one at the Cité Scientifique campus, allow students to be broken down into
the LLL will eventually feature locations groups.
on three campuses, with a strong focus
on interdisciplinarity and coherency:
- the Villeneuve d’Ascq Pont-de-Bois
campus (central location of the
project);
- the Faculty of Law and Political
Science (FSJPS) in the Moulins district
of Lille;
- the Lille University Hospital and
Medical School’s “Campus Santé”.
Encouraging pedagogical thinking
These labs integrate technologies in a
“The aim of educational
creative way to foster innovation and
innovation is to foster student
encourage pedagogical thinking, with the
success by offering the right
aim being to: learning paths for each type of
- Offer a network of innovative training student, whether in traditional
and work spaces; or in remedial education
- Create a favourable environment for programmes, as well as to help
training and assisting research faculty; teaching staff learn to adapt their
- Enable exchanges of best practices teaching methods.”
within the community to allow a shared
culture to emerge; Christophe Mondou,
- Offer tools that simplify learning Vice-President of Academic
analytics research in order to improve Programmes at the University
practices and spark questioning. of Lille
*Technology Enhanced Learning Spaces
6
A TELS chair on connected Equipping classrooms with
learning spaces coordinated by an cameras
expert from KU Leuven To encourage hybrid classrooms in the - regular “proactive” support sessions to
Since the start of November 2020, I-SITE wake of the COVID-19 epidemic, I-SITE allow users to discover, begin using, and
ULNE has been home to Annalies Raes, ULNE’s Board of Directors decided to master advanced features of Moodle.
researcher in Education and Educational grant €710,000 in funding to install video - personalised or individualised “reactive”
Technology at KU Leuven. cameras in many of the classrooms support on the ways the platform’s
At the head of the TELS chair, she will be of Greater Lille’s higher education features can be used in a classroom
tasked with coordinating research from institutions. setting.
HEIs in Lille on the themes of innovative
digital learning spaces and learning Moodle for schools
analytics. In a context in which digital life and the
She will also bring her expertise and use of digital technology in education
experience to assist with the creation of have become ever more institutionalised
the Lille Learning Lab. within schools and HEIs, the “Moodle for
schools” project aims to use the Moodle
platform to promote, support, and sustain
the systematic use of technologies that
allow teaching content and learning PROFFIteROLE:
activities to be digitalised.
the icing on the cake
Overseen by the digital and educational
assistance department of Centrale Lille, With financial support from I-SITE
this project brings together teams of ULNE’s Educational Innovation
professors from the National School of Fund, PROFFIteROLE** is a
Chemistry of Lille (ENSCL), the National platform capable of automatically
“The research will be rooted in a
School of Textile Arts and Industries generating a variety of different
design-based research methodology.
This methodology has been proven to (ENSAIT), and the National School of teaching materials (flash cards,
contribute both to enhancing scientific Architecture and Landscape of Lille quizzes, serious game components,
knowledge and to improving educational (ENSAPL). This programme, in place competitive tools based on more
programmes and learning.” since January 2020 at the ENSCL and traditional linear media, etc.)
ENSAIT and since the start of the 2020- from a single document. This
Annelies Raes, 2021 academic year at the ENSAPL, saves significant amounts of
iTEC research laboratory (KU Leuven) features two components: time at no extra cost. The system
allows modifications and updates
to the original document to be
automatically applied to the various
teaching materials derived from it,
rendering it possible to easily keep
them all up to date. PROFFIteROLE
also enables teachers to
automatically insert “sensors” to
engage in learning analytics in a way
far superior to what is possible with
platforms such as Moodle.
While it is currently used to train
pharmacists, the method used can
be deployed in other fields.
The Lille Learning Lab provides a network of training and work spaces in Lille.
2 million euros
invested in a
Learning Lab
14 An educational innovation fund has enabled
14 projects to receive nearly
3 million euros in funding
*Technology-Enhanced Learning Spaces & learning analytics
**Acronym for “PRatiques OFFIcinales et jeux de ROLE”
7
I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2
International
STRENGTHENING
partnerships with I-SITE ULNE’s
international partners
From providing funding for international academic chairs to
strengthening cross-border initiatives and bringing in international
talent, I-SITE ULNE is consolidating its international presence.
The humanities and Increased cross-border
social sciences go international! cooperation on joint research
To enable greater international visibility projects
for research in the humanities and social I-SITE ULNE funds a number of
sciences, I-SITE ULNE offers support to initiatives from the 3i network (the
further the development of international Interregional Internationalisation
networks for research projects falling Initiative) between the University of Lille,
within the scope of its “Changing Ghent University, the University of Kent,
cultures, societies and practices” hub. and KU Leuven.
