For this new year, the Maison des Sciences Humaines at ULB is launching its brand-new podcast, “Échos du monde.” Once a month, a researcher shares their work on the microphone of Fanette Verheyden. Available on ULB Podcasts, Spotify, and Deezer!

Échos du monde gives a voice to those who observe the world differently, highlighting original research, hidden stories, and fresh perspectives on the world around us.

Through lively and accessible conversations with researchers in the humanities and social sciences, this podcast aims to make research understandable for everyone, while showing how it sheds light on the major challenges facing our society.

Note: This episode is in French.

Godmothers of War: When Words Become Weapons

In this very first episode of Échos du monde, we dive into the remarkable yet little-known history of the “godmothers of war.” These were women who wrote to soldiers at the front, sending letters, packages, and moral support. Far more than a simple gesture of solidarity, these correspondences created an emotional and moral support network, essential for soldiers facing the violence of war.

Through the research of historian Brice Prince, we explore the scope and complexity of this phenomenon. Who were these godmothers? What relationships did they form with their soldier godsons? And what do these exchanges reveal about the society of the time, the roles assigned to women, and the ways people endured war?

This story takes us to the intersection of the personal and the political, between individual memory and collective history. By bringing these often-forgotten voices back to life, this episode invites us to reflect on how solidarity can become a form of resistance in the face of horror.

Listen to the episode here:

➡️ ULB Podcast: https://podcast.ausha.co/recherche-science-et-societe-a-l-ulb/echos-du-monde-1-marraines-de-guerre

➡️ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pSOSMAcRTuoxe0FEmBb08?si=I4IXq7LyRXmARDlaSPnvhA

➡️ Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/fr/show/1000796152

The “Échos du monde” podcast from the Maison des Sciences Humaines is back with a new episode! In this installment, Jihane Sfeir shares her research with Fanette Verheyden.

Available on ULB Podcast, Spotify, and Deezer!

➡️ ULB Podcast : épisode 2

➡️ Spotify : épisode 2

➡️ Deezer : épisode 2

Note: This episode is in French.

Échos du monde gives a voice to those who observe the world differently, highlighting original research, hidden stories, and fresh perspectives on the world around us.

Through lively and accessible conversations with researchers in the humanities and social sciences, the podcast aims to make research understandable for everyone while showing how it illuminates the major challenges of our society.

Memories of the Arab World: Voices Against Oblivion

In this new episode of Échos du monde, we dive into the political stakes of memory: what is chosen to be remembered, what is left untold—and the effects these choices have on collective narratives. Memories are often fragmented, sometimes disrupted by exile, displacement, or political violence, yet always marked by a deep desire to transmit knowledge and experience.

Through the research of historian Jihane Sfeir, we explore how archives become sites of power and how silences take root in official histories. What do these narratives tell us about Arab world identities? How is history transmitted when people are uprooted?

This episode takes us to the intersection of the personal and the political, between individual memory and collective history, inviting reflection on how memory becomes a space of resistance, reconstruction, and continuity in the face of forgetting.

The “Échos du monde” podcast from the Maison des Sciences Humaines is back with a new episode! In this installment, Sébastien de Valériola shares his research with Fanette Verheyden.

Available on ULB Podcast, Spotify, and Deezer!

➡️ ULB Podcast : épisode 3

➡️ Spotify : épisode 3

➡️ Deezer : épisode 3

Note: This episode is in French.

Échos du monde gives a voice to those who observe the world differently, highlighting original research, hidden stories, and fresh perspectives on the world around us.

Through lively and accessible conversations with researchers in the humanities and social sciences, the podcast aims to make research understandable for everyone while showing how it sheds light on major societal challenges.

Digital Humanities: Research in the Age of Technology

In this new episode of Échos du monde, we explore a world in transformation: the realm of digital humanities. What does it really mean to combine history, literature, or social sciences with digital tools? How do researchers use these methods to explore, analyze, and understand cultural and historical data? And what can these approaches teach us about our world and how we produce and share knowledge today?