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Fons van de Vijver
October 4, 1952 - June 1, 2019
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2019-08-03 21:34:39 View / Comment (0)
Tuulia Ortner
I can not remember the first time I met Fons – it was probably during a conference of the European Association of Psychological Assessment, maybe in Budapest in 2005. I was later lucky enough to work with Fons as a member of the Executive Committee of the European Association of Psychological Assessment and to edit a book with him on assessment beyond self-reports. Fons was an extraordinary person in so many ways. I adore his work on intercultural assessment and his initiatives in this field that imprinted me and changed my view on Psychological Assessment. His work always seemed to be so tirelessly linked to progress in science, but he also was so much dedicated to the people. I experienced him as such a respectful, supporting, funny, friendly, optimistic colleague and mentor. He never left an inquiry unanswered. We will miss him very much. My sincere condolences to his family.
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2019-07-25 20:27:54 View / Comment (0)
Kurt Geisinger
Fons was an absolute giant, no a GIANT of the field. By field, I include cross-cultural psychology, personality assessment, acculturation, multiculturalism, international psychology, and testing and measurement.There were so many fields where he made significant contributions. There are people who become professionals in a field and do so competently. There are people who participate in a discipline and become part of the mix of the discipline. There are also people who make significant contributions to a field. Finally, there are people who change the field and move it forward. Fons was just such a scholar. I dare say that many of the contributors on this page would have loved to spend a post-doctoral year learning from Fons. I certainly would have. However, as strong a scholar as he was, his soul was stronger. He was a life force. He stood for the best of human values, and it was that combination of supreme scholarship and outstanding human values that made us all admire Fons van de Vijver to the extent we did.
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2019-07-22 06:03:59 View / Comment (0)
Deon Meiring
Commemorative Keynote Fons van de Vijver – “The Challenge of 21st Century Skills in South Africa” SIOPSA Conference 24 July 2019 Deon Meiring & Panel In this commemorative keynote of Fons van der Vijver we will honor Fons and his legacy work in the field of cross-cultural assessment. In a voice recording done prior to his passing away on 1 June 2019 we will introduce Fons keynote topic of “The Challenge of 21st Century Skills in South Africa” and a large-scale OECD comparability assessment project. Issues in the assessment of such skills (no culture-sensitive measures are available in South Africa) and challenges facing South Africa will be discussed by a group of panel members. 21st-century skills refer to all skills pivotal for thriving in the new century. Often cited components of relevant skills, abilities, behaviors, and attitudes include critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, innovation, IT skills, language skills, intercultural communication skills, but also ethics. Clearly, 21st-century skills will also become increasingly important in South Africa, both for education and the workplace. These skills will be important for dealing with issues of South Africa as a highly diverse society and for the future of South African businesses, both nationally and internationally. Panel: Prof Deon Meiring, Prof Ian Rothmann, Celest Combrink, Mrs. Tessa de Wett. Prof Leon de Beer
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2019-07-06 04:22:33 View / Comment (0)
Deon Meiring
15th European Conference on Psychological Assessment: 6-10 July 2019 - Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Brussels, Belgium Symposia Symposium – Fons Van de Vijver’s legacy: Challenges of assessment across countries and cultures Monday 8 July, 14:00-15:00, Room D0.03(Organizer: Johnny Fontaine) Challenges of assessment across countries and cultures On June 1, Fons van de Vijver, former EAPA president, unexpectedly passed away at 66 in Maidenwell, Queensland, Australia. This symposium is set up to his honor. Contributors: Johnny Fontaine, Ype H. Poortinga , Velicho Fetvadjiev, and Noémie Le Donné Assessment as a core feature of cross-cultural psychology Ype H. Poortinga, Tilburg University, The Netherlands Bias and equivalence: Psychometric approaches and beyond Johnny R. J. Fontaine, Ghent University, Belgium Cross-cultural assessment of personality: Development the South African Personality Inventory Velichko Fetvadjiev, Victoria University, New Zealand Challenges to comparability in OECD large-scale surveys in education Noémie Le Donné, OECD, France
