Iméra celebrated its ten years!

Published on 27 Jun 2019

Established in 2007 and integrated into Aix-Marseille University in 2013, Iméra celebrated its tenth anniversary during various events throughout the year 2018-2019, and specifically on June 27, 2019. Many personalities, fellows, former fellows, and guests of Iméra were present for this event where speeches, conferences by Iméra fellows and former fellows, and artistic performances took place.

**Denis Bertin,** President of Iméra, opened the day of celebration of Iméra’s ten years

**Yvon Berland,** President of Aix-Marseille University from 2012 to 2019

**Jacques Dubucs,** Scientific Director SHS of MESRI

**Catherine Pila,** Municipal Councellor responsible for Cultural Buildings and Relations with the CIQ.

**Didier Viviers,** President of the French Network of Institutes for Advanced Studies

**Marie-Florence Bulteau-Rambaud,** Regional Councillor

Dialogue of **Yadh Ben Achour** (on the right), holder of the Averroès Chair A*MIDEX / Iméra, with **Thierry Fabre**, director of the Mediterranean program

**Mercedes Pascual,** Professor at the University of Chicago, research fellow at Iméra, co-holder of the IRD / Iméra Chair in Sustainable Development

**Abdessamad El Montassir,** artist and former resident researcher at Iméra (right), **Thierry Gauquelin, I**MBE (left). Speaking at the microphone is **Pascale Hurtado,** director of the Art, Science, and Society program.

**Marco Buongiorno-Nardelli,** professor at the University of North Texas and researcher in residence at PRISM/Iméra, presented his interactive sound artwork “The Miniature Opera Project, a New Media Installation”. Each sound is emitted when participants throw a bag onto the panel, obstructing the light.

**Marco Buongiorno** presented his interactive sound work “The Miniature Opera Project, a New Media Installation”. Each sound is emitted when participants throw a sachet on the panel, thereby blocking the light.

**Hyam Yared i**s a writer and researcher in residence at Iméra, holding the Camus Chair.

The reading of **Hyam Yared**‘s works was accompanied by a concert with the group Zoppa – an echo-poetic evening with **Sylvie Paz and Kalliroï Raouezzo.**

The celebration of Iméra’s tenth anniversary on June 27, 2019, was an opportunity to recall the major role and place of institutes for advanced studies in the research landscape, and to illustrate the impact of the researchers and artists welcomed in residency on the territory of Aix-Marseille.

Denis Bertin, President of Iméra, Yvon Berland, President of Aix-Marseille University, Jacques Dubucs, Scientific Director SHS of MESRI, Didier Viviers, President of RFIEA, Catherine Pila, Municipal Councillor responsible for Cultural Buildings and Relations with the CIQ, and Marie-Florence Bulteau-Rambaud, Regional Councillor, took turns at the microphone.

The speeches were then followed by a round table on the place and stakes of University-Based Institute for Advanced Studies (UBIAS) in the research landscape. The round table was led by Olivier Bouin, director of RFIEA, with Raouf Boucekkine, director of Iméra, Véronique Zanetti, director of ZIF, Ary Plonski, coordinator of the UBIAS network, and Eliezer Rabinovici, holder of the Louis Michel Chair at IHES.

The day continued with several conferences by Iméra fellows or former fellows:

—Yadh Ben Achour, Professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of Tunis, Iméra fellow, holder of the Averroès Chair, for a dialogue with Thierry Fabre about Islam and the universality of democratic norms.

—Mercedes Pascual, Professor at the University of Chicago, Iméra fellow, co-holder of the IRD Chair in Sustainable Development, on the Constitution of an international and interdisciplinary research group permanent in sustainable development and ecosystems.

—Abdessamad El Montassir, Artist, former Iméra fellow, on the project “Natural Resistance” or how art and science collaborate. Presentation of works and exchange with Thierry Gauquelin, professor at IMBE, led by Pascale Hurtado, director of the Arts, Sciences and Society program at Iméra.

––Sarah Barman, Professor at Kingston University, former Iméra fellow, on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Imaging, in collaboration with the NeOpTo team of the Institute of Neuro.