INVEST ENGAGES IN TRANSDISCIPLINARY DIALOGUE FOR A HEALTHY PLANET IN REIMS
On 4 and 5 December 2025, 16 master’s and PhD students as well as professor from the INVEST alliance gathered in Reims for the 3rd edition of the EXEBIO Institute’s Transdisciplinary Research for a Healthy Planet Symposium. Hosted on the Croix-Rouge campus of the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, the event provided a dynamic setting for INVEST participants to explore how different disciplines can jointly address global environmental challenges.
Strengthening INVEST’s Transdisciplinary Vision
The symposium offered an immersive experience blending scientific inquiry, environmental history, artistic perspectives and student-driven research; reflecting INVEST’s commitment to fostering collaboration across universities and fields of expertise.
The programme opened with the screening of “Glaciers d’Arctique, état des lieux” (“Arctic glaciers, state of play”) by Pierre Dugowson, which set the tone for two days devoted to planetary change and the human role within it. A poster session followed, giving participants the opportunity to present their ongoing work. Among them, Francisco Abel Guerrero Paz showcased his PhD research on the aerial fungal diseases affecting olive trees, illustrating the scientific breadth and societal relevance of the projects carried out within the alliance.
Exploring the Human–Nature Relationship
The theme of the first day, Human–Nature Relationships, brought together internationally recognised scholars who offered complementary perspectives on our evolving interactions with the natural world:
- Dr. Anne-Caroline Prévot, CNRS Research Director and ecologist specialised in conservation biology at the interface with social sciences
- Dr. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz, CNRS Senior Researcher and historian of environmental history and climate knowledge, the Anthropocene and the energy transition
- Dr. Bathsheba Demuth, Dean’s Associate Professor at Brown University, and Environmental historian specialised in the lands and seas of the Russian and North American Arctic
Beyond academic contributions, the symposium also integrated the arts. The dialogue “When art meets science” between Anaïs Tondeur and Rozenn Canevet, paired with the exhibition “La nuit obscure de l’âme végétale” (“The dark night of the plant soul”) they created with ESAD students as part of the EarthKeepingEarthShaking programme, invited participants to reflect on how creativity can shape ecological awareness.
Nature-Based Solutions: From Knowledge to Action
The second day focused on Nature-Based Solutions, inviting participants to engage with experts addressing applied ecological and sustainability challenges:
- Dr. Daniel Gilbert, Professor at the University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, and ecologist specialised in microbial ecology of wetlands
- Dr. Jonathan Lenoir, CNRS Research Officer at the Picardie Jules Verne University, and ecologist specialised in forestry ecology
- Pr. Jan Bebbington, Professor at the Lancaster University, specialised in ecological accounting
The symposium concluded with a keynote by Dr. Philippe Grandcolas, CNRS Research Director and Scientific Deputy Director of “CNRS Ecologie et Environnement”.
A Meaningful Step Forward for INVEST participants
This 3rd edition of the symposium demonstrated the value of bringing together diverse fields, backgrounds and institutions, a core ambition of the INVEST alliance.
By engaging directly with leading experts, presenting their own research, and exploring the intersections of science, history and art, INVEST participants strengthened their capacity to address the complex transformations shaping our planet.