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2019-07-03 14:35:11 View / Comment (0)Dragos Iliescu
Fons in 2015 in Sibiu (Hermanstadt) in Romania, with Hans de Witte, Dragos Iliescu, Coralia Sulea, Adrian Brate
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2019-07-03 14:35:51 View / Comment (0)
Dragos Iliescu
I have postponed writing this message for a few weeks now ... I guess we always tend to do this with things that we do not want to do. Writing the message now is a personal acceptance that yes, he went away. I am not in Moscow at the ECP2019, Jose Muniz is giving a keynote address on Test and Testing, dedicated to Fons. This is the first day of the conference and already the third talk dedicated to Fons' memory. Fons was HUGE - a gigant in our field. For so many in our community he was not only emblematic but personally providential. I am honored to have been among those who he counseled and mentored. I am deeply devastated by his passing away. A photo attached - Fons in 2015 in Sibiu (Hermanstadt) in Romania, with Hans de Witte, Dragos Iliescu, Coralia Sulea, Adrian Brate
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2019-06-28 21:29:43 View / Comment (0)Deon Meiring
The memorial event at North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa - 27 June 2019 See Link: Memorial Event at North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa 27 June 2019 See link: https://app.box.com/s/dsj5r0ia5pq6fk5ozw3gjladm1zi1a9h
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2019-06-25 12:09:25 View / Comment (0)
Lina Daouk-Öyry
I've been trying to write this for weeks now, and I have to say, it's been the hardest thing I have tried to write in my life... What a great loss to academia and to the world as a whole! On June first we lost an incredible scholar and a wonderful spirit. We lost a person who dedicated his career to finding ways and methodologies to help us better understand and respect differences between people, to help us be more fair towards people from different cultural backgrounds, and to simply provide us with tools that can make the world a better more inclusive one... I am so lucky and privileged to have known and worked with you Fons, you will be greatly greatly missed... Rest in peace dear Fons. LDÖ
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2019-06-24 20:21:18 View / Comment (0)Itzi(ar) Alonso-Arbiol
At a South African braai in Tilburg, summer of 2010.
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2019-06-24 20:17:51 View / Comment (0)Itzi(ar) Alonso-Arbiol
At Ype's birthday, on August 2009. We had a funny cake that day.
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2019-06-24 12:26:45 View / Comment (0)
Alvaro Fortin
Fons was one of the great thinkers of our time, but he was also a man with a huge heart. He helped me see the academic world differently. I learned how things do not need to feel difficult, stuffy, aggressive or competitive. Things can be straightforward, clear and fun. In my experience, Fons always seemed to be patient and optimistic. Most importantly, I learned you are allowed to make mistakes as long as you are willing to live with the consequences. He was smart, but he was also extremely wise.
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2019-06-21 21:40:09 View / Comment (0)
Saskia Soekar
Fons, i still cannot believe it… and maybe i just do not want to believe it. Cause i still feel your presence. You have taught me, and so many others, so much!! I am certain that I would not have managed it without you…. completing the PhD project. Your passion for research, your drive were so inspiring to me… and not even to mention how fast you were capable of getting so much done in so little time. Your speed and accuracy have always blown my mind. I am so grateful that our paths have crossed. It is truly very hard, for me actually, to put into words how much you mean to me. It seems that every word, every sentence does not describe it, does not cover it,.... not even a bit. But the most amazing thing, despite your passion about research, is that you supported me when i was willing to leave the academic world, and wanted to start my own yoga studio. You told me that i should take that step, otherwise I would regret it the rest of my life… How amazing, and wonderful to hear those words from you!!! And i never told you how much I admired that in you… how much faith you gave me on that particular moment. I hope that you feel my gratitude, wherever you are. Cause i believe that such a beautiful soul will be forever! And even now, I learn from you, .. cause your humbleness shows me that you are more a yogi then i will ever become. Fons, you are a true inspiring teacher, and you will be in my heart forever, and in so many hearts more!!
