At 18, I chose like you to come to study in Le Havre. Like you, I wanted to understand the world around me and dig deeper in the field of social sciences and humanities. Before going to pursue my study in political sciences, I remember telling my parents when moving out of the city that I would never come back to Le Havre. At that time, I was looking forward to embracing new horizons and discovering the world. But never say never. 20 years later, I landed for a second time in this city for what would be the best part of my professional life so far.
It has not been an easy decision to take, but the time has come for me to leave the office on the 4th floor. My wife got a new position far from Le Havre and I have decided to use this change as a new opportunity for me. I embark on a new adventure and feel ready to face new challenges (as we always ask you to do!).
I am very proud of leaving the campus with the memories of the farewell party we organized in the main amphi. Seeing all of you full of energy and ready to open a new chapter for this campus, after the sanitary crisis, reassured me. If you did not know what the LH spirit was about, you got a taste of it that day.
Thanks to you, I spent beautiful years here. Interacting with you, accompanying you in your projects and in your doubts, seeing you growing up intellectually; all of this has been a daily source of joy and happiness.
I used to say that coming every morning to campus was like taking a flight and landing at the same time in several places of the world. Being part of such a great international diversity also fueled my understanding of the world. This human experience gave me lots of hope for the futures of our society and I am convinced that as long as you will keep raising questions, we will be on the right path.
I was a bit jealous sometimes because when I was preparing and validating the syllabi with your professors, I must confess now that many times, I wished I could be at your place, attending a course.
You made me laugh, you made me anxious (sometimes), you made me proud, you made me curious, you convinced me that paying attention to nuances and details are the best way to move forward. You pushed my horizons. Leading a campus is not about applying rules and regulations. It goes far beyond and it is a task we complete all together. On my sides, I would like to underline the professionalism and kindness of my team who has always been very engaged and dedicated to offer you the best service possible.
I won’t conclude by giving you a piece of advice. I will just end this message with a simple yet deeply sincere “thank you.”
You deserve the best and remember that success and happiness do not deal with grades but with dreams. I wish you a beautiful life. Take care of you and your loved ones, let’s keep in touch and “Ici, c’est Le Havre”.
Le Dragon Déchaîné 