In front of several hundred staff members, Rector Stéphane Pallage bid farewell to the University of Luxembourg community at the end of his five-year mandate on Friday 16 December.

“I am saying goodbye to you with a lot of serenity and pride”, said Stéphane Pallage in his farewell speech. During his mandate, the staff grew by almost a third and the budget also reached new record levels. “The University is now one of the very large employers in Luxembourg. We have signed two collective bargaining agreements. We have adopted a strategic framework as well as important policies such as a code of conduct, a multilingualism policy and a gender equality policy.”

Stéphane Pallage’s message to the University staff was to have faith in who they are, to be proud of the community and to keep the dream alive. He emphasised that his successor in office, vice-rector for research Jens Kreisel, will be “a very good captain for our ship”.

On behalf of the entire University community, incoming rector Jens Kreisel thanked Stéphane Pallage for his leadership marked by an ever-positive mindset, strong resilience and humanity. “You steered the University very well through the pandemic, with great sensitivity to concerns and needs of students and staff”, Jens Kreisel said. “Moreover, you are handing over the University in a very good shape. Our institution is doing well, despite the difficult macroeconomic situation.”

Jens Kreisel thanked his predecessor for the excellent cooperation during the transition period and invited Stéphane Pallage to the 20th anniversary celebration of the University in autumn 2023. As an insignia of the institution and symbol of the University's history, Pallage then handed over the University's Golden Book to the future Rector amid long applause.

Photo:
© University of Luxembourg 2022 / Emmanuel Claude