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2019-06-21 13:55:15 View / Comment (0)
From Walt Lonner To me, Fons was among the most well-rounded colleagues in the cross-cultural pantheon. He was highly competent, a great listener, punctual as a Swiss clock, and a genuine humanitarian. I worked with him in several ways, the most important of which was the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. In his seven years as editor, we probably exchanged about 300 e-mails. This correspondence was especially critical in 2003-4 when Sage Publications bought the copyright to the JCCP from Western Washington University. His advice and promptness were appreciated by all involved. I will miss him a great deal. His laugh was infectious! My condolences to Lona and his many friends.
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2019-06-21 12:04:16 View / Comment (0)
Leon Jackson
Fons’ death has not only shocked and saddened me, but it has also left me in a state of silence, loneliness and a deep feeling of loss. I met Fons during November 2002 in Tilburg while accompanying Deon Meiring, his PhD student and Ian Rothmann, my PhD supervisor. It was a Friday night at about 21:00. This was already an indication that I am meeting somebody extraordinary because not many are still in the office at that stage of the week. Fons and Ype treated us to dinner that night and their hospitality and humility was quite noticing then and remained a key feature of Fons life. You never got the impression that you interacting with a person of his stature when you with him. He always treated others with respect and he always considered the views of others. What a gentle giant. We started a project in 2004 and was able to analyze our first dataset in 2005. This project, later on, formed the basis for many of our publications and my own second PhD with Tilburg. He, later on, becomes a mentor, friend and yes even family. He and Ype played a central role in bringing the IACCP conference to South Africa in 2012. It was especially during this stage that I realize that I am quite honoured to be working with this giant. You meant a lot to me, Fons. Thank you, Deon and Ian, for sharing Fons with me. Fons was always a Skype call away with free advice, but he is no more. However, his memories will continue forever. No doubt, we, the scientific world, society in general and especially the emerging scientists of the developing world have lost, BIG TIME. May his soul rest in peace
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2019-06-21 08:58:37 View / Comment (0)
Itzi(ar) Alonso-Arbiol
Still under the shock of Fons’ death, I will keep memories of him. As for some many others, he was very influential on my career and in my life. I spent a couple of research stays for more than a year (and actually coming and going for two) in Tilburg and I am truly grateful for all what I learned from him while working in joint projects. Apart from an academic fatherhood we have lost, I recognize a more profound impact on values for all working in Tilburg with him. I recall the moments some of us used to share before sending drafts of manuscripts or results to Fons or before meeting with him. That kind of nervousness and excitement… Will this be good enough for him? As we all wanted him to be proud of us and our work. It always seemed to be fine with him. I will also remember waking up really early (for my standards) to have a meeting with him, or the incredibly promptly and efficient email/skype replies any time of the day. I remember his good humour, his jokes, his patience when understanding some analyses took me some time. And I will also remember whenever I visit Tilburg again or meet Fons in a conference, he would proudly talk about all doctoral students, postdoc, or other colleagues he supervised or work with him. But one of the best memories I have from him comes from a time I was overworking, excessively focused on work and sometimes even neglecting healthy routines (sleep, food,…), so Fons talked to me (who and Fons!) to explain me that there are other things in life apart from work and that there was nothing bad about spending some minutes of the day having a cappuccino or doing something else. I replied I had no cappuccinos in life, and he recommended me to find ‘my capuccinos’ since those would make my life more enjoyable than just being an academic. Eventually I found my cappuccinos. I received the sad news on Fons’ death seated near the cross of the top of the mountain with new friends I made mountain biking: a real nice cappuccino that makes me very happy. Closer to the sky (heaven? I am not a believer but...) I thought I was really lucky to have met Fons; this year I have not published too many papers but I am pretty sure he would be equally proud of my cappuccino discovery as a path to happiness. So Fons is not dead; he will be alive in some parts of our lives anyway. Thanks for all your cross-cultural psychology but also life lessons, Fons.
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2019-06-21 07:27:34 View / Comment (0)
Lusanda Sekaja
Fons took me on a PhD students a few days before he officially retired. That says a lot about him and his desire to be of service to others even when he did not have to. I don’t know what he saw in me but I am grateful he let me into his mind and his world. Big heart, big wisdom and patience for days. He made me feel like I was doing something right even when I doubted myself so much. I will remember you fondly for that short time I was blessed enough to have you on my Ph.D journey and will miss you for the rest of it. Rest easy, Fons. You did your part.
