2. Research Activities

Research Activities

Discover our areas of research

Among all the institutions of Hainaut, the Faculty of Science is one of the most active in scientific research. The Faculty’s biologists, chemists, physicists, mathematicians and computer scientists are not only teachers, they are also involved in the latest research projects and actively take part in many international collaborations with foreign universities and large international research centres and corporations.

  • Physicists from UMONS take part in experiments at CERN in Geneva, or try to find neutrinos within the framework of the AMANDA project at the South pole.
  • The University’s biologists take part in research financed by the American Telethon and even in the preparation of the voyage to Mars.
  • Mathematicians from UMONS are working on the development of the computer language OCaml.

Throughout their studies, students can benefit from this know-how, and, under the supervision of experienced researchers, can get acquainted with the world of research very early on. This means that their studies become broader, which opens the students to new prospects.

Each year, the Faculty organises meetings and conferences related to its scientific activities, gathering researchers from all horizons. Along with the fundamental aspects, the practical implications of research run by the Faculty of Science are not neglected, as the numerous scientific collaborations carried out in partnership with local and foreign SMEs prove. .

Research outcomes in science have a major influence on the world we live in. The issues of these developments are often subject to debate, and it is up to researchers to clarify these debates. With this in mind, the Faculty of Science belongs to national and European networks whose goal is to spread scientific culture. The “Carré des Sciences” coordinates all the Faculty’s activities, holding events such as the science fair on the Grand Place of Mons, during the week dedicated to the “Spring of Sciences” and the “Café des Sciences”, organised to discuss issues related to sciences and society.

The International Year of Chemistry, 2011, saw three members of the UMONS Chemistry Department be classed on a list of the top 100 global researchers considered influential in the domain.

Professor Philippe Dubois was number 18 on this list, and his colleagues, David Beljonne and Jérôme Cornil, were the only other Belgians to be included in this ranking.