On September 26, 2024, the Ordre National du Mérite medal was awarded to Karine Laval, Director of Research and Innovation at UniLaSalle. This distinction underlines her exceptional career and her commitment to agricultural research, while highlighting the importance of collective work in innovation.
Bringing together family, colleagues, UniLaSalle management, partners and representatives of local institutions, the medal ceremony celebrated Karine Laval's remarkable career. The speeches, tinged with recognition, admiration and, at times, emotion, highlighted her role as a visionary leader in agricultural research and innovation.
A path of excellence in research
The presentation of the Ordre National du Mérite medal to Karine Laval was an opportunity to look back on a career dedicated to research and innovation. At the ceremony, Christian Huygue, INRAE's Scientific Director for Agriculture, underlined Karine's remarkable career path, which began as a teacher-researcher at ESITPA before taking on increasing responsibilities. “With her tenacity and innovative ideas, Karine has created a joint team and changed the way research and teaching are linked ”.
Under her impetus, research at UniLaSalle took on a new dimension, evolving from modest laboratories to a genuine research structure with national and international visibility. For Christian Huygue, one of his strengths is also his ability to “stimulate the development of partnerships, obtain funding and translate this into an industrial chain as often and as quickly as possible”. In this way, and always with the strength of the collective, Karine has played a major part in making UniLaSalle a key player in agricultural research, both nationally and internationally, notably by drawing on the LaSalle network.
The importance of teamwork and partnerships
Karine wished to dedicate this medal to the collective, because for her, research and innovation can only be the fruit of quality teamwork. Expressing her gratitude to her trainers, colleagues and doctoral students, Karine Laval pointed out that “The training we receive follows us throughout our lives, because it shapes us.”
Her career path has evolved greatly over the years, but the creation of UniLaSalle, in 2016, was a major turning point in her opinion, marking the advent of unified, interdisciplinary research: “Once UniLaSalle was born and merged with the other schools, the project, from the outset, was a single research, for everyone and inter-campus.”
A vision for the future of agricultural research
Philippe Choquet, Managing Director of UniLaSalle, praised her innovative approach: "Karine has always spoken enthusiastically about research, seeking to bring together people from different backgrounds to create hybridization. She embodies a sense of community and commitment to the common good”.
As for Sébastien Windsor, President of UniLaSalle, he wished to thank her on behalf of the Institute, but also of the agricultural world, for her commitment and investment: "You were already a Lasallian at heart before the merger. Thank you for all you have achieved for agriculture and for the school. You can be proud of your achievements, but above all of the way in which you were able to take others with you."
Symbolizing not only an exemplary career, but also a collective and humanistic vision of research, the Ordre National du Mérite medal awarded to Karine Laval highlights years of commitment and hard work. Her dedication to advancing the field of agriculture, building solid partnerships and federating teams around innovative projects inspires the scientific and academic community.