In particular, it encourages networking
It also funds exceptional international between faculty and researchers
academic chairs, offering Lille’s through its short cross-border exchange
scientific community the opportunity programme. For instance, this funding
to develop privileged relationships with gave Gilles Maury, professor at the
internationally renowned researchers National School of Architecture and
brought to Lille for projects jointly put Landscape of Lille (ENSAPL), the
into place with their host laboratories. opportunity to work with a network of
In addition, the InclusU consortium, faculty members from three European
created in response to the “European schools of architecture. The aim was
Universities” call for proposals, has to encourage students to focus on how
enabled the University of Lille to join religious architecture can be repurposed
forces with six other academic partners* in France by assessing how architects
in Europe to research issues related to have gone about doing so in Belgium
inclusion and vulnerability. and the UK.
Funding from the French and German Nearly twenty Master’s students
governments will enable the teams were given the opportunity to visit
to move forward with this project in the University of Kent’s School of
perfect harmony with I-SITE ULNE’s Architecture and take part in an event
“Vulnerability and inclusion” cluster. with the architect Terry Farrell in which
Studying how the young people of Europe move
Winner of the European and International Studies CEI, the HYPEM** project, coordinated by François Potdevin of
the URePSSS*** research laboratory, aims to identify the physical and athletic activities in which young adults in
Europe prefer to engage in different countries. Understanding this phenomenon can help reveal the individual and
cultural reasons young people take part in physical activity, at a time when many stop exercising at the start of their
university studies. Adapted to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study will survey a sample of first-year
students at fourteen European partner universities via a multilingual website. Interviews will also be conducted
remotely on typical profiles. Quantitative and qualitative analysis should then render it possible to measure the effect
of living in different European regions on the way people engage in athletic activity.
8
54
joint PhD candi-
dates from the 3i
cross-border network
400
exchange grants
funded
Workshops featuring students from three different European architecture schools.
the students were able to examine the Eric Hittinger. An expert in public policy
broader context of the transformation and economics in the area of electricity
of architectural heritage in the United in technology, Hittinger’s work aims to
Kingdom. better grasp the benefits and limitations
of emerging technologies, and particularly
Bringing talented researchers to energy storage, electric vehicles, and
Lille renewable energy sources.
The Catalysis and Solid-State Chemistry “I-SITE ULNE’s support offers
*Malmö University (Sweden), the University of Minho
Research Unit (UCCS - UMR 8181), has (Portugal), the European University Viadrina (Germany),
the experts from its member
hosted two Brazilian researchers for Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania), the University of institutions the opportunity
several months, Fabio Bellot Noronha Wroclaw (Poland), and Mykolas Romeris University to structure and consolidate
(expert in heterogeneous catalysis and
(Lithuania). their networks of European and
**How do the Young People of Europe Move?
biosourced hydrogen production), and ***Sport, Health, and Society Pluridisciplinary Research
international partners.
Ivaldo Itabaiana (expert in biocatalysis Unit A large-scale international
and medical bionanotechnology), for the research project can’t be built
in a single day.
CatBioInnov project funded by the Lille
These ‘jump-start’ funding
European Metropolis (MEL), I-SITE ULNE,
instruments are crucial to learning
and the Hauts-de-France Region.
to forge stronger ties, identify
The project is based on the concept of points of complementarity and
a “zero-waste” biorefinery, and aims to connections between partner
develop flexible and modular processes groups, and foster the emergence
to use every component of a given of ambitious projects.”
biomass. Within the scope of this same
project, the Laboratory of Electrical Pauline Ravinet,
Engineering and Power Electronics (L2EP) Vice President for European
has hosted the American researcher Affairs, University of Lille
A joint PhD project with KU Leuven
The Internet of Things as an enabler of a circular economy:
Is the current liability regime fit for purpose?
A PhD student in a joint PhD programme, Elias Van Gool’s thesis work is supervised by Denis Voinot of the University
of Lille and Evelyn Terrin of KU Leuven. The topic of his thesis is the adaptation of the legal system to allow the
Internet of Things to contribute to a more sustainable economy - and, more specifically, a circular economy. The
complexity of the system and the diverse nature of those involved in it complicates the division of liability among
them. The aim of this study is to reveal whether the current European Union product liability system allows the
Internet of Things to fully play its part as a catalyst for the circular economy.
9
I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2 Society and
the economy
A PROJECT IN SYNC
with the social and economic challenges
of the region
I-SITE ULNE conducts
activities in collaboration
with the Hauts-de-France
Region, the Lille European
Metropolis (MEL), and SATT
Nord. The aim: increase
the number and scope of
innovative projects related
to society and the economy
at large.
Twenty-nine innovative
companies were created in 2019
in association with I-SITE ULNE’s
member institutions and the
The Hackatech 2020 event held at Lille’s Euratechnologies, Eurasanté,
Chamber of Commerce in March 2020. Blanchemaille, Euralimentaire,
Plaine Images, Cré’innov, and APUI
business incubators. Ten are the
fruit of or are related to ULNE
research, two of which have a
Fostering entrepreneurial culture licence with SATT Nord.
