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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

  • 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
  • At UMONS, Research Explores the Impact of Export Support Measures on SMEs
    Recherche

    At UMONS, Research Explores the Impact of Export Support Measures on SMEs

    15 June 2026
    Do export support measures genuinely help SMEs expand internationally? Through her doctoral research, Florine Thiebault, a researcher within the UMONS Department of Economics, is exploring this question from an original perspective. By combining statistical analyses with field interviews, her work highlights effects that are sometimes invisible in conventional indicators, yet capable of influencing companies’ trajectories over the long term. Continue reading
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