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UMONS Research Institute for Societal  and Territorial development

The SOCI&TER Research Institute brings together researchers (economists, managers, lawyers, urban planners, architects, sociologists, philosophers, etc.) to address the major ecological, economic and social challenges facing our societies. For this reason, the research conducted within the SOCI&TER Institute is always interdisciplinary and inclusive. Their objective is to participate in the development of territories.

The SOCI&TER Institute intends to position itself mainly in the field of sustainable development by working on three main areas

Spatial planning

Given the ecological crisis, SOCI&TER seeks to develop new ways of questioning/transforming/developing territories that are respectful of the environment and living beings. The reflections carried out within the Institute concern, for example, the re-articulation of urban, rural and natural spaces, new ways of conceiving housing or the development of short circuits.

Social inclusion

Aware of the fragility of certain populations, SOCI&TER works on the development of a more inclusive society. This translates into reflections/actions on 1) the impact of socio-economic transformations of territories on populations (gentrification, segregation, social exclusion); 2) the development of governance tools favouring citizen participation and, consequently, social cohesion; 3) the implementation of research or collaborative projects involving the associative, public and private worlds.

The economy  

With the ambition of promoting the autonomy and balance of the territories studied, SOCI&TER approaches the company as one of the agents of social and political change by developing, in the fields of strategy, accounting, finance, human resources management, innovation, technology and marketing, new (micro-)practices likely to promote the creation and/or support of small and medium-sized enterprises.

 

Contact person

Damien DARCIS | Guillaume VERMEYLEN
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  • Publications
  • PhD theses available
  • Completed PhD theses

Some numbers

  • 170
    Researchers
  • 60
    PhD Students
  • 350
    Publications per year
  • 30
    Current projects

News from the institute

  • Can ISO standards transform the way cities manage transition projects?
    Recherche

    Can ISO standards transform the way cities manage transition projects?

    06 October 2026
    In response to sustainability and transition challenges, voluntary technical standards have been developed to support local authorities in managing their projects. But why have these voluntary technical standards struggled to gain traction? Could they serve as relevant tools for urban stakeholders seeking to transform territories in a context of transition? As part of her jointly supervised PhD between Gustave Eiffel University and UMONS, Angela Ruggiero examined a number of ISO standards and their use by French local authorities. By following these standards from their development through to their implementation, she sought to understand the conditions under which they can contribute to transforming practices. Continue reading
  • How does the family help a child cope with difficulties? A UMONS thesis explores the mechanisms of resilience
    Recherche

    How does the family help a child cope with difficulties? A UMONS thesis explores the mechanisms of resilience

    03 September 2026
    Why are some children better able than others to cope with difficult situations? The answer does not lie solely in their individual resources. In his doctoral thesis conducted within the Department of Clinical Psychology at UMONS, Michel Sfeir investigated how relationships between mother, father and child, their attachment, and their ability to adapt together contribute to the development of resilience. Supervised by Professors Sarah Galdiolo and Mandy Rossignol, this research invites us to consider the family as a system and opens up new perspectives for prevention and psychological support. Continue reading
  • Company profits: what impact do they have on wage gaps between women and men ?
    Recherche

    Company profits: what impact do they have on wage gaps between women and men ?

    08 July 2026
    Do company profits benefit men more than women? A study conducted jointly by the Department of Economics at UMONS and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), published in the journal De Economist, sheds new light on this question. Based on an analysis of more than 600,000 workers in the Belgian private sector, the results show that the sharing of profits depends mainly on worker characteristics other than gender, as well as on wage bargaining arrangements. Continue reading
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