The International Symposium on Frontiers in Microbiology has been de- dicated to Prof. P. De Somer, whom I succeeded shortly after his death on 17 June 1985 as Rector of this now more than 560-year old University. When Prof. De Somer became the head of the University he started to remodel it, giving our old Alma Mater a more transparent administrative structure, strengthening its scientific and cultural autonomy, and establishing close links with the most prestigious national and foreign institutions. This made De Somer to one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of rectors in the history of Belgian Universities. He was a great leader, a perfect organizer, a clever negotiator, and a brilliant orator. In his speeches one immediately sensed his intuitive cognition and witty evaluation of the values of life. He knew perfectly well how to persuade the unwilling and to disenchant the illusionist. Sometimes a visionary himself, he would not pursue his ideas unless there was a chance of success. As innovative Prof. P. De Somer was in providing to this University a new face, or should I say facelifting, as international is his reputation as the founder, and, since its inception, only director, of the Rega Institute. Built now more than 30 years ago, the Rega Institute has re- mained one of the world’s leading centers in microbiological research.
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