Born in 1936 in Quiévrain, Belgium, he obtained his Medical Doctor degree at the Catholic University of Louvain in 1960, and the degree of Specialist in Internal Medicine in 1965. He then climbed through all levels of the clinical profession: Resident, Deputy Head of Clinic, Associate Head of Clinic, Head of Clinic, Associate Head of Clinical Department, Clinical Professor.

On the academic front, he was successively appointed Senior Lecturer (1973), Assoiciate Professor (1985), Full Clinical Professor (1989), before becoming emeritus Professor in 2001, while continuing to serve as a consultant in the Gastroenterology Department.

His clinical and research interests have focused on the physiopathology and treatment of diseases of the digestive tract, such as inflammatory diseases (Crohn’s disease) and digestive neuroendocrine tumors. In that respect, he has chaired the Medical and Scientific Committee of the Crohn-RCUH Association and served as editor-in-chief of “CROHNique”, a journal of the patients association.

He has published at least 120 articles listed by PubMed and he is the co-author (with Charles Dive and J. Centner) of the classic book “Gastro-Entérologie Clinique, volume 1, Oesophage-Estomac, 2e édition 1998”. He has also authored several book chapters.

He has participated in many scientific societies, in the capacity of:

– Member (since 1962), then Secretary, then President of the Royal (Belgian) Society of Gastroenterology

– Assistant Editor then Editor-in-chief of Acta Gastro-enterologica Belgica

– Founder and scientific coordinator of Joint Meeting of Gastroenterology & Belgian Week of Gastroenterology.

– Member of the British Society of Gastroenterology

– Member of the American Gastroenterological Association

– Member of Cercle International Lambling d’Éthique Médicale

– Secretary of Fonds Georges Brohée (Biennial Gastroenterology Award)

– President of the Medical and Scientific Committee of the “Crohn-RCUH” Patients’ Association

– Member of Amnesty International

By awarding the title of Doctor honoris causa to Professor René FIASSE, UCB would like to thank him for:

• his valuable contribution to the improvement of teaching at UCB
• his special contribution to the training of human resources, including several specialists and PhDs who are currently working in clinical and academic departments at the Provincial General Referral Hospital of Bukavu (HPGRB) and at the Faculty of Medicine
• his special contribution to the infrastructure building of the HPGRB, by obtaining and transporting to Bukavu, various instruments and equipments used for diagnosis as well as for the training of doctors and students
• his role in the development of digestive endoscopy at the HPGRB, which serves as the teaching hospital for UCB