UNU-CRIS welcomed Dr. Ioannis Panoussis, Vice-President and Vice-Rector for International Development at Université Catholique de Lille, and his team member Dr. Fatma Güneri, for a strategic visit aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two institutions.
The discussions between the delegation from Université Catholique de Lille and the UNU-CRIS team focused on identifying areas of mutual interest and establishing modalities for long-term collaboration. Both institutions explored opportunities to deepen partnerships in education, research, capacity development, knowproductiledge on, and international engagement, with a shared commitment to generating societal impact through interdisciplinary and policy-oriented initiatives.
Key areas of cooperation discussed included:
Joint research and innovation projects addressing global sustainability challenges.
Development of collaborative educational programmes and academic exchanges.
Capacity-building initiatives for early-career researchers and practitioners.
Co-organisation of international conferences, workshops, and policy dialogues.
Strengthening knowledge production and dissemination to support evidence-informed policymaking.
During the visit, Dr. Ioannis Panoussis also gifted UNU-CRIS Director Prof. Philippe De Lombaerde a copy of the compiled 150-year history of the Université Catholique de Lille.
Supporting Doctoral Research on Climate-Induced Displacement with UNU-CRIS and Ghent University
In a related context, Dr. Panoussis participated in the doctoral committee meeting of Ms. Ishitah Sharma, a joint doctoral researcher affiliated with UNU-CRIS and Ghent University, where he serves as a member of the doctoral committee.
The meeting, supervised by Prof. Ellen Desmet and co-supervised by Prof. Nidhi Nagabhatla, reviewed the progress of Ms. Sharma's doctoral research, which addresses one of the most pressing challenges in international governance: protecting climate-induced displaced people in complex, multi-causal contexts. The research seeks to develop an innovative policy support system that bridges international refugee law with environmental science. Specifically, the project integrates the refugee law standard of a "well-founded fear of persecution" with environmental risk indicators to establish evidence-based thresholds for determining when international protection should be triggered.
Dr. Fatma Güneri, Dr. Ioannis Panoussis, Prof. Philippe De Lombaerde, and Prof. Nidhi Nagabhatla at the entrance of UNU-CRIS campus.
The doctoral committee provided extensive and constructive feedback on the project's objectives, methodological framework, and policy relevance. The discussion highlighted the significant contribution the research can make towards strengthening protection mechanisms for climate-induced displacement and supporting more coherent decision-making by regional organisations, international institutions, and national governments.
Overall, the visit reflected the growing commitment of both UNU-CRIS (Belgium) and Université Catholique de Lille (France) to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing policy-relevant research, and strengthening international academic partnerships that contribute to sustainable development and global societal well-being.
