Research

Oíkos master theses initiative

Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary master theses on sustainability at UCLouvain


Detailed outlines of topics proposed by teams of promoters to first year master students
First edition: September 2022 - March2023

Socio-technical innovations and sustainable behavior 

Ecologically sustainable digital user habits: between digital sobriety and user well-being
Promotors: David Bol, Damien Brevers
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: topic proposed to the students 

Construction and choice of materials: between sustainable materials choice and sustainable living habits
Promotors: Thomas Pardoen, Geoffrey van Moeseke
Non-academic partner: member organisations of Associations 21 (Citizen Academy project)
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: topic proposed to the students 

Sustainable management and use of natural resources 

River basins and climatic hazards: collaboration with municipalities and property managers on risk modelling, legal regulation and the design of socio-ecological landscapes
Promotors: Charles-Hubert Born, Daniela Perrotti, Sandra Soares
Non-academic partner:INESU IMMO
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: topic proposed to the students 

Use of second/third generation biomass for fuel in cars: between efficient use of energy and socio-cultural values of nature
Promotors : Francesco Contino, Nathalie Frogneux, ChristineFrison
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: master theses ongoing
Master thesis students: Lefebvre Arthur, Guillaume Dos Santos 

Circular economy and eco-design of new products and technologies

Organization and regulation of circular economy: the case of Piñatex® (vegetable leather) and the recycling ofrare metals in smartphones (Umicore / Puzzlephone / Fairphone)
Promotors : Anne-Lise Sibony Jean-Pierre Raskin Ignace Adant Sabine Denis
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: topic proposed to the students 

Regulation and economic policies for socio-ecological transition

Climate change litigation: legal and technical analysis of the climate plans of a multinational company and the Belgian state
Promotors :Hervé Jeanmart, Céline Romainville
Non-academic partner : LDH, La Ligue des droits humains
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: master theses ongoing
Master thesisstudents: Noha Haddad (Engineering), Ludovic Rappe (Engineering), Simon Georges(Engineering), Julia Joveneau (Engineering), Thomas Coppieters (Law), MaxCartuyvels (Law), Zoé Evrard (Law) 

Impact of the social and ecological crisis on human well-being

The lived-experience of farmers: between transition utopias, obstacles and adaptation to change
Promotors: Julie Hermesse Moira Mikolajczak, Alexandre Heeren, Geneviève Fabry
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: topic proposed to the students

Eco-anxiety, solastalgia, eco-paralysis and other emotional experiences in the face of the ecological crisis
Promotors: Véronique Bragard, Alexandre Heeren
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: master theses ongoing 

Communication on and representations of socio-ecological change

Catastrophic narratives of climate collapse in novels/films/series/comics. Between disinformation and inspiration for action
Promotors: François Massonnet, Sophie Vanwambeke, Véronique Bragard
Link to the outline of the topic
Status: topic proposed to the students