Project Description

Professor Doctor Engineer Christian BOUQUEGNEAU is Former Rector of the Polytechnical University of Mons (Faculté Polytechnique de Mons, FPMs, Belgium);
he was Rector from 1986 to 1994.

University Engineer in Electricity and in Nuclear Sciences (FPMs, 1967),
Master of Science in (theoretical) Physics (Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, 1970),
Doctor (PhD) in Applied Sciences (FPMs, 1979), he is

Full Professor, Chairman in Physics at the FPMs since 1982.

Doctor honoris causa of 4 foreign universities:

  • Central South University of Technology of Changsha (China, 1990),
  • Polytechnical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic, 1992),
  • University del Valle of Cochabamba (Bolivia, 1994),
  • Polytechnical University (Politehnica) of Bucarest (Romania, 1999).

He received the Academic Palms from France (1991);
Laureate of 4 scientific prizes and 1 prize of honor in Belgium;
numerous decorations in Belgium and abroad (namely honorary citizenships).

Author of more than 150 scientific publications in various fields: nuclear reactors, ultrasonic amplification in piezoelectric semiconductors ; overvoltages and insulation coordination, lightning on high-voltage transmission lines ; Physics of the lightning electrical discharge, lightning protection (+ a full book entitled “How dangerous is lightning?”) and also women in literature, women engineers, future engineers, the scientific method…

His deep concern in lightning started with his PhD thesis when he designed a new lightning-proof electrical tower for high-voltage transmission lines, built in Belgium and in the Netherlands (380 kV line from Antwerp to Maastricht). He also invented new types of earthing electrodes for lightning protection systems.

As a citizen of the world, he visited 115 different countries, worked abroad for more than six years. He is a member of various national and international societies, among which :

  • Past-Chairman of IEC TC81 (intern. Standard. on lightning protection; 1988-2007) ;
  • Chairman of the CENELEC (CLC TC81X) committee on lightning protection;
  • Chairman of the Council of the Royal Meteorological Institute in Belgium ;
  • Belgian delegate at CIGRE for Lightning ;
  • Member of the Scientific Committee of ICLP (Intern. Conf. on Lightning Protection) and of Ground 2008 & LPE (Brazil) ;
  • Delegate of the TIME (Top Industrial Managers in Europe) European network …

He gives lectures, all around the world, on Lightning Phenomenology, Lightning Protection (International Standards), Lightning and Mythology, Lightning in History, Lightning in Fine Arts …