Closing Remarks
at the World Cultural Council’s 21st Award Ceremony

by Prof. Willy Legros
Rector University of Liège

November 8th 2004
I shall close this prestigious ceremony with several final reflections.

Academia loves ceremony and honouring its own. We need not see here either egocentrism or self-satisfaction.

To the contrary. It is our way – that of academics and scientists – to simply and modestly express who we are. It is our way of putting to the fore the values that guide us and attest to our confidence in the virtues of the scientific approach.

In rewarding ourselves, we pay tribute to the superior and remarkable qualities of the most brilliant among us, those whose lives and realisations are major contributions to the knowledge and welfare of humankind.

The World Cultural Council has pursued this objective for 20 years now. The personalities it honours are not ‘stars’ in the media sense of the word. But these personalities deserve, more than anyone, these moments of attention. This distinction also reinforces them for the pursuit of their work.

I would like to thank the World Cultural Council for having chosen the University of Liège to organise its 21st award ceremony. It is a great honour for us to be included in the list of institutions that have had the privilege of hosting this renowned event.

.I again congratulate Ralph Cicerone and David Attenborough, whose particular roles in favour of preserving our planet we now better understand.

I also thank all our guests for their presence today.

Before the reception, upon exiting the auditorium, you will receive the various texts of today’s speeches.

A final word of thanks to our University Choir, and particularly to the Director, Patrick Wilwerth, for having created especially for this ceremony, the music for which the lyrics are on the programs you received.

I thank you all.