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2019-06-20 18:57:21 View / Comment (0)
Dianne van Hemert
Fons' death has shocked and saddened me. Fons was one of my PhD supervisors between 1998 and 2002, together with Ype, and I worked as a postdoc with him after that. He has been one of the most influential people in my career. Fons taught me how to combine relevant and methodologically sound research with a generous, non-competitive attitude. He taught me how to write. He always had time to discuss analyses, review a text, or share a joke. He put me and his other PhD students on an international stage and gave us all the credits. We had many social events in our research group; whenever there were visitors from abroad we would go out to have dinner at some Indonesian restaurant or at Fons' home. We once took a group of South-African colleagues to the Keukenhof flower show and showed them how to eat raw herring at the market. During conference trips, Fons consistently helped me bargain a decent price for sourvenirs, such as a batik in Indonesia and a 'dragon ball' in China (it is depicted on our edited book on multilevel issues). So many memories... what a tremendous loss.
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2019-06-20 16:56:19 View / Comment (0)Katja Hanke
Fons was a visiting scholar at GESIS in Mannheim in 2016. He gave an inspirational talk.
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2019-06-19 22:29:01 View / Comment (0)
Marise Born
Fons has been around during all my working life as an immensely inspirational role model. His high quality work in the field of cross-cultural psychology often provided solutions to problematic topics. An example is the way Fons approached the dispute around the general factor of personality, for example by putting the issue in a cross-cultural perspective when he was guest speaker at one of the annual meetings of the Dutch-Flemish network for recruitment and selection research. I also vividly remember how he was able to provide excellent feedback as the discussant of one of the symposia at an ITC conference. Through on-the-spot typing his thoughts on his laptop while listening to the presentations, he gave splendid feedback to all presenters. What an amazing speed and quality. One activity that has always impressed me greatly is how Fons as its editor in chief was able to turn the journal of cross cultural psychology into a very highly regarded journal while simultaneously advising and helping those who had submitted their manuscripts and who lived in remote countries without having had much experience in empirical studies. To me this was a wonderful way of enhancing the research domain of cross-cultural psychology by helping researchers and advancing the journal itself. A truly beautiful combination of working with one’s heart and with one’s mind. Fons always was cheerful, full of energy, and able to inspire others. There remains utter sadness that he is not around anymore. Lona, I wish you all the strength having to bear this unbearable loss.
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2019-06-19 08:06:40 View / Comment (0)Ronald Fischer
Fons discussing research with Johnny Fontaine in China, 2004
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2019-06-19 08:05:39 View / Comment (0)Ronald Fischer
Fons, Saskia and Ype during the Conference Dinner in 2004 in Xian, China.
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2019-06-19 08:04:27 View / Comment (0)Ronald Fischer
A shared dinner during the 2003 IACCP conference in Budapest
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2019-06-18 01:54:14 View / Comment (0)Alexander Titov
With master students. December, 2017. At HSE, Moscow
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2019-06-17 20:51:11 View / Comment (0)Video Fons van de Vijver 2018 at Optentia Research Unit, NWU: The cross-cultural comparability of Likert-scale measure
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2019-06-17 17:32:39 View / Comment (0)
Cristina Perdomo
I would like to express my warmest and deepest condolences to Fons’ family, friends, colleagues, and students. I was very fortunate to meet him, in 2008, during my Research Master at Tilburg University. Besides being my professor, first-year-paper and thesis supervisor, he also gave the laudation at my graduation, which was an honor for me. We last exchanged emails two weeks before his passing away. I had kindly asked him for a reference letter. Within days, he wrote to me to let me know that he had sent the letter. The news of Fons’ passing came as a shock and made me sad. However, I later realized that even though he isn’t any longer physically with us, he is and will be through his ideas, research, students, and all of those with whom he shared his life.