Inria - Hackatech 2020 An example: Zymoptiq, a
To encourage the creation of new biotechnology firm co-founded by
startups in the area of digital technology, Alexis Vlandas of the University of
I-SITE ULNE supported the Hackatech Lille’s IEMN research laboratory,
event, which was organised and offers world-class enzymatic testing
overseen by researchers from the solutions. Zymoptiq was a recipient
Inria and the University of Lille. It of a Start-up Force Award from
was broken down into four phases: I-SITE ULNE.
conceptualisation, project launch, a
54-hour sprint, and support for projects
over six months. Hackatech brought
together fourteen teams and 117 by Eurasanté (twelve interdisciplinary
participants (corporate employees, corporate projects and involvement
students, PhD students, entrepreneurs, from 150 students) and support
and researchers). for eight winning projects over five
months.
Let’s grow deeptech - Helping PhD students discover the
By partnering with the regional project world of entrepreneurship:
selected for the Bpifrance “SATT • A two-day event organised by the
integration, incubators, and accelerators” Doctoral College for 600 first-year
call for proposals coordinated by PhD students and their thesis
Eurasanté, I-SITE ULNE is supporting supervisors featuring conferences,
two key aims: first-hand accounts, and workshops.
- Attracting students to entrepreneurship • The launch of a “Start Your PhD”
and deeptech (technological contest by SATT Nord for 2nd- and
breakthrough innovation): 48-hour 3rd-year PhD students, followed by
creativity sessions (bootcamps) held support for selected projects.
10“Chicory, a plant that is emblematic of
the North of France, has brought together
passionate individuals from both the private
sector and academia to work on shared
health- and nutrition-related projects. This
rich, people-centric venture has today
resulted in the creation of a joint research
team. There is no doubt that this new team,
organised flexibly to leave ample room for
creativity, is just one of many phases in
what will become a long-term partnership.”
Bruno Desprez,
CEO of Florimond Desprez
the programme and received their
Encouraging partnerships headquartered in Cappelle-en-Pévèle, diplomas on 28 September 2020.
between the private sector and and the expertise in plant biotechnology A new session, offered remotely, began
academia and functional genomics of the Charles on 6 November, which also offers an
The RECONVERT industrial chair Viollette Institute. E-health curriculum.
Coordinated by Arnaud Doniec and The objective: to create new varieties
Emmanuel Lemelin of IMT Lille-Douai, of chicory and develop new ingredients. Lille Innovation & Business Academy:
this chair offers an approach that better The underlying aim is to improve the “Sharing excellence through the
enables the selective deconstruction plant’s qualities in terms of nutrition circular economy”
of buildings by organising the flow of (health benefits), taste (bitterness), and The goal of this training programme,
products and materials created through physiology (the plant’s natural defence created especially for professionals, is to
the process to allow them to be better mechanisms). offer sustainable solutions to the issue
reused and recycled locally. This research laboratory is jointly funded of the qualifications and skills required
Master’s students, corporate executives, by the ERDF and I-SITE ULNE. by the arrival of the circular bioeconomy.
and researchers came together in a A research-backed interdisciplinary
collaborative approach to innovation that educational offering, the programme is
took the form of “creative labs”. Offering educational programmes centred around three pilot modules:
Cofunded by the Lille European that account for the needs of “reinventing my business by thinking
Metropolis and I-SITE ULNE, the businesses of life cycles”, “managing change in
RECONVERT project brings together University Certification (DU) in Health a circular economy”, and “Industry
an exhaustive value chain through its Entrepreneurship (University of Lille in 4.0: New manufacturing tools for the
partners: three research laboratories collaboration with Eurasanté) chemicals of the future”.
from the University of Lille (CRIStAL, To foster the creation of healthcare-
TVES, CLERSE), two research centres industry startups, I-SITE ULNE has Université de l’alternance
from IMT Lille-Douai (Materials and offered its support for the creation (“Dual education project”)
Processes and Digital Systems), five of this innovative interdisciplinary A project that aims to truly transform
companies (Rabot Dutilleul Construction, programme that combines theory and expand the offering in terms of
Nacarat, Suez, BatiRIM, Neo Eco), and practice. It includes a period of university apprenticeships and the
the Hauts-de-France Public Land- immersion within the companies services proposed to apprentices, faculty,
Management Corporation, and the themselves. It transmits a culture and businesses, the programme helps
Team2 competitiveness hub. of entrepreneurship to students in fund innovative initiatives created by
professionally oriented periods of their member institutions through a dedicated
The Chicory for One Health Joint studies (completing PhDs or in their final €500,000 fund allocated by I-SITE ULNE.
