Students from the university will always remember Professor Pierre du Bois as a passionate man. Passionate for his areas but also for his teaching. His seminars, always animated and well-attended, were filled with his enthusiasm for his favourite themes – from the European Union, particularly on matters of bargaining and of compromise, to Latin America or from international crime to the challenges of demographic changes.
Professor du Bois never separated the professional from the humane. Thus, he did not hesitate to share with his students the experiences he had from his many travels, but also the impressions he was left with after meeting a friend or acquaintance. In addition, he explained that the role of a professor was also that of a mentor who supported his students in all the highs and lows that they might come across during their academic careers.
This certainly explains the large number of students who came to see him each week during his consultation times. And they were not quick to leave his office, even if the queue of those waiting for his advice was long.
Indeed, Professor du Bois did not skimp on his time when it came to communicating with his students his passion for a thousand things and above all his constant willingness to forge ahead. He never missed an opportunity to encourage them to finish their research and their work as quickly as possible – just as he himself was always anxious to see through to the finish the manuscript of the moment.
Katrin Milzow, PhD, International History and Politics,
HEI Echo, No. 36, autumn 2007