Jean Renneboog

Rectorship

In his short time as rector, Jean Renneboog put most of his efforts into improving and expanding the university’s technology infrastructure. He bought Macintosh computers with financial help from Apple and built an IT centre on campus with three rooms of MS-DOS 41 computers. He installed the VUB network, connecting all the computers on campus. As a university in a growing European community, the VUB attracted many international students who wanted to study in Brussels on an Erasmus exchange. From the correspondence of his rectorship, it’s clear that Renneboog considered this exchange of languages and cultures very important. However, he encountered a number of problems, such as an acute shortage of accommodation for these students. Moreover, the university was receiving lots of applications from students outside Europe, who were ineligible for an Erasmus scholarship.

Renneboog’s rectorship was also affected by the Coens education decree, which put enormous pressure on higher education. The decree proposed a complete redesign of university education, including the introduction of credits. Students and the VUB criticised the structural measures that had a financial impact for the university. In his plan, Education minister Daniël Coens wanted to index tuition fees and base higher education subsidies on the number of students per course. Courses with few students were suspended as a result. To avoid this, sparsely populated courses were sometimes merged. The subsidy norms were much more drastic for a small university than for a large one, and smaller faculties at the VUB struggled. Moreover, it was feared that courses would be scrapped and faculties merged. The decree also did not take European legislation into account, while the VUB was focusing its policy on just that. Renneboog, alongside his students, protested against these new measures. This can be heard in a striking radio clip in which he stresses the importance of funding for higher education.

As rector, Renneboog focused on social issues close to his heart. For instance, he denounced the international approach of the United Nations and the Belgian government to the Gulf War and expressed concern about the way the media reported on the conflict. According to Renneboog, the function of the media is to bring critical and multilateral information while not losing sight of the human aspect.

Renneboog was a popular rector. This was evident from the huge support he received from his students after he was arrested on suspicion of causing the death of his wife, Claire. During the period when Renneboog claimed that her death was the result of an accident, students expressed their support for him. His deputy, Silvain Loccufier, assumed his duties until the next rector elections. Renneboog was released from prison early and gave an interview to Humo magazine shortly after. In it, he claimed that people linked to VUB had approached him to lie to the court so as not to compromise the university’s good name. However, no concrete evidence has ever been found for these claims.

Studies and career

Jean Renneboog was born on 29 March 1939 in St-Genesius-Rode. Growing up in a working-class family, he was an excellent student throughout his childhood. He studied Latin and mathematics at the French-speaking Royal Atheneum of Uccle, although he grew up in a Dutch-speaking family. He then graduated as a civil engineer in mechanics at ULB, specialising in mechanical engineering and electronics. During his studies, he met his future wife, Claire Squilbin, who became a doctor of biology. In 1962, Renneboog joined the General Electricity and Nuclear Sciences B laboratories as an engineer, after which he obtained his doctorate. As a result, he became a lecturer at the Dutch-language department of ULB-VUB. He then became a part-time lecturer at the VUB, going on to become an assistant, professor, head of department and chair of the VUB Research Council.

He taught within the Department of General Electricity and was involved in fundamental and applied research. As an engineer, he taught courses such as General Electricity and General Electrical Measurements. He was a diligent academic and conducted research on electric lines, reflectogram digital treatment and modern electronics. He published more than 100 articles and conference papers in national and international journals. Under his impetus, the Department of General Electricity and Instrumentation (ELEC) grew into a major unit in the Faculty of Applied Sciences. Two spin-off companies emerged from the department and numerous research contracts were concluded with companies. Renneboog held various mandates during his academic career. He was a member of the VLIR and the National Science Policy Council, among others, and spent several short periods abroad to give lectures and teach. At the age of 51, he was elected rector.