Research Team year of Master’s studies), researchers, By making innovation a focal point of
Coordinated by Caroline Rambaud healthcare professionals, and business its research and experiments, I-SITE
from the University of Lille, the executives, by offering a programme ULNE aims to render its educational
Chicory for One Health Joint Research that showcases the value of research programmes more attractive, showcase
Team (CHIC41H) brings together the through an innovative educational its areas of expertise, and respond to
genetic and plant-selection expertise experience. An initial class of seven the challenges of the new regulatory
of the company Florimond Desprez, students have successfully completed environment for 2022.
25 39
PhD theses co-funded incubated projects to be transferred to the private sector,
with companies and ERDF/ co-funded by the Hauts-de-France Region and SATT Nord,
Regional funds including 10 in the humanities and social sciences
11I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2 Scientific
events
PROMOTING “It is particularly beneficial for our
institution to be able to rely on strong
and recognised local expertise to
research build collaborative projects and
showcase the skills of our students.”
and disseminating knowledge Pierre Savary,
in the outside world Director of ESJ Lille
is no doubt that this event has enabled
the start of numerous exchanges between
research laboratories that might ultimately
lead to new collaborative projects.
The Transition(s) lecture series:
informing civic discourse and public
Lilloprojets, Transition(s) Lilloprojets: Creating policy
conferences, expertise interdisciplinary networks The Transition(s) lecture series, open to the
In September 2019, a networking general public, was launched in autumn
in scientific journalism, event was held that brought together 2020 with the arrival of Catherine Larrère,
scientific experience and members from a variety of backgrounds philosopher and professor emeritus at Paris I
events, etc. I-SITE ULNE in I-SITE ULNE’s research laboratories. Panthéon-Sorbonne University, a specialist
Created under the name “Lilloprojets”, it in ethical and political issues related to the
is committed to funding made a networking application available climate crisis and new technologies.
academic and scientific events to each participant. Approximately sixty She and her counterpart, Philippe Sabot,
to disseminate knowledge researchers from a variety of disciplines Professor of Modern Philosophy at the
were present. University of Lille, discussed the topic “The
outside of the academic The aim was to create a space for local Anthropocene: An era for transitions?”. This
community. academics to meet and initiate new series, scheduled for the 2020-2021 year,
interdisciplinary projects on the general will bring together experts from a variety
theme of transition. of specialities. The aim is to illustrate the
Among the collaborative projects, which challenges that I-SITE ULNE is working
were showcased on posters to aid in the to overcome in response to the different
search for local academic partners, three transitions that are taking place in its
were selected by a jury of PhD students region. Lectures are already scheduled to
and were granted funding in the form discuss the issue of shifts in gender and
of a Master’s scholarship. In addition to economic and social transitions.
the projects that received funding, there
Expertise in scientific journalism in
Lille
While the scientific expertise of Lille’s
research community is undeniable in many
subject areas, few are aware that the Lille
School of Journalism (ESJ) is one of the
rare journalism schools in France to offer
a scientific journalism programme. I-SITE
ULNE is naturally interested in showcasing
this aspect and promoting these skills, in
light of the scientific potential of its member
institutions. This has included putting the
directors of this programme in touch with
the media The Conversation, which it has
joined in order to work on shared projects.
12“When the pandemic struck, I was
contacted very early on by The
Conversation. We felt it was im-
portant to take part in the work of
this media outlet, which functions
in a collaborative way that helps
explain concepts that can be very
hard to grasp by having articles
verified by a scientific journalist,
who is there to help restate the
information in an intelligible way. It
is a very serious media outlet and
an excellent way of keeping our
fellow citizens informed.”
Anne Goffard,
Doctor and Virologist at the Lille
University Hospital
The 2020 Science Festival: Xpérium season 4 Held at the Lille Grand Palais event space,
An exceptional year with small A showcase for research partnerships this exhibition drew over 600 visitors over
workshops directly in schools! in Lille, Xpérium, housed at the LILLIAD two days and showcased a selection of
Since joining the higher education and Innovation Learning Centre in the centre approximately forty extremely diverse
research community in Lille, the I-SITE of the Cité Scientifique campus, offers projects in the areas of education, digital
ULNE Foundation has taken pride in an extraordinary experience to the technology, architectural heritage, health,
supporting local science outreach general public. It aims to allow visitors to and territorial studies.
initiatives, one of the most significant of discover the research currently underway
which is coordinated in large part by HEIs in Lille’s laboratories and to explain the
during the Science Festival (Fête de la fundamental principles and potential
science) that takes place each autumn. applications that it offers.
