Our educational innovations

The members of the Centre for Social Economy have developed innovative teaching methods to enhance student learning. Here is a description of these innovations:

Service Learning

The Managing Social Innovation course incorporates a service learning approach. Students are asked to take on the role of consultant for an organisation that is planning or implementing a social innovation. Working closely with the organisation, they will give the innovation a boost, for example by drawing up a feasibility study, structuring ideas or even developing a communication and membership recruitment strategy. This service-learning work is an opportunity to put into practice the knowledge acquired on the course and during their prior training. The course also includes training in reflexivity and a briefing by a practitioner on social innovation consultancy.

Master classes

Twice a year, we take advantage of the opportunities offered by the ULiège Green Office to invite outside experts to talk about sustainability issues in our courses. This gives students the opportunity to meet recognised experts who share their experience on a specific subject in small groups. The audience is then open - by registration - to the general public.

In 2024-25, during the ULiège climate fortnight, we welcomed :

• Aurore Brunson, CERAC (Climate change risk analysis centre) for a master class on the social impacts of exceeding planetary limits
• Gaetan Herinckx, Phitrust (Asset management company pioneering sustainable investments) for a master class on the role of impact investing in the transition to a sustainable economy

In 2024-25, we welcomed during the Nourrir les Campus festival (linked to Nourrir Liège):

• Yuna Chiffoleau, INRAE research director, specialist in short food circuits, for a master class on reconciling short circuits and mass distribution
• Pierre-Alexandre Billiet, CEO of Gondola group, specialist in mass distribution, for a master class on reconciling short circuits and mass distribution

Awesome Tour

The AwESome tour is a day devoted to visiting social and sustainable enterprises and meeting social entrepreneurs. It's an inspiring experience for students, who are rarely in contact with people working in the field. Click here for a video of the AwESome tour.

Skills workshop in collaboration with SDG Impulse and the S'Lab

The SDG Impulse workshop, created in collaboration with the Sustainability Lab of HEC Liège, offers an immersive and participative approach to the challenges of sustainable transition in business. Students are invited to take on the role of observer and analyst of sustainable practices within Walloon SMEs. Working closely with these partner companies, they explore the challenges and obstacles they face, while testing an innovative digital tool: SDG Impulse.

Over the course of the sessions, participants learn about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through interactive activities, carry out a concrete diagnosis of sustainable practices using the tool, and exchange views directly with enterprises managers. This work offers a unique opportunity to gain a better understanding of the issues involved in sustainable reporting and management, and to identify practical ways of supporting SMEs in their transition.

For the first edition in 2024-2025, students were able to work with Décathlon, University of Liège, Socofe, Nature & Progrès, CRM Group, le TEC, Galler Chocolaterie.

Serious game ‘ChocoMission’

The ChocoMission serious game is an educational innovation designed to raise students awareness of sustainability issues in global agricultural value chains. Through an immersive simulation, participants embody the management team of the independent chocolate maker Galler and are confronted with economic, social and environmental challenges. They have to make strategic decisions about sourcing, relations with producers, the business model, financing and communication. The game mobilises concrete analysis tools and leads participants to reflect on the strategic alignment between raison d'être, business model, financing mix, value chain resilience and environmental impacts. This reflection takes place in an unstable environment, punctuated by disruptive elements, and guided by the donut economy framework, used as a compass for analysis and evaluation. In this way, ChocoMission provides an opportunity to experience the complexity of the trade-offs involved in transition, while developing skills in strategy, negotiation and responsible leadership.