Frédéric Bernard, Belgian Ambassador to the United States, returns to ULiège

Visiting ULiège on Thursday, February 5, Frédéric Bernard shared his extraordinary career path with a large audience composed mainly of students. He also spoke about the key issues in contemporary American politics.

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 historian with a degree from the Faculty of Arts and Letters (class of 2003), Frédéric Bernard currently serves as Belgium's Ambassador to the United States. He represents His Majesty the King of Belgium and the Federal Government as the person responsible for the management and operation of the Embassy and its Consulates. His duties include bilateral political and economic relations, consular services, and the issuance of visas.

Official biography of FRÉDÉRIC BERNARD

Passing on a passion, defending the University

Catherine Lanneau, Professor of Belgian History and International Relations at the Department of Historical Sciences of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, introduced the meeting and thanked her former student for his presence, not without a certain emotion.

After a first year in office marked by what could be described as a tectonic geopolitical climate, Frédéric Bernard wanted to return to his alma mater to share his career path and pass on to the next generation the passion that drives him every day. As a pluralistic university, ULiège is for him a hub of freedom and a guarantee of quality, which is not the case for all universities. It is a sacred place of reflection in an increasingly fast-paced world.

He believes it is essential to take the time to learn, read, listen, prepare, and be attentive to signals, fueled by a search for meaning and passion. Studying takes time, but it pays off later. He does not come from a family of diplomats and did odd jobs as a student to finance his volunteer internships. Access to high office is therefore an achievable goal, provided you show perseverance and build a solid network.

Frédéric Bernard concluded his speech by citing the three main areas of change currently underway in the US: security, economic prosperity, and values, all in a highly polarized and tense context.

Historical sciences at the heart of diplomatic engagement

After a speech lasting around 30 minutes, he gave the floor to the students present in the room, many of whom were future historians who were particularly honored to be able to attend this exclusive event in the academic setting of a lecture hall. The fact that they had shared (almost*) the same benches perfectly illustrates the importance of training in historical sciences and its impact on diplomacy. Frédéric Bernard emphasizes in particular that all trends have their origins in the past and that historians, with their ability to take a step back and their keen sense of precision, are particularly well equipped to understand others, accept the complexity of the world, and move forward in the best possible direction.

"Belgian identity is almost stronger abroad than it is in Belgium.
In Washington, people know Belgium. Yes, they often mention Belgian chocolate, waffles, beer... But that's not nothing. (...) Belgium is the ninth largest investor in the world. So there is recognition for our expertise. There is a very clear credibility in the United States, and it is growing."Frédéric Bernard

An open exchange with students

The presentations were rich and varied, questioning both the behind-the-scenes aspects of his role and global geopolitics. Frédéric Bernard enjoyed taking part in the exercise, while obviously maintaining a duty of reserve and discretion when required.

Annick Delfosse, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, closed the session before directing the audience to the Professors' Room for an informal discussion. This was a special opportunity to meet the speaker and the many students in attendance, most of whom were from the Faculty of Law, Political Science, and Criminology and the Faculty of Arts and Letters.