This year, the CNRS, the University of I-SITE ULNE contributes to the strategic
Lille, and the I-SITE ULNE Foundation, positioning of this important science Lille’s researchers in the headlines
outreach programme, which helps
who organise the “Science Village” of media outlet The Conversation
traditionally held at Lille’s Gare Saint increase the visibility of our researchers
In these hectic times, with science
Sauveur event space, had to show a bit throughout the local community.
constantly making headlines, the media
of creativity to adapt to the COVID-19 The programme for the fourth year,
outlet The Conversation, a champion of
crisis. “Kaleidoscope”, offered visitors a
academic expertise, showcases its worth
Researchers travelled directly to schools multifaceted view of images, which
by offering the general public free access
to meet with students from the local have been the topic of studies and
to reliable information based on scientific
area. Six schools hosted researchers innovations both in terms of technology
research.
from one research unit per day, who and society as a whole. Be it in the area
I-SITE ULNE’s participation in this media
led workshops in small groups while of law, history, sociology, philosophy,
outlet has resulted in heightened visibility
respecting social distancing measures. or the use of images and the role of
for the work of our local researchers,
Ten research laboratories took part in the human beings in the past, present, and
who contributed twice as often as last
event this year, with workshops on the future uses of images, this fourth year of
year, publishing nearly one hundred
theme of the relationship between human Xpérium showcased the vibrancy of Lille’s
articles in all! In particular, the expertise
beings and nature. research community in this strategic and
of specialists from Lille’s research
For the general public, one workshop highly active area of research.
community was showcased in nearly
per day was broadcast live at 12:15 p.m. twenty articles that helped readers
on the YouTube channel Sciences&Co, Providing support to allow understand particular aspects of the
a partner for this year’s rather unique academic events to be held in Lille COVID-19 crisis.
Science Festival, which ultimately was a With nearly thirty events sponsored since Anne Goffard, a virologist at Lille
great success! its creation, I-SITE ULNE has tirelessly University Hospital, was single-handedly
worked to make it possible to organise responsible for the publication of seven
outstanding academic events in Lille. articles on the topic, the first of which -
For instance, in May 2019, the city hosted entitled “What coronaviruses do to our
the “Innovatives SHS” exhibition. This bodies” - drew over 450,000 page views!
trade exhibition, created by the CNRS
in 2013, aims to showcase the ability
of researchers in the humanities and
social sciences to meet the needs of
society and transfer their findings to
local governments, associations, and
businesses.
13I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2 Inter-institutional
projects
AN INSTITUTION
centred around
large-scale projects
The future Experimental Public Institution (EPI), built around the “University of Lille 2022” project,
will bring together faculties, institutes, and other HEIs. The objective will be to foster interactions
between the EPI’s structures in order to work together on emblematic, meaningful projects in the
area of transitions. I-SITE ULNE has already begun providing support for this type of project.
fruit of a partnership between the Lille
Institute of Planning and Urbanism, the
National School of Architecture and
Landscape of Lille, and Sciences Po Lille.
The Faculty of Law and Political
Science, Polytech’ Lille, and the Faculty
of Economic and Social Sciences have
also joined in, and this partnership will
only increase in scope with a coming
call for expressions of interest.
In 2021, this chair will host a series
of conferences entitled “Productive
metropolitan areas and territorial
resilience” and a summer school entitled
“Inventing a sustainable metropolitan
campus”.
This is an original format for a project
born out of an educational approach
that has brought together a variety of
research communities to participate in a
socially responsible research project.
An “Urban Education” chair
In the midst of the current climate Graduate programmes
crisis and the pandemic, our academic The start of the 2020 academic year
and scientific communities are active marked the inauguration of three
on every front. In light of the issue of graduate programmes centred around
the overall transition that drives I-SITE I-SITE ULNE’s research focus areas:
ULNE, the “Lille Urban Education” chair is “Precision health”, “Science for a
focused on quality of life and a number changing planet” (SCP), and “Information
“Greater Lille’s territory, in all its com- of aspects of life in the region: transport, and Knowledge Society” (IKS), which will
plexity and with all its challenges, is energy, resources, housing, work, be supplemented in 2021 by “Changing
a fertile ground for fascinating tran- production, etc. The chair aims to create cultures, societies and practices”. Their
sitions that are capable of federating a foundation for producing knowledge, purpose is to promote high-calibre
the different hubs of I-SITE ULNE.” expertise, and innovation in the service research-centred learning by fostering
of local governments in the Greater Lille interdisciplinarity, international travel,
François Andrieux, area. Applying academic approaches and successful occupational integration.
Director of ENSAP Lille to the challenges faced by society, it Each programme coordinates a
studies changes in metropolitanisation, selection of Master’s degrees from
reshoring, transitions, and resilience. It different areas of expertise associated
aims to be both an observatory and a with the related societal challenges, to
place in which debates and experiments bring together, today, those who will
can take place between research and one day work together on collaborative
education. This academic chair is the projects.
14“The new pharmacy features an educa-
tional and research aspect coordinated
with the Faculty of Pharmacology. It offers
an opportunity for our university hospital
campus to develop projects that bring
together teams from the future EPI’s diffe-
rent institutions.”