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2019-06-18 10:20:56 View / Comment (0)
Madde Willemsen
The unexpected death of Fons has shocked me. I was his Ph.D. student from 1991-1995. I have always experienced his way of supervising as very pleasant, calm, positive-critical and inspiring. I would probably not have obtained my PhD degree without Fons. I started working full-time as consultant/trainer immediately after finishing my 4-year contract as Ph.D. student. This was hard to combine with writing the last chapters of my dissertation. Fons always remained very supportive and motivating. And his methodological help was invaluable to me. We spent many hours together at the computer analyzing data and discussing results, and working together on publications on intelligence and logical reasoning in a cultural context. But in addition we talked about living and working in Zambia (where I, thanks to his connections at the Institute for African Studies, was able to collect my data), the difference in the way of composing between Bach and Beethoven (and the comparison with how I worked on my dissertation …), the shared love for cats (which Fons, I believe, was a bit allergic to), and about the house in Rijswijk (of which I still remember the beautiful garden, the nice office, and the showcase with the hedgehog collection from Lona) And the image of piles of books, papers, articles at his room at the university is still fresh on my mind, because for me it was very impressive in terms of quantity, but the fact that he could always find exactly what he was looking for in those piles, was even more impressive. And not to forget: our passion for cross-cultural psychology. It was a great pleasure to exchange ideas about research in this area with Fons, because he had so much knowledge and wisdom about it.
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2019-06-13 09:09:06 View / Comment (0)Dianne van Hemert
Fons shopping for Chinese jackets with his PhD students in Xian, China, 2004
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2019-06-13 09:07:39 View / Comment (0)Dianne van Hemert
Fons teaching a cross-cultural meta-analysis workshop at the university in Xian, China
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2019-06-13 09:06:30 View / Comment (0)Dianne van Hemert
Fons and Dianne with students in Xian after teaching the Cross-Cultural Meta-Analysis workshop
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2019-06-12 16:44:21 View / Comment (0)Katerina Pouliasi
Fons at the NIP symposium 'When culture matters' (2-11-17). He knew how to listen, he knew how to inspire and make the difference!
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2019-06-12 16:02:47 View / Comment (0)
From Fons’s OECD friends Dear Lona, family, and friends of Fons We would like to extend our sincere condolences. It was such a pleasure to know Fons and to have a chance to work with him for many of OECD projects. His significant contribution and dedication to work for education will be remembered forever. Some personal messages: Dear Lona and family, Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss. I was very sad to hear of Fons’ passing. I really enjoyed the few exchanges I had with him not long ago where he told me about his work in the rural fire brigade battling fires in Coolabunia (where my family used to live). His commitment to the local community was wonderful. Best regards, Emily Dear Lona, dear family. I am very sorry for your loss. I will always remember Fons for his kindness, deep thinking and attention to people from the time I had the pleasure to meet him in Tilburg. Kind regards, Zsuzsa Bakk It was truly a pleasure learning from Fons. His influence in Psychology and Education will always remain present – Javier Suarez-Alvarez.
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2019-06-11 17:20:21 View / Comment (0)
Barbara M. Byrne
Without question, I was both devastated and stunned in receiving the horrendous news from Michael and Ype last week concerning Fons, my friend and colleague for going on 25 years now! I first met Fons in 1995 at the International Test Commission (ITC) meeting in Athens, Greece at which time it was my first as a member of the ITC Council. I was totally fascinated with Fons’ work in the area of cross-cultural psychology and over the years, found myself constantly intrigued by how I might be able to apply my own specialty area of structural equation modeling within a cross-cultural perspective. From Day 1, Fons became my number one go-to person in answering my many questions concerning cross-cultural issues! In addition to being a brilliant scholar and educator, I found Fons to be an exceptionally kind and thoughtful human being – never too busy to answer a question, to discuss an idea, or to explain a complex cross-cultural issue in down-to-earth terms. Indeed, I consider myself to have been so fortunate in having published several articles with Fons as my co-author! One of my fondest memories will forever be that of my few weeks spent at Tilburg University in 2007 (a) working with Fons in trying to resolve problems associated with testing for invariance across numerous cultural groups, and (b) sharing both an office and ideas with Ype. To me, Fons was truly a very special person and now, when I read and reference his many papers and books, it will forever remind me of my great fortune in having known and shared ideas with this outstanding, yet forever humble icon in cross-cultural psychology!
