First Year Seminars

Duration

30h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Yves Brostaux, Catherine Colaux, Aurore Degré, Manon Genva, Dorothée Goffin, Paul Malumba Kamba, Estelle Mayard, Jeroen Meersmans, Jacques Mignon, François Verheggen

Coordinator

Catherine Colaux

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The First Year Seminar (FYS) is a college course specifically designed for first-year students, with the primary goal of facilitating their transition to higher education and their social and intellectual integration into the college community.

Within this framework, several First Year Seminars (FYS) are offered concurrently, each focused on a specific theme, generally chosen for its appeal and motivational value and directly related to the bioengineering curriculum. Students are thus distributed among the various seminars. While the themes may vary among these seminars, the objective remains the same for all FYS courses: to enable all students to develop a shared foundation of academic and transferable skills (e.g., critical thinking, analytical skills, proficiency in research methods, as well as writing and communication skills specific to the academic context), within a learning environment that fosters their motivation and engagement.

The FYS is characterized by small-group organization, combined with an interactive teaching approach that emphasizes active participation, communication, and exchanges between students and instructors. It is thus part of an effort to offer learning methods that differ from those of traditional courses, placing greater emphasis on student engagement.

The FYS combines two types of complementary activities. On the one hand, there are cross-disciplinary activities, such as bibliographic research, organizing ideas (particularly through concept maps), and collaborative work. On the other hand, there are activities directly related to the specific theme of each seminar, allowing for the contextualized application of the skills developed.

The First Year Seminars are led by academics or scientists, each offering a specific topic. The cross-disciplinary activities, meanwhile, are supervised by dedicated instructors.

Six FYS will be offered to students following the presentation of the various seminars by their respective instructors.

List of the various seminars offered this year:

1. Insect Intelligence: In the Shoes of a Science Communicator (F. Verheggen)

Can a bee count? Does an ant recognize itself in a mirror? There's a fine line between what science has established and what's circulating online-and it's up to you to draw that line.

In this FYS, you'll explore what we actually know about insect cognition: learning, memory, navigation, problem-solving, and social behavior. You'll learn to distinguish a reliable source from a questionable one, to identify where a study ends and overinterpretation begins, and to defend a well-reasoned position in front of the group. Then you'll step behind the microphone. Working in teams, you'll write, film, and edit short videos for the Faculty's social media channels. There, you'll encounter the most fascinating challenge of the science communicator's craft: making an idea accessible without ever distorting it.

2. The Flight of the Rivers, or the Hidden Side of the Water Cycle (A. Degré)

Do you already know about the water cycle? Really?

Rain falls, fills the rivers, flows into the sea, evaporates, and starts all over again. You've seen it in your geography books, maybe even at Storm's or in Katara's hands...

But this cycle you think you know hides an invisible side-that of water in the soil, in plants, and in rivers that flow through the sky rather than across the earth. It is this hidden side that this seminar invites you to discover.

The journey begins right where you are: in your conceptions of water-including those from pop culture, but also in the scientific models you think you know-to identify what they reveal and what they overlook.

You will then compare these insights with the scientific literature to distinguish fact from approximation, before building and setting up your own ecosystem to observe, measure, and interpret.

The program concludes with a debate featuring three guests with divergent perspectives-a philosopher of the commons, a representative from a bottled water company, and a public water resources manager-to explore how the same scientific topic can become a societal issue depending on who is looking at it.

Beyond water, it is your future profession as a student that you will practice here: researching, questioning, writing, arguing, and experimenting.

3. Bio-Bobo vs. Food Hacker: Who Will Feed the Planet? (D. Goffin)

The global food system is at a breaking point. Our production and consumption patterns are impacting the environment, and the climate, in turn, is affecting our food production, causing shifts in production zones. As a result, climate stress, the collapse of biodiversity, food safety scandals, and inequalities in access to quality food-the challenges are real, urgent, and exciting to tackle.

Two visions clash. On one side, the Food Hackers: lab-grown meat, precision fermentation, AI-driven vertical farming, and industrialized insect proteins. On the other, the Bio-Bobos: agroecology, heirloom seeds, short supply chains, and a return to life and naturalness. And in between, a multitude of hybrid scenarios where biotechnology serves the cause of sustainability.
But which vision is scientifically credible? Which is ethically defensible? Which can truly feed 10 billion people by 2050 without destroying the planet? Which innovations are consumers willing to adopt?

In this seminar, you won't just be a spectator in this debate-you'll be an active participant. You'll decipher labels, analyze real-world examples of food innovation, develop your own tools for critical analysis, defend a position in a structured debate, and use your creativity and scientific knowledge to envision what tomorrow's meals will look like.
Because as a future bioengineer, this isn't an abstract question-it's your professional playground.

Join the debate. Choose your side. Or invent the future.