Bertrand Décaudin,
Dean of the Lille Faculty of Pharmacology
It also offers support to PhD students, - Analysing the implications in terms Strengthening ties between
whose research is placed at the heart of public health policy (production engineers and healthcare
of the theme. Additionally, the graduate processes, purchasing policy, etc.). professionals
programmes are an excellent example of this kind of project on a university The Laboratory of Multiphysics and
of cooperation between I-SITE ULNE’s hospital campus that is unique in Multiscale Mechanics (LaMcube), a joint
different partners, with the Data Science Europe. CNRS research laboratory (University
and E-TECH programmes (IKS) and the - Designing a model for supporting of Lille and Centrale Lille) has long
BIOREF and IRACM (SCP) programmes change and offering new educational conducted research on pelvic mechanics
co-accredited by the University of Lille programmes in a complex and age-related dysfunctions to further
and Centrale Lille. organisational structure that brings the development of innovative medical
together different individual profiles and devices.
A new pharmacy at Lille University a variety of skills in a fast-changing The arrival of Professor Tien-Tuan
Hospital environment. Dao, a specialist in biomedical and
The Lille University Hospital’s pharmacy - Evaluating the potential of the future biomechanical engineering, in a position
- one of the largest hospital pharmacies pharmacy and future organisational created by Centrale Lille Institut with the
in Europe - centralises its activities strategies in terms of sustainable financial support of I-SITE ULNE, aims to
on a single site, where all of the development and workplace quality of bolster the ties between the engineering
pharmaceutical activities of the hospital life. and healthcare sectors, with the firm
are conducted. - Searching for innovative solutions in conviction that this will act as a driver
To modernise the production process terms of logistics (within the pharmacy for innovation in the areas of medical
and the capacity of its pharmaceutical and between the pharmacy and hospital devices, medical imaging, and digital
operations to adapt, Lille University services) and process automation. healthcare.
Hospital has begun construction of a - Engaging in broader reflection on
high-performance, open, and modern pharmaceutical policy in France,
central pharmacy, with a massive (8500 particularly in terms of the scientific,
m²) building project including a modern social, and political issues at stake,
pharmacotechnology platform, a single in association with healthcare
automated warehouse, and a service area professionals, policy experts,
to develop clinical pharmacy. sociologists, economists, etc.
The new pharmacy will be located on the
southern end of the hospital campus,
near the metro station and across from
the Faculty of Pharmacology. The aim
will be to ensure synergy, day after day,
between teaching and research. In this
context, I-SITE ULNE will provide support
for a project involving UFR3S, Lille
University Hospital, the Lille University
School of Management, Centrale Lille,
and Sciences Po Lille, with several aims:
15I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2
Labexes
FOUR LILLE LABORATORIES
named laboratories of excellence (Labex)
CAPPA, EGID, CEMPI,
and Distalz: these
four laboratories of
excellence foster
and further cutting-
edge research on
issues such as the
environment, health,
and mathematics.
CAPPA
With research focused on the study of atmospheric and to measure personnal indoor and outdoor exposures
aerosols and their impact on the climate and air quality, to hazardous air pollutants. By combining the expertise
the CAPPA Labex (Chemical and Physical Properties of the of its researchers in theoretical chemistry with that
Atmosphere) brings together over 160 researchers from of outside experts in the area of nuclear chemistry
seven laboratories and actively participates in orienting and materials, the OVERSEE cluster’s project, which is
the activities of the “Science for a changing planet” hub. unlike any other in France, studies what becomes of
It boasts a large network of academic and international radionuclides in the atmosphere. In terms of teaching,
partnerships at both a national level (ADEME, ATMO, Hauts- the Labex has also shown itself to be a top-tier laboratory
de-France, IFPEN, CNES, IRSN, Météo-France, and INRAE) with the foundation of an international Master’s Degree in
and an international level (the European ACTRIS project, Atmospheric Sciences, making it a precursor in the creation
international measurement campaigns, the development of of the graduate programmes offered by I-SITE ULNE.
global atmospheric models). Lastly, in close collaboration with the CLIMIBIO regional
Work conducted in synergy with other hubs contributes project, its researchers help inform the public debate by
to the deployment and operation of low-cost networks of providing robust data in response to societal questions
portable connected sensors used to monitor air quality on atmospheric pollution and the adaptations required in
with very high temporal and spatial levels of sensitivity response to global climate change.
Project financed by the French government via the Investments for the Future Programme, project number ANR-11-LABX-0005.
