Professors and scientists at the University of Liège, Laurence Bouquiaux, Vinciane Despret, Angélique Léonard and Jacqueline Vander Auwera officially took up their positions as full members of the Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique at a ceremony held this Saturday, October 5, 2024 at the Palais des Académies in Brussels.
Founded in 1772, the Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et de Beaux-Arts de Belgique brings together great contemporary minds in various fields. A meeting place for the exact sciences and the humanities, the Académie's role is to promote scientific and artistic works. The institution has over 400 full and foreign members and welcomes new members yearly in its four classes (Sciences, Lettres & Sciences morales & politiques, Arts and Technology & society). Many scientists from the University of Liège are among these members.
This year, four members of the Université de Liège academic community joined the Academy
Professor in the Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, Laurence Bouquiaux holds a master's degree in physics and mathematics. She went on to study philosophy and write a thesis in this field. She teaches philosophy of science and history of philosophy. Her current research focuses on the links between physics and metaphysics in the seventeenth century, particularly in Leibniz.
Laurence Bouquiaux is elected to the “Classe des Lettres et des Sciences morales et politiques” of the Académie Royale de Belgique.
Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, Vinciane Despret developed a real passion for animal behavior during her studies. In 1997, she defended a thesis entitled “Savoir des passions et passions des savoirs” in the Department of Philosophy, to which she has been attached since 1991. A professor at the Université de Liège and the Université libre de Bruxelles, she focuses her research on scientists' relationships with animals.
Vinciane Despret is elected to the Classe des Lettres et des Sciences morales et politiques.
A full professor in the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Angélique Léonard 's initial research focused on purification management and the drying of deformable materials. She has now diversified her field of research towards the evaluation of the environmental impact of products/processes via life cycle assessment (LCA). These studies are carried out on an objective basis for eco-design or 'green' environmental communication purposes. To this end, she is in constant contact with industry through consultancy work or partnerships as part of collaborative research projects.
Angélique Léonard elected to the Technology and Society Class
A full professor in the Faculty of Science, Jacqueline Vander Auwera has focused her research on magmatic systems, particularly those located at the base of active volcanoes. This research aims to quantify the physical conditions of magma reservoirs (depth, temperature, density, viscosity), the processes leading to their complete solidification or to the eruption of part of the reservoir, and the duration of magma storage in these deep reservoirs. Areas of particular interest are those in the Andean arc, where the Nazca tectonic plate subducts beneath the South American plate.
Jacqueline Vander Auwera elected to the Science Class
The University of Liège and McGill University to announce the signing of a collaboration agreement between the Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech and McGill University’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on the Macdonald Campus.
On the occasion of a mission to Canada, ULiège Alumni gathered in Montreal for an evening of meetings, exchanges and conviviality in the presence of representatives of the University of Liège.
Press release from the CRef dated April 20, 2026.