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2019-06-11 15:41:10 View / Comment (0)Deborah Schnabel
Fons was a brilliant mind. A funny, warm, caring and supporting supervisor. A great mentor and a real role model. Losing Fons leaves me without words, especially because I have memories full of life and sparks of him. I am deeply proud that I knew him, got the chance to learn from him and be coached by him. This picture was taken at a conference in San Sebastian where I first met him and spent a wonderful dinner party with him.
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2019-06-11 09:45:03 View / Comment (0)
Rawan Ghazzawi
Losing Fons was a shock for all of us. Fons was my PhD supervisor and although our interactions were minimal, they managed to paint an image of Fons in my mind; an image that I will miss so dearly. He was an outstanding scholar with an amazing personality. Those who knew Fons, will always remember his loud contagious laugh, cheerful mood, and wide smile that rarely left his face. Although his research and work were very prominent, he never belittled anybody’s work or efforts. Fons taught me a lot of things on the personal and professional level and I will always be grateful to him for that. I am so lucky and proud to have had the chance to meet and work with a person as great as Fons who has left an amazing legacy that will echo his contributions for the years to come. Although Fons is no longer with us, he will always have a place in our hearts. I will miss you Fons! Cheers
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2019-06-11 09:39:31 View / Comment (0)
Tina Sahakian
As one of Fons’ external PhD candidates I would visit Tilburg to meet with him once a year. Before each visit I would put some time and thought in deciding what authentically Lebanese or Armenian gift to get him from Lebanon and even my parents would get involved in giving me ideas. During my last visit, before his move to Australia, I gifted him a bottle of aged Armenian cognac. There was some debate in my house whether he would have time to drink it before his move, if he would carry it with him to Australia, and if it would be a burden. He accepted the gift graciously and I was really happy to learn a short while afterwards that he and Lona had found it so delicious and smooth they had finished the bottle. We laughed about the debate that I had had with my parents and we began discussing different types of cognacs and searching for vendors in Australia. This situation makes me smile to this day and I really cherish all these random discussions we had. I had made plans to gift him an older bottle of Cognac for my defense. Upon sharing the sad news of his passing with my parents I learnt that my father had made these same plans and was looking forward to meeting him. The loss of his passing was felt even by those who had only heard of him in stories, it is a great loss. I will miss his very much! My condolences to his family and loved ones, may he rest in peace.
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2019-06-10 19:06:16 View / Comment (0)Filiz Kunuroglu
The picture is from my PhD graduation dinner on 15 Dec 2015. I have always felt privileged for having been Fons’ PhD student and have drawn so much strength from the fact that he was always there and available whenever I needed him. I always admired his engagement with a subject and his approach to problems. Once when I was worried about my PhD process, he told me to give myself just one day ‘to be upset’ for any difficulty or obstacle I ran into in my academic life and to go on. He always provided great wisdom, a sense of calmness, support, and a feeling that everything will work out. Fons, I will always be inspired by the breadth of your knowledge, your modesty and integrity. Thank you for being there whenever needed and making it possible for me to be a part of such a great family. You will be greatly missed!
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2019-06-10 18:17:16 View / Comment (0)William Gabrenya
I took this picture in 2010 at the Melbourne, Australia Congress of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology. I don't remember what prompted this crew to pose as the Three Wise Monkeys. From left: Peter Smith, Lisa Beardsley, Fons, Walt Lonner, Yoshi Kashima. Fons was a serious scientist but also a positive, fun-loving guy.
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2019-06-09 21:28:53 View / Comment (0)
Maike Malda
Fons did not only introduce me to the fascinating world of cross-cultural psychology, but also to my second home, South Africa. When I studied Psychology, Fons taught the only two culture-related courses. My friend Marjos and I were intrigued by the topics addressed, and approached Fons to discuss whether we could do research for our Master thesis abroad. Fons was very open to this idea and suggested several options, one of which was a study in South Africa. And so we went, August till December 2003. Shortly after graduating in 2004, Fons together with Catherine Transler (deceased April 23rd 2019) created the opportunity for me to start a PhD project. I collected data in India and in South Africa, which implied going on 11 trips in about 4 years. Fons