PODCAST | Eric Pirard : Rock hunter

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he career ofEric Pirard is that of an explorer, passionate about geology and mineral resources. Trained as a geological engineer, he has always been concerned with environmental issues, while at the same time identifying subsoil resources.

With his awareness of the circular economy, he has been working since the start of his career to bring about a change in mentality regarding the consumption of resources. Involved in research, teaching and science popularization, he strives to pass on his optimism and promote individual responsibility and sobriety.

Committed to development cooperation and raising students' awareness of realities in the field, Eric Pirard helped set up the Belgian association "Ingénieur-es sans frontières" for sustainable, responsible, supportive and inclusiveengineering.

Head of the Doctoral Council from 2007 to 2015, he was behind the launch of the "Ma thèse en 180 secondes" science popularization competition at the University of Liège.

As regards the applicative aspect of research with a view to the economic redeployment of Wallonia, Eric Pirard has been involved in the creation of several spin-offs and research programs, including: GeMMe, Metheore and Reverse Metallurgy.

Every year, he welcomes students from all over the world as part of the Master in Georesources Engineering (EMerald) program, offered by four European universities and coordinated by the University of Liège.