Professor Frédéric Francis becomes the first Belgian to be nominated by the Council for International Entomological Congresses (ICE)
Every four years, ICE awards Certificates of Distinction to highlight the exemplary contributions of renowned entomologists. For this 27th edition, none other than entomologist and dean of the Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech faculty, Pr Frédéric Francis, has been nominated for the 2024 award, a first for a Belgian.
Through this prize, ICE rewards the transdisciplinary nature of the activities carried out, the practical aspects in favor of sustainable agriculture and environmental quality, as well as the valorization of new resources for various entomological applications. The certificate is also a means of rewarding scientists for their major contributions to the teaching, training and popularization of entomology.
ICE therefore wishes to reward Prof. Francis for the connections he has developed throughout the world, including in developing countries. These illustrate concrete actions in the constant challenges that make up entomology. As part of his nomination, Professor Francis is invited to present a special lecture on his work and receive the award at the opening plenary session of the ICE Congress in Kyoto in 2024.
After graduating in agricultural engineering, Prof. Francis obtained a PhD in 2003 on multitrophic plant - aphid - predator interactions. He has been a full professor at Gembloux-Agro Bio Tech - ULiège and head of the entomology laboratory since 2012. He has been Dean of the Faculty since 2017. His career also extends internationally, as he is a visiting professor at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and Shandong Agricultural University.
His teaching and research activities focus on understanding the interactions of insects with their environment (host plants, as virus vectors, with symbionts, etc.) and promoting biological pest control with integrated and complementary strategies. He is also interested in edible insects. Involved in numerous projects in developing countries in Africa, South America and Asia, he is helping to apply practical approaches to managing insect diversity and enhancing insect value.
The entomologist has also supervised more than 150 master's students and 80 doctoral students in their research work, leading to a wide range of publications in international journals and numerous communications at scientific conferences. He is founder and president of the Hexapoda Museum - Insectarium Jean Leclercq in Waremme, Belgium, managing an entomological collection of 5 million insects. He promotes entomology at different levels, from the discovery of insects by the very young to the support of amateur and professional entomologists.
