Dies academicus 2009

Dies academicus 2009: Ian Evett honoured by the Faculty of Law and Criminal Sciences

Dr Ian Evett is a leading figure in forensic science.

A physicist and mathematician, he began working as a document expert in Chepstow in 1966. He was quick to protest against the lack of a statistical framework in forensic science, and began his work on the theme of interpretation, working with prestigious statisticians and publishing a number of noteworthy articles.

Since 1987, he has devoted himself to research and training in the field of interpretation. Dr Evett has an impressive list of major contributions, recognised by several international awards. He is a respected expert in the UK, advising on cases where blatant interpreting errors have been made and are now termed miscarriages of justice.

‘He has totally influenced the perspective of part of our teaching’, explains Pierre Margot, Director of the ESC.

Dies academicus 2009: Ernst Fehr honoured by the Faculty of Business Administration

Professor of microeconomics and experimental economics at the University of Zurich, Ernst Fehr is a contrarian thinker.

Classical theory postulates that individuals always behave rationally in order to serve their own interests. As a master of the experimental approach, Fehr has shown that social motives such as the desire for reciprocity or the avoidance of collective disapproval, as well as the need to protect one's own interests, can also have an impact on the behaviour of individuals. Our aversion to collective disapproval, as well as our aversion to inequity, can lead us to reject an apparently more reasonable proposal or behaviour. He is currently leading a research project on social interactions and altruism.

His originality and the scientific strength of his experiments, which integrate discoveries made in psychology, sociology and biology, as well as in neuroscience, are unanimously acknowledged.

Dies academicus 2009: Paul Harris honoured by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences

The American Paul Harris is one of today's leading developmental psychologists.

A professor at Harvard University, he has placed emotions (including in autistic children) and imagination at the heart of our skills, whereas for Piaget imagination was merely a stage in children's development, prior to rational thought.

He also explored a new field of investigation, that of ‘testimony’, i.e. the way in which children learn from the words of others. This transmission of knowledge calls on language and the imagination, since it presents entities that are not visible, such as God or bacteria, through words. If children do not question the existence of these entities, it is because they are attentive to the way in which adults present things, as Paul Harris' research shows.

Dies academicus 2009: Barbara Hearing honoured by the University of Lausanne

Socialist national councillor between 1990 and 2007, Barbara Haering has been working to promote an open and fair Switzerland since her studies at ETH Zurich. Passionate about education and research, she has been the president of the Institut de hautes études en administration publique (Idheap), which is associated with UNIL, since 2005.

As a partner in the management of econcept, a Zurich-based research and consultancy firm, Barbara Haering develops strategies to enable decision-makers to view politics, public management, the economy and all social issues from the perspective of sustainable development.

Since 2008, she has been one of 22 personalities appointed to the European Research Area Board (ERAB) by the European Commission to provide it with independent and reliable advice with a view to the creation of a European Research and Science Area.

Dies academicus 2009: Georges-André Carrel awarded the Prix de l'Université de Lausanne

It's wonderful, this prize means a lot to me, because until now, the awards I've received have been more linked to performance. Now I feel something different.

Director of the Sports Department at UNIL and EPFL since 1991, and technical director of LUC Volleyball, Georges-André Carrel's mission is to give the body a role in the training of the individual and to do everything possible to integrate students into society, particularly in team sport. Together with his colleagues, he is responsible for organising, managing, training and teaching sport in the university community, which represents 22,000 people.

The department offers 82 sports for free and optional practice. Currently, more than 55% of students, or 10,000 people, practise a sport about 2 times a week.