Discover Political Science: Core Concepts and Analysis

Nathalie Schiffino-Leclercq serves as Professor of Political Science at the Catholic University of Louvain, where she has established herself as a leading expert in public policy analysis and risk management. After earning her PhD in government and public administration from Louvain in 2000, she has developed significant expertise in crisis management, democratic theory, and policy evaluation. Her influential work includes co-creating one of the first successful MOOCs in political science, "Découvrir la science politique," which earned recognition as a finalist for the edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning

Pierre Baudewyns serves as Professor of Political Science at the Université catholique de Louvain, where he completed his degrees in history and political science. His research focuses on political behavior among citizens and elites in Belgium and Europe from a comparative perspective. As co-director of the Belgian National Election Studies and General Secretary of the Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée, he has made significant contributions to understanding electoral behavior and political attitudes. His work has been published in prestigious journals including Electoral Studies, West European Politics, Comparative European Politics, and Regional and Federal Studies. He has collaborated on major publications including "Candidates, Parties and Voters in the Belgian Partitocracy" and "Elections: le reflux? Comportements et attitudes lors des élections en Belgique

Vincent Legrand serves as Professor at the Université catholique de Louvain, where he completed his doctorate in Political Science and certification in Islamic Studies. His expertise spans political science, Arab-Islamic studies, and international relations. His academic work includes teaching introductory political science to Economics and Management Engineering students, while offering Master's level courses focusing on contemporary Arab world politics, economics, and society. His research encompasses foreign policy decision-making, sociopolitical developments in Arab countries, religious peacebuilding, and the intersection of religion and politics in the European Union. As former Deputy-Director of the French-Arab Section at Cairo University's Faculty of Economics & Political Science and former Chairman of El Kalima Christian Centre for Relations with Islam, he brings unique insights to religious and political dialogue. His scholarly work has been published extensively in books by prestigious publishers and academic journals, focusing on topics ranging from Iranian foreign policy to Arab-Muslim democratization and the role of religious actors in European politics.

Min Reuchamps serves as Professor of Political Science at the Université catholique de Louvain, holding degrees from the Université de Liège and Boston University. His research focuses on federalism, multi-level governance, democratic innovations, and deliberative democracy. His teaching and research interests span democracy and its transformations, participatory methods, and the relationship between language and politics, particularly examining the role of metaphors in political discourse. As President of the French-speaking Belgian Political Science Association (ABSP) and coordinator of the G1000's methodology cell, he has significantly contributed to understanding citizen-led deliberative democracy. His work has been extensively published, with over 20 books and numerous articles in international scientific journals. He has played a key role in developing innovative teaching methods, including the MOOC "Découvrir la science politique," which was recognized as a finalist for the edX Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning. His recent work includes significant contributions to the development of permanent citizens' dialogue in the German-speaking Community Parliament of Belgium and mixed parliamentary commissions in Brussels and Wallonia.

Ella Hamonic serves as Project Manager for the Louvain moocXperience team at Université catholique de Louvain, where she specializes in developing innovative educational experiences. After graduating from the Institute of Political Studies of Lille with a focus on Art Management, she built a diverse career spanning cultural journalism, production management, and digital education. Her work with the Louv3x MOOC team has been instrumental in creating successful online learning experiences, particularly in political science education. As part of the pedagogical team, she helps ensure continuous improvement of course content and technical structure based on learner feedback. Her expertise in cultural studies, particularly intangible heritage, combined with her experience in new media, allows her to bridge traditional learning with digital innovation. Beyond her university role, she works as an independent consultant for art and technology projects, helping organizations leverage digital platforms for knowledge transmission and cultural engagement. Her work demonstrates the successful integration of cultural management expertise with educational technology innovation

Jehan Bottin serves as a Teaching Assistant and PhD candidate at the Université catholique de Louvain, where he completed his degrees in political sciences and law. His research focuses on democratic innovations, deliberative democracy, and the role of public servants in participatory processes. He has contributed significantly to understanding how public administration interfaces with citizen participation, particularly through his work on citizens' assemblies and deliberative democracy. As a member of the teaching staff, he compensates for Professor Pierre Baudewyns in political science courses while maintaining an active research agenda examining the transformation of public administration through participatory processes. His recent work explores how public servants influence the implementation and success of democratic innovations, contributing to both academic literature and practical understanding of deliberative democracy.