The University of Liège and RTBF are embarking on a unique three-year partnership aimed at promoting knowledge exchange between academia and public media.
As part of this collaboration, ULiège will offer RTBF staff training on sustainability and transition issues. According to RTBF, this initiative ‘is part of a broader approach to promoting a diverse, inclusive society that is committed to reducing its environmental impact.’
Ce partenariat gagnant-gagnant contribuera également à augmenter la visibilité des experts de l’ULiège auprès des journalistes
This win-win partnership will also help to raise the profile of ULiège experts among RTBF journalists.
It will also improve the online course Sustainability and Transition thanks to feedback from RTBF journalists and support in re-recording some of the course's video clips.
In addition, ULiège experts will receive tailored media support to respond to press requests and better understand the media landscape. A particular focus will be placed on increasing the media presence of female experts from ULiège, who are currently under-represented compared to their male counterparts, on RTBF's channels and platforms.
‘Women still tend to be judged more than men on who they are rather than what they say,’ explains Prof. Aurore Degré. "It is important to encourage all women in our university community to overcome this in order to disseminate their research and expertise. Normalising female expertise will help to reduce this bias. "
In this context, at the beginning of July, 15 participants enjoyed an immersive day at RTBF, organised by Safia Kessas, RTBF's diversity manager. The programme for this media coaching session dedicated to female experts included:
Tips and tricks for looking good on camera or projecting your voice, learning about different types of interviews, how to prepare for them, what posture to adopt, etc.
radio interviews in small groups,
filming of short videos for social media,
simulation of a news broadcast with an interview in front of the camera,
studio tours,
personalised feedback for each participant.
This experience boosted the participants' confidence and sense of legitimacy when speaking in the media.
‘I particularly remember the very enriching exchanges with journalists, who emphasised the importance of illustrating your points with concrete and accessible examples and of telling a story to capture people's attention,’ says Cécile Nouet. "Since the training, I have already put some of the advice into practice: I prepare my speeches better and present myself more clearly. "
A second session, which is already full, will take place in October 2025, followed by four more in 2026 and 2027.
The project is coordinated at ULiège by Sybille Mertens and Perrine Neuprez. The partnership could eventually be extended to other media, particularly print media.
Contact : durabilite.transition@uliege.be
A course on ‘Sustainability and Transition’ for all bachelor's students
For the past two years, the University of Liège has included a compulsory 2-credit (ECTS) course on Sustainability and Transition in all its bachelor's programmes. Taught in French and English, this course is also available free of charge to all other students and staff members. Designed to develop a foundation of cross-disciplinary knowledge, this course is delivered in the form of an online course involving numerous experts. The first part focuses mainly on observations and causes and introduces solutions. The second part, organised within the faculties, offers students the opportunity to focus on concrete actions.
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