Come to Wallonia (C2W): five years of research celebrated through innovation and international trajectories

From the very first exchanges, the morning set the tone. It began with a welcome and institutional introductions by Professor Benoit Champagne, Vice-Rector for Research at the University of Namur, and Ms Céline Thillou, Director of the Research Valorisation Administration at the University of Mons, followed by a retrospective of the programme: over five years, C2W brought together 30 international postdoctoral researchers – from India, Brazil, Bolivia, Spain, Italy, and Costa Rica – around interdisciplinary projects distributed across the two partner universities.

On stage, the researchers embodied this diversity. From artificial intelligence applied to cardiology to the decline of pollinators, from fundamental physics to language sciences, the presentations outlined research closely aligned with major contemporary challenges.

The results match this ambition: more than fifty scientific publications, one patent, and the development of innovative tools and methods, reflecting a body of knowledge that extends well beyond the academic sphere.

A distinctive feature of the morning was the inclusion of performances by the Mons-based improvisation troupe Kraken. This unexpected interlude offered a moment of creative respite, where spontaneity echoed scientific rigor.

“C2W was designed as an open programme, capable of building bridges between disciplines, but also between research and society,” emphasises Caroline Vliegen (UMONS), Project Manager of the programme.

The presence of participants from outside academia further confirmed this openness, within a collaborative dynamic notably fostered by the UMONS Innovation Network.

Careers shaped, perspectives broadened

As the testimonials unfolded, another, more discreet yet equally significant outcome emerged: that of individual trajectories.

For Nerea Terceiro, now a postdoctoral researcher in Spain, the experience represented “a real turning point,” enabling her to internationalise her research and secure competitive European funding.

Physicist Arghya Chattopadhyay, now at the University of Mayagüez in Puerto Rico, highlighted the richness of exchanges: “Some ideas emerged from spontaneous discussions, sometimes outside the academic setting, before evolving into scientific publications.”

A similar perspective was shared by Séverin Ronneau, now at the University of Rennes: “C2W was a key lever, giving me the time to structure my work and access more advanced opportunities.”

Beyond its scientific outputs, the programme thus appears as a genuine springboard, providing researchers with the time, resources, and environment needed to develop their projects and strengthen their position within the international scientific landscape.

• To learn more about the postdoctoral researchers and their research topics, visit the project website.
• The project received €4.5 million in European funding (Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND action – No. 101034383).