Etienne E. Kerre was born on May 8, 1945 in Zele, Belgium.He studied mathematics at the University of Gent where he obtained a master's degree in 1967. The year after he got the certificate of teacher education. At the same university he obtained in 1970 the Ph.D. degree for research concerning "Low Energy Electron Diffraction". He has published several papers on this topic. In 1976 he started research in fuzzy set theory. At present he published more than 300 papers on fundamental as well as practical issues of fuzzy set theory in international journals and proceedings of international conferences (see further for a list of research topics). In 1991 he edited the book Introduction to the Basic Principles of Fuzzy Set Theory and some of its Applications of which in 1993 a second revised edition appeared. Already 20 students from Belgium, Egypt, China and Bulgaria obtained a Ph.D. degree in fuzzy set theory under his guidance. He is currently guiding the Fuzziness and Uncertainty Modelling Research Unit of the University of Gent, where he is teaching two courses on mathematical analysis to the undergraduates in computer science as well as three courses on fuzzy set theory at the graduate and postgraduate level in mathematics and computer science. He has also taught several courses on fuzzy set theory and approximate reasoning at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, U.S.A. At present he is referee or reviewer for more than 35 scientific journals and a member of the editorial board of international journals and conferences on fuzzy set theory.

Click here for some picture of his beautiful grandson Henri (born October 21, 1999).