Technical and scientific coordinator: Denis Petitprez
EGID
teams from the University Hospitals in Lille and Amiens,
Founded in 2009, the Labex EGID (European Genomic as well as those in Reims, Liège, Paris, Tours, and Angers
Institute for Diabetes) offers unique translational as part of the PreciDIAB National Precision Medicine
integrative research solutions to provide the solid Centre’s activities, enable EGID to optimise the impact of
scientific foundations needed to optimise and tailor care its discoveries to fuel new treatment options for diabetic
for diabetics. Composed of five research units, EGID patients. Another important aim is to revolutionise the
boasts a talented research staff of over 250 individuals understanding and prevention of diabetes and the care
that is unique in France. Not only has EGID demonstrated offered to diabetics, so as to enable truly Predictive,
that precision diabetes medicine is both necessary and Preventive, Personalised, and Participative medicine.
feasible, but it has also begun to implement this approach In addition, EGID is committed to training the doctors and
through its clinical branch, the PreciDIAB National scientists of tomorrow through an international graduate
Precision Medicine Centre. programme in precision medicine. This year, eighteen
EGID has an overall policy in place to showcase and draw students in their final year of Master’s studies and eleven
attention to its scientific findings and create startups PhD students will receive training in and through research
to utilise its most innovative data. Partnerships with from EGID laboratories.
Project financed by the French government via the Investments for the Future Programme, project number ANR-11-LABX-0046.
Technical and scientific coordinator: Philippe Froguel
16Distalz
Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that progressively leads to massive
brain cell death. The medical, social, and economic impact of this
disease on our society stands in stark contrast to the lack of available
care options. That is why eight of the top French research units in
Lille, Nice, and Paris decided to unite and bring their interdisciplinary
expertise together to create the Labex Distalz (Development of Innovative
Strategies for a Transdisciplinary approach to ALZheimer’s disease) in
hopes of fighting Alzheimer’s more effectively.
This Labex applies a variety of fundamental approaches, from genomics
to the most sophisticated biological models. It combines clinical
perspectives with social and ethical concerns.
Distalz boasts a unique identity with a critical mass of over 300 researchers,
engineers, and technicians capable of competing and working with the
world’s foremost research centres. This top-tier research apparatus is
associated with an outstanding educational initiative that aims to create “I-SITE ULNE’s Labexes are
a leading international programme on Alzheimer’s disease. formidable drivers for research in
physics, chemistry, mathematics,
Project financed by the French government via the Investments for the Future Programme, project and space science, as well as for
number ANR-11-LABX-0009. Technical and scientific coordinator: Philippe Amouyel the application of this research to
the crucial challenges of the digital
and environmental transformation
that is now shaping our societies.
CEMPI
They are also tools for teaching in
and through research, in the service
of our laboratories and the synergy
Since 2012, the Labex CEMPI (European Centre for Mathematics, Physics between teaching and research that
and their Interactions), backed by the Paul Painlevé mathematics exists between universities and
laboratory (LPP) and PhLAM (Laboratory of Physics of Lasers, Atoms and research units.”
Molecules), has boasted a broad range of expertise in pure and applied
mathematics, atomic physics, optics, and technological research. Nicolas Arnaud,
CEMPI’s focus is on the interactions between mathematics and physics, Coordinating Scientific Director
computer science, and biology. for the Lille site (CNRS)
PhLAM also operates FiberTech Lille, a technological platform dedicated
to the manufacture of innovative optical fibres that benefits from FLUX,
an “equipment of excellence” (Equipex); this platform is an added
value both for theoretical research and for industrial and international
partnerships. CEMPI has made several remarkable advances in
fundamental mathematics and complex processes in optics and atomic
physics. The relationship between research and learning is maintained by
an extremely successful graduate school, with 80% of CEMPI’s postdocs
subsequently hired in permanent academic positions.
For these reasons, in 2019 CEMPI was recognised as one of the ANR’s
“flagship” projects.
“Lille’s healthcare teams are
Through the combined work of CEMPI’s mathematicians and physicists,
conducting cutting-edge research in
leveraging the “Emergent Topology in Photon Fluids” ERC Consolidator precision healthcare; their research
Grant, promising perspectives have been revealed for the application of into diabetes and neurodegenerative
topological concepts to new states of light. diseases are just two illustrations of
This theme is also at the centre of the work conducted by the DYDICO this.”
research cluster, composed of the LPP, PhLAM, and IEMN laboratories.
DYDICO works on the architecture and the hardware components Samir Ould-Ali,
required for a connected world, also drawing on the CEMPI’s expertise Regional INSERM Delegate,
in the area of fibre optics and complex dynamics. Lastly, the “Research” North-West District
option of CEMPI’s “Mathematics”, “Scientific computing”, and “Complex
systems, optics & lasers” Master’s degrees are an integral part of the
“Information and Knowledge Society” graduate programmes.
Project financed by the French government via the Investments for the Future Programme, project
number ANR-11-LABX-0007. Technical and scientific coordinator: Emmanuel Fricain
17I-SITE ULNE I Transition(s) I Chapter 2
Interdisciplinarity
PLACING
INTERDISCIPLINARITY
at the heart of projects and programmes
Only with interdisciplinarity is Innovative methodology that evaluate industrial biomass refinery
it possible to comprehensively combines logic, the economy, processes in the Hauts-de-France
tackle the complexity of the and chemistry Region.
