ISALA NOVA

Despite repeated commitments, women remain significantly underrepresented in academic leadership positions. This inequality is not merely a matter of fairness—it hinders innovation, biases the knowledge produced, and limits the perspectives available to society.

The ISALA NOVA project aims to:

• Identify systemic barriers that hinder women’s advancement;
• Create an inter-university network of committed ambassadors;
• Develop tailored, grassroots-driven solutions supported collectively;
• Test a methodology that can be replicated in other universities;
• Share the knowledge and best practices gained throughout the project with the wider public.

The project is built on dual expertise:

• Research : studying lived experiences, monitoring the impact of actions, and conducting comparative analysis between UMONS and UNamur.
• Administration : coordinating groups, providing institutional support, and ensuring the dissemination and integration of practices.

At the heart of the initiative are the “seed groups” (networks of ambassadors), who take part in:

• collaborative workshops,
• focus groups,
• regular inter-university meetings.

These participants become agents of change within their own environments.

This project seeks to generate strong societal impact by sharing its results through a variety of channels and formats. The goal is to move beyond academic communication and reach a broader audience, including the general public. Indeed, the issue at hand is a societal one—not limited to the academic world. Changing beliefs and social norms also requires engaging with the wider community.

ISALA NOVA aims to foster innovative collaboration with art schools (ESAs) and university colleges.
Its objective: to popularize research, challenge collective imaginaries, and spark dialogue with the public through:

• artistic creations (performance, visual arts, theatre, etc.),
• exhibitions in venues such as MUMONS,
• participatory workshops and educational projects.

This STEAM dimension (Science ➕ Arts) underlines that gender inequality also affects the arts sector.

The absence of female role models renders certain vocations invisible. ISALA NOVA aims to break that cycle.

Thus, the aim is not only to communicate within universities, but also to reach out to society at large—through various public-facing events—to engage young people and their communities, challenge stereotypes, and raise awareness about the barriers and enablers needed to build a more inclusive and equal society.

The team is built on a strong yet uncommon partnership between research and administration. The research component aims to identify the causes of women’s attrition and to monitor the impact of the seed groups. Meanwhile, the administration will activate the levers that facilitate the implementation and coordination of these seed groups, as well as the promotion and dissemination of results.

The pilot study of the seed groups will be conducted at UMONS and UNamur—two institutions of similar size but with different internal organizations. Comparing these two ecosystems will highlight key areas of focus to support scaling up across universities in the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.