Research Newsletter May / June 2023

May 2023

Tiffany Antoine is in charge of research and innovation in nutrition at the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Experimental Physiology (LaPEC), and more specifically within the business unit IG Balance. It is responsible for proposing scientific solutions for measuring glycaemic indexes of food and beverage products thanks to models in vitro and clinical studies. At the same time, this project aims to improve internal processes and contribute to the development of fundamental research.

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June 2023

Isabelle Brianso is a lecturer in Information and Communication Sciences at the Centre Norbert Elias. For the last fifteen years, she has been working mainly on the heritage process in an international context, based on case studies in Europe (Council of Europe) and worldwide (UNESCO). She is particularly interested in heritage categories that have been awarded a label (Cultural Routes, World Heritage Sites), which she studies on the basis of local dynamics observed through surveys (territories, players, forms of heritage).

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Opened on 3 June, the "The olive tree, our tree" exhibition at the Musée départemental de Salagon in Mane (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) is the culmination of work carried out by the team behind the European Olive4All project (The heritage of the olive tree to raise awareness of sustainable development).

The project, coordinated by Julie Deramond, senior lecturer in Information and Communication Sciences (Centre Norbert Elias/Avignon Université), brings together researchers from France, Greece and Portugal and a number of professional partners from the agricultural and tourism sectors to study the olive tree, its cultivation, its products and the uses associated with it.

You can visit this beautiful, informative and original exhibition in a magnificent setting until 15 December 2024.

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The 22nd RIUESS meetings - Inter-university network for the social economy - organised by Patrick Gianfaldoni (LBNC) and his team, took place on 24, 25 and 26 May 2023 on the Hannah Arendt campus of Avignon University and in Arles (LUMA).

The aim of the 22nd meeting of the Réseau interuniversitaire de l'économie sociale et solidaire (RIUESS) is to explore the drivers and rationale of territorial development in relation to the social and solidarity economy (SSE). The aim is to provide an in-depth overview of research into the SSE, or to situate oneself in the field of the SSE from different disciplinary or cross-disciplinary problematic angles.

More than 300 people gathered at Avignon University and the LUMA Tower in Arles to discuss the themes of territorial development and the social economy.

>> A look back at the RIUESS 2023 meetings

[IT] The Finality project wins the ANR's 2023 European or international scientific networking programme (MRSEI)

The project FINALITYproject, led by Francesco De Pellegrini (Laboratoire Informatique d'Avignon), is the winner of the programme to set up European or international scientific networks 2023 (MRSEI) of the ANR.
FINALITY stands for safe learning for lArge scale socio technical system. The project aims to form a new Marie Curie European doctoral network in AI. The subject of the project is represented by safe techniques for socio-technical systems, where human decisions for resource allocation are supported by AI. The ESRs involved in DN FINALITY will develop new methodological tools by focusing on the following areas of expertise: secure reinforcement learning theory, online convex optimisation and federated learning under constraints.

>> Find out more about the MRSEI programme

The K3 project Impact of global change on water resources in karst socio-hydrosystems: Vulnerability, Sensitivity and Management "is one of three projects selected under the OneWater Exploratory PEPR call for projects. Its aim is to identify the impact of global changes on water resources (underground and surface) in karstic environments, in order to propose adaptation solutions to the main users. K3 is a 4-year project coordinated by HydroSciences Montpellier and will involve four universities (Montpellier, Avignon, Grenoble Alpes and Sorbonne), IFPEN, BRGM, INRAE and CNRS.

This project is based on three karstic systems (the Lez, Fontaine de Vaucluse and Loue spring aquifers). Fontaine de Vaucluse - LSBB is one of the experimental sites of the UMR EMMAH. This site is part of the KARST and H+ national observation services, and the OZCAR research infrastructure. It is supported by INRAE's AQUA department.

The HYDRO team from UMR EMMAH will be working in particular on the link between geological heterogeneities and flow structuring. Synergies will be envisaged between the K3 project and the GeEAUde partnership chair held by UMR EMMAH (Dynamics of groundwater resources and interactions with associated ecosystems).

>> Find out more about the PEPR Exploratory OneWater call for projects

Congratulations to Mursal Dawodi for his special prize received during the ceremony of the 25ᵉ edition of the Prix de la L'Oréal - UNESCO Foundation "For Women in Science".The award recognises the achievements of women researchers in exile and their work in the exact sciences.

Mursal Dawodi was a prizewinner in the national programme for the emergency reception of scientists and artists in exile (PAUSE), which enabled her to join the Avignon University Computer Science Laboratory (LIA).

Mursal Dawodi has a PhD in Intelligent Systems Engineering. Her research focuses on the automatic processing of natural language using machine learning and data analysis techniques.

We wish him all the best for the future.

>> More info

Signing of a framework agreement between Avignon University and Abdelmalek Essaadi University - 11 and 12 May

A framework agreement has been signed between Avignon University and Adelmalek Essaadi University (Tangiers) to encourage collaboration on a range of subjects, including business and digital technology.
This partnership was initiated thanks to the participation of the Avignon University's Laboratoire Bien Normes et Contrats (LBNC).

On the afternoon of 11 May, a meeting was held to discuss setting up joint projects.

The following day, May 12, was devoted to preparations for the Tangier Colloquium, which will take place in spring 2024 and focus on the advent of cryptocurrencies.

The second edition of the Tersys Implanteus Summer School was held on 14, 15 and 16 June 2023 on the Jean-Henri Fabre campus of the University of Avignon and at the Chêne Bleu in Crestet. The second edition of the TISS was a real success, with nearly 200 participants on the first two days.

The day of 14 June was dedicated to the UNESCO Chair in Green and Sustainable Plant Chemistry. Throughout the day, presentations were given on green technologies, eco-extraction and green chemistry.

The second day focused on the environment and biodiversity. Plenary lectures and oral presentations enlivened the day on 15 June.

During the first two days, poster sessions were organised. The posters were produced by students from the IMAS Master's programme and doctoral students from Avignon University, INRAE, Aix Marseille and the University of Turin.

On 16 June, participants in the Tersys Implanteus Summer School visited the Chêne Bleu estate in Crestet. This field day was an opportunity to visit the estate, combining botany and wildlife studies thanks to Joffrey Moiroux and Thierry Dutoit from IMBE. Participants were also able to taste the estate's wines.

EUR InterMEDIUS has set up a number of initiatives to promote training through research.

• 4 July 2023 - The Coline Pons: "Effects of elicitation by UV-C and hydrogen peroxide on the metabolism of two chilli genotypes".UPRI ERIT PSII (in camera)
•  7 July 2023 - The Léo Lajoie: "Eco-extraction of plants for the development of phytotherapy drugs".GREEN (UMR 408 SQPOV) (in camera)

The Open Science Committee has published several videos on its Canal U channel.

You can find them all in the Open Science toolbox in the university library:

Elise Buisson, a lecturer in the Biological Engineering department of the Avignon IUT and a member of the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Ecology (IMBE) laboratory, has just been named a Knight of the National Order of Merit by the French Minister for Ecological Transition.

She is a member of the Natural and Cultural Heritage Restoration Engineering team at the IUT. Her research focuses on understanding the assembly theories of plant species communities, with practical applications in the conservation management and ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems.

We would like to warmly congratulate Elise on this prestigious award and on her remarkable achievements. Her dedication and expertise have greatly contributed to the advancement of research in ecology and ecosystem restoration. We wish her every success in her future projects.

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