After beginning her career at George
issues related to transition. Washington University, USA, researcher Her approach, which can be applied to
I-SITE ULNE supports projects Michele Friend agreed to join Lille’s other disciplines, uses an “institutional
research community in late 2019 to fill compass” as a multi-criteria decision-
that enable the development of
an exceptional international academic making tool. This novel approach,
original methods that foster chair. Specialised in the philosophy explained in a book currently being
this interdisciplinarity. It also of mathematics, logic, the theory written by Friend, will open new
of relativity, chemistry, ecological possibilities for assessing projects,
works to train young people to
economics, and computer science, systems, organisations, and institutions.
use and mix disciplines during Friend currently works at the Catalysis The multi-criteria decision-making
their PhD studies. and Solid-State Chemistry Research Unit system created by Friend provides a
(UCCS). unique qualitative assessment based
She cooperates closely with chemists on three categories of data: economic
on work tied to the RECABIO research (including technical performance), social,
cluster, which is part of the “Science for and environmental. It comparatively
a changing planet” hub. evaluates the appropriateness of
There, she is developping an extremely activities within a given industry (here,
innovative decision-making tool to biorefineries) in terms of processes,
scale, and region. All decisions are
ranked in terms of three qualities:
harmony, passion, and suppression.
The data sets are aggregated using
normalisation, weighting, vector addition,
and Euclidean geometry, and the
result is a compass that indicates the
dominant quality of the process being
assessed.
By using a syncretic decision-making
tool centred around the balance between
various data such as “life cycle analysis”,
“economy”, and “society”, it becomes
possible to rethink processes to achieve
the desired effect.
18The issue of gender
in the agro-ecological
transition in Europe
The Gender in the Agro-ecological Transition in Europe
“The PEARL project has enabled us to recruit brilliant
(GATE) project - winner of the call for proposals issued
candidates to conduct research into key interdisciplinary
by the “Changing culture, societies and practices”
scientific questions requiring computer science
researchers. Without a doubt, this PhD programme hub - is coordinated by Clotilde Lemarchant of the
is an effective tool for fostering interdisciplinary Lille Centre for Sociological and Economic Research
research.” and Studies (CLERSE). GATE aims to assess the
agro-ecological transition of farming production
Olivier Colot, models from the perspective of the social practices
Director of the Research Centre in Computer Science, at work in farming. In spite of the successive waves
Signal and Automatic Control of Lille (CRIStAL) of modernisation in the agricultural world, gender is
still deeply engrained in the way work is organised in
the farming industry. The activities performed by men
are strongly differentiated from those performed by
Recruiting PhD students women. The project focuses on the practices governing
how work is organised, acting as an observatory
to boost interdisciplinary that measures the changes brought about by the
progressive introduction of environmentally friendly
research
farming practices.
Today, the gendered organisation of farming work is
undergoing a realignment and restructuring process,
a reflection of the systemic cultural changes taking
In February 2019, I-SITE ULNE was awarded a European Union place throughout the industry - which, while small in
Horizon 2020 grant for the “PEARL” project (Programme for terms of population, occupies a strategic position in
EArly-stage Researchers in Lille). The aim of this ambitious PhD terms of the contemporary environmental, economic,
programme is to recruit 30 international PhD students to work and social challenges at stake. The GATE project
on innovative interdisciplinary research projects, as well as to is rooted in a twofold hypothesis that the agro-
make foreign PhD students more at home and strengthen ULNE’s ecological transition is realigning gender relations in
reputation in Europe and throughout the world as an attractive place agricultural work, and that, in turn, these realigned
to conduct research. gender relations can inform us on the societal impact
Thanks to substantial international publicity, over 200 applications of the changes that are occurring. The purpose of this
were received. They were evaluated using a process that meets research is both to add to the existing literature on
the highest standards (transparency, integrity, ethics, etc.), and agro-ecology - which until now has been focused on
seventeen doctoral students were ultimately recruited for the 2020- the study of social actors in the agricultural world, their
2021 academic year. power relationships, and their role in disseminating
Another selection process is currently under way to recruit thirteen innovations - and to contribute to the debate on the
PhD students for the 2021-2022 academic year. These PhD students nature of this transition.
work on interdisciplinary research topics under the guidance of Is it limited to technical and economic adjustments,
supervisors from different hubs, which strengthens the ties between or is a more comprehensive shift taking place in the
different research units and/or institutions and furthers the cohesion practices and representations seen in this industry?
policy of the future EPI. This project will compare findings from field research
Learn more at pearl-phd-lille.eu conducted in the Hauts-de-France Region with the
practices observed in a comparable agricultural region
in Spain, as part of a partnership with Complutense
University of Madrid’s Applied Sociology Department.
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