Françoise Thauvin retires

A key contact in the every-day life of EUI researchers retired after 28 years in the Academic Service. Françoise Thauvin, who looked after researcher grants, welfare and health insurance, was toasted by researchers, staff and faculty at a farewell party on 3 December. Speeches by the Secretary-General Pasquale Ferrara, Director of Academic Services Veerle Deckmyn, attested to the importance of Françoise’s contribution over the past decades, as did warm tributes delivered by researchers Camille Aynès and Elie Michel.  Ken Hulley read a letter on behalf of Andreas Frijdal thanking her for her dedication to the service and to researchers.

In reply to a few questions posed to her by EUI Life, Françoise stated that she enjoyed the autonomous nature of her work, the variety of issues she had to confront, but above all the very enjoyable human experience of it. After nearly three decades at the EUI, she writes that ‘the major satisfaction was to arrive every morning in a place where I was happy to be, in an international environment. Of course some moments were more complicated and less pleasant, but this is part of every job. It was very important for me to feel that I could be useful.’