As a native of the Tournai region, from a family where the language of Voltaire rubs shoulders with that of Vondel, I was lucky enough to cultivate values that are essential to me—friendship, open-mindedness, solidarity and fairness—and which are at the heart of my academic commitment.
A life’s journey at UCLouvain
My aspiration for justice that serves society led me to obtain a law degree, a teaching degree (AESS) and a PhD in comparative civil liability law (thesis awarded two prizes).
After working as a lawyer and sworn interpreter (Dutch), I became an academic in 1997, teaching in various disciplines (criminal, civil and medical law) in the Faculties of Law and Criminology, Medicine and Dentistry, and Public Health.
The individual is at the centre of my concerns and research
Whether in the context of care relationships or accidents, the attention paid to the human being and the necessary alliance between law, ethics and deontology are the common thread running through my research, teaching and commitments.
Expertise that serves society and the scientific community
My career has led me to forge links with other universities (visiting professor at KULeuven, McGill, Bordeaux, Paris Cité, etc.), develop collaborative networks (such as the International Academic Network on Bioethics) and build relationships of trust with people from civil society and the business world (member of the Royal Academy of Belgium, member of the Board of Directors of UNICEF-Belgium, chair of the Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics and of the Medical Accident Fund Management Committee).
Committing to the University and our community
Investing in the University that educated and then recruited me has always been an obvious choice for me.
I have held a number of institutional positions: staff representative, member of deliberative bodies (faculty, institute, PhD Committee, Research Council), institute president, dean. I am currently vice-rector of the Social Sciences and Humanities Sector.
These experiences have been rich in cross-disciplinary knowledge of the institution and segments of our community. They have enabled me to appreciate the needs and specific characteristics of each sector and campus.
I advocate leadership based on listening, professional ethics, and poise.