University of Lille - SHS

The University of Lille, Human and Social Sciences (UDL SHS) is the biggest French university in Human and Social Sciences to the north of Paris. Research is organized in 14 research units that cover approximately the complete spectrum of humanities and social sciences, ranging from prehistory and archeology to information and communication sciences, from arts, philosophy, literature and cultural studies to cognitive sciences, linguistics, educational sciences, history, sociology and economy. There is also a research unit specialized in computer science. There are three major, structural strands of research: - Health, ethics and vulnerability: This research strand examines challenges in the humanities and social sciences concerning the relationship between health and society with respect to belief systems and representations of illness, healthcare, quality of life and well-being. Researchers also investigate psycho-social problems relating to illness and relevant to research in medicine and biology. - Visual culture and visual studies: researchers investigate the production, reception, reading and use of images, artifacts and visual devices in past and present societies. - Processes of creation and innovation: this theme concerns processes and practices of artistic and literary creation as well as discourses and uses of innovation in all fields in order to contribute to contemporary societal debates related to digital technologies. UDL SHS also promotes and supports the emergence of new interdisciplinary research in digital humanities and new methods of analyzing textual and experimental data. The university is involved in national research schemes such as: - Labex (laboratoire d’exellence) Distalz, Development of an Innovative strategy and a Transdisciplinary approach to Alzheimer’s disease - SIRIC (Sites de recherché Intégrée sur le Cancer) ONCOLille, interdisciplinary research on cancer supported by the National Cancer Institut (Institut National du Cancer) The university has a unique, innovative technical platform, EQUIPEX (equipement d’excellence) IRDIVE (Innovation Research in the Digital and Interactive Visual Environments) with cutting-edge digital technology that brings together ICT and HSS and which enables multidisciplinary research in the field of visual studies and visual culture (history of art, cognitive sciences, digital art)