4. Exploring the Landscape Through Time: From the Paintbrush to Remote Sensing (J. Meermans)

Ready to take a journey through time while developing your first research skills?

Landscapes have always fascinated humans. Topography, rocks, waterways, soils, vegetation, and human activities interact to shape the territories in which we live. But how have these landscapes evolved over the centuries? And how can we trace their history today?

In this "First Year Seminar," you'll explore the evolution of a landscape of your choice using various sources of information. Paintings by masters such as van Eyck and Brueghel will serve as our starting point for understanding how landscapes were perceived and depicted in the late Middle Ages and the modern era. A museum visit and a meeting with an art history specialist will enrich this exploration.

We will then continue our investigation using historical and contemporary maps, old photographs, postcards, and aerial images. A field trip will illustrate how direct observation of the landscape complements the analysis of these various sources and contributes to a better understanding of the transformations observed.

Finally, you will discover how modern technologies-from remote sensing to field measurements-enable us to study landscapes and better understand the natural and human-induced processes that shape them.

Throughout the seminar, you'll work in teams and develop essential skills for the scientific method: researching and analyzing information, cross-referencing various sources, formulating hypotheses, developing a critical eye, and communicating the results of your investigations.

5. Plants to Protect Plants (M. Genva)

In the face of today's environmental, climate, and food challenges, agriculture must ensure sufficient production while limiting its impact on the environment. This First-Year Seminar explores these issues through the following question: Can we use plants-and, more broadly, natural mechanisms-to better protect crops?

Students will explore the main organisms that affect crops (pathogens, pests, and competing plants), natural plant defense mechanisms, and various protection strategies: biological control, beneficial microorganisms, crop rotations, resistant varieties, and plant-derived substances. Particular attention will be paid to the limitations of these approaches and their applicability in different agricultural contexts.

Beyond disciplinary knowledge, the seminar's main objective is to introduce students to the scientific method and the demands of academic work. They will learn to formulate a question, search for and select relevant information, evaluate the reliability of sources, develop critical thinking, and justify their choices. The seminar also aims to provide a practical introduction to research and the role of a researcher, as well as to encourage students to reflect on their academic and professional paths.

These learning objectives will be developed through group work, literature reviews, discussions, case studies, laboratory activities, and meetings with researchers. Students will gradually develop a research project as a team and present their methodology and conclusions in the form of a scientific poster.

6. Game of Trees: A Clash of Beings (Y. Brostaux)

Designing a serious game for the sustainable management of community forests

How can a real-world environmental issue be transformed into a playful experience that encourages reflection, learning, and discussion? In this First-Year Seminar, you will explore the challenges of sustainable community forest management in tropical Africa and the principles for designing a serious game that makes an impact. Through the analysis of existing games, discussions with researchers, and collaborative workshops focused on creativity and prototyping, you'll work in teams to tackle a concrete challenge that combines science, innovation, and communication.

The ultimate goal is not simply to come up with a game, but to create a genuine educational tool. Together, you will design, test, and refine a complete serious game prototype, complete with rules and game materials. During the final session, you will present your creation and demonstrate how it can raise awareness among different audiences about the complex issues of forest management. This is a unique opportunity to apply your scientific knowledge while developing your creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork skills.

 

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

Each FYS will address a specific theme using its own methods (debate, field trip, document analysis, etc.) and produce a variety of deliverables, but all will focus on developing the same skills, namely:

1. Research and select reliable and relevant information or sources on scientific or societal topics related to the theme of the selected FYS, using digital sources and evaluating their quality and relevance.
2. Organize and prioritize one's thoughts in order to write a structured, concise, and logical text that is properly cited and based on verified information.
3. Develop critical thinking skills by analyzing information, identifying potential biases, and comparing different points of view before drawing conclusions.
4. Argue and defend a position rigorously, participate in constructive debates, adapt communication to different audiences (students, teachers, professionals, or the general public), and interact effectively with the audience.
5. Effectively use digital tools for writing, presenting, and representing knowledge (Mindomo, Word, Teams, etc.).
6. Collaborate within a team, actively contribute to group work, and provide constructive feedback to help the group move forward.
7. Select and implement a decision-making method appropriate to the context, taking into account the objectives, constraints, and opinions of the various stakeholders.
8. Develop motivation and commitment to one's studies by finding meaning in one's learning and educational goals
9. Strengthen academic skills by developing work methods, synthesis skills, communication skills, and reasoning skills that are essential for success in a university bioengineering program

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Nothing.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The FYS programs consist of 30 hours of in-person activities, divided between cross-disciplinary activities common to all seminars and activities specific to each FYS program.


Cross-disciplinary activities common to all FYS programs

Regardless of which seminar students are enrolled in, they will participate in three cross-disciplinary workshops:

• Information Search and Critical Thinking (2 hours)
  Learn how to effectively search for information online, distinguish reliable sources from less credible ones, and evaluate the relevance of the information found.
• Group Work and Decision-Making (2 hours)
  Discover the conditions that foster effective teamwork, understand the different modes of decision-making within a group, and their impact on work efficiency and participant buy-in.
• Organizing Ideas and Collaborative Writing (2 hours)
  Learn how to structure ideas using concept maps and how to collaboratively draft a document using digital collaboration tools (shared documents, comments, suggestions, etc.).

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Further information:

The various seminars may use a combination of in-person, online, and hybrid formats. The specific details will be communicated to students by the instructor of each FYS course.

Course materials and recommended or required readings

Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus


Further information:

The course materials and readings (recommended or required) will be specified to students by the instructor of each FYS course.

Written work / report

Continuous assessment


Further information:

The assessment methods are tailored to the course objectives and are based on a multifaceted approach that combines individual and group assessments to track student progress. The expected assignments (deliverables) vary by topic while consistently aiming to develop the same academic and transferable skills.

Attendance at the various sessions of the seminar assigned to the student is mandatory. Except in cases of force majeure, as determined by the seminar instructor, two unexcused absences will result in a mark of absence.

January Session

In order to reflect as accurately as possible each student's individual mastery of the various skills targeted by this course unit, assessment is based on a variety of complementary methods. It thus combines individual and group assessments, allowing for an evaluation of both each student's personal learning outcomes and their ability to apply these skills in a collaborative work setting.

The final grade will consist of 70% for the assessment of skills common to all FYS, according to the weighting shown in the table below, and 30% for an assessment specific to each FYS.

Assessed skill

Weighting

Search for and select reliable and relevant information or sources on scientific or societal topics related to the theme of the selected FYS, using digital sources and assessing their quality and relevance. 2/12] 

Structure and prioritize ideas in order to write a structured, concise and logical text with appropriate references, based on verified information. 1/12] 

Develop critical thinking by analyzing information, identifying potential biases, and comparing different viewpoints before drawing conclusions. 1/12]  

Present and defend a position rigorously, participate in constructive debates, adapt communication to different audiences (students, teachers, professionals or the general public), and interact effectively with the audience. 2/12] 

Use digital tools for writing, presentation and knowledge representation effectively (Mindomo, Word, Teams, etc.). 1/12]  

Collaborate within a team, actively contribute to collective work, and provide constructive feedback that helps the group make progress. 2/12]  

Choose and implement a decision-making method suited to the context, taking into account objectives, constraints and the views of the various stakeholders. [1/12] 

Develop motivation and engagement in studies by giving meaning to learning and to one's educational project. 1/12]  

Strengthen academic skills by developing working, synthesis, communication and reasoning methods that are useful for succeeding in university studies in bioengineering. 1/12] 

The coordinator of each seminar is responsible for 30% of the final grade and may assess students freely according to methods that will be specified to them.

June session

For students who do not pass this course unit in January, a second examination session will be organized in June.

Students wishing to represent this EU in June will be divided into groups and will be required to complete the assignment described below. To facilitate the organization of groups and ensure there is sufficient time to complete the collaborative work required as part of the assessment, the students concerned are asked to notify the academic coordinator of their intention to represent the EU no later than February 28. No groups will be formed for students who have not expressed their intention to represent the UE by that date. Please note that this assessment will no longer be organized around distinct themes, as was the case in the First Year Seminars (FYS). It will now focus on a theme common to all students, broken down into a specific question for each group.

Work to be completed:

In groups, you will have to answer a question that will be provided to you and that is related to the environment, using different sources of information and collaborating effectively with your teammates.

To do so, you will be asked to:

• Search for and select five relevant references from the Web, ensuring the quality and reliability of the sources used;

• Analyze a set of provided video lectures in order to identify the information useful for answering the question;

• Organize the information collected in a shared concept map, making it possible to visualize the links between the different ideas and arguments identified;

• Collectively write, using a shared document, a well-argued, structured and coherent answer of no more than one page to the initial question, drawing on information from the sources and videos.

• One strength of your contribution to the group work;

• One area for improvement, together with the actions you plan to take to improve in future group work.

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

The instructors of each seminar will provide their students with the organizational guidelines appropriate to the needs of each FYS.

Contacts

Cross-disciplinary activities:

• C. Colaux - Catherine.Colaux@uliege.be
• J. Mignon - J.Mignon@uliege.be

• F. Verheggen - fverheggen@uliege.be
• A. Degré - Aurore.Degre@uliege.be
• D. Goffin - Dorothee.Goffin@uliege.be
• J. Meermans - Jeroen.Meersmans@uliege.be
• M. Genva - Manon.Cochain@uliege.be
• Y. Brostaux - Y.Brostaux@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs