Richard Descoings has died

[Antonio the Sixth]

If you wonder who I'm talking about, he was the director of my university.

Leading the institution since 1996, he carried out significant reforms like opening regional campuses, making it mandatory to spend the 3rd year of undergrad studies in a foreign university, creating a special admittance procedure for students coming from disadvantaged urban zones, and recently reforming the reglar admittance system. He also suffered much criticism for the very high salaries he and his colleagues granted themselves. Anyways, he renewed Sciences Po's prestige and was considered as one of the greatest thinkers for the reform of France's educational system.

My sincerest condolences to his friends and family, as well as to the entire Sciences Po community.

[Phony Moderate]

RIP Richard Descoings.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I know this may sound weird, but even though I've almost never seen him personally I feel extremely moved by this. Apart from the fact he was 53 and could have lived 30 more years... He was a charismatic figure inside the institution, was widely respected for his active reformism and his engagement for the prestige of Sciences Po and deserves to be called a great man. Many people are studying in this great institution thanks to him (because he helped foreigners and disfavored people to enter). Even though most of us didn't know him personally, we all had a lot of affection toward him. His death came as a shock for all us, from which I have yet to fully recover.

Sorry for the rambling.