When we are Truly Passionate about Something, we are Contagious

It is truly an honour to share part of my stories with a special woman, who is now entering a new chapter of her life, Professor Gabrielle Marceau, and this testimonial is a tribute to her. Gabrielle’s passion has inspired many and tremendously contributed to the development of international trade law. In recognition of her extraordinary role as my doctorate supervisor, I remember two words she gave me during my defence in 2021: “tenacious” and “perseverance.” If I look back, those two words were driven by her true passion, which was contagious. Her drive and passion have embedded in how I work up to now, almost a half-decade after I completed my doctorate studies. I still remember the first time I read one of her articles about World Trade Organisation (WTO) Law when I did my bachelor studies in Indonesia. Then after, I have become a regular reader of her academic articles and in awe of her legal analysis, which reflected a beautiful art in the legal science. I would never imagine she would be my doctorate supervisor and felt all stars and the universe aligned over me when she accepted my request. My doctorate journey under Gabrielle’s supervision together with Professor Peter Van den Bossche was an important chapter of my life. Undoubtedly, my research benefitted from her academic and practical perspectives given her work experience at the WTO. Moreover, her many academic articles related to my research helped enrich the legal analysis of my dissertation, which analysed the reflection of “sustainable development” in the Marrakesh Agreement, in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement and the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement). The journey was even more memorable as it happened in parallel of many crucial milestones of my life. Gabrielle often referred that it went through two wedding celebrations (with one husband) and the birth of my two children. Her patience and consistent guidance combined with positive pressure made this journey possible. There were truly many unforgettable moments I had with Gabrielle, such as when I informed her about my second pregnancy right after I submitted the complete first draft dissertation. Gabrielle also made this journey beyond an academic milestone. She regularly convened her doctorate students at her home to exchange on progress in our research, which benefitted our academic work and created good friendships that have lasted until today. Also, she generously provided us with a delicious lunch after each meeting—my favourite was the “Thai curry” menu. Every end of the year, she invited her doctorate students and their family members for Christmas lunch. I remember how happy my first daughter was to receive a very cute “doudou” as a Christmas present that she later named “Gabi”. I am still cherishing these beautiful memories, and I could not feel more grateful to have had her mothering me on this journey. Unlike the general education system, doctorate research is a long and often lonely journey. You are left to navigate your thoughts through research to develop something “nouveau” contributing to the development of science. I truly salute anyone that undertakes a doctorate journey, as I can say from my experience that it is an enduring challenge, definitely longer than giving birth to a baby. The loneliness that accompanies doctoral research can be overwhelming, and thanks to the supervisory approach of Gabrielle it was much more manageable and far less lonely for me. The passion and leadership of Gabrielle throughout my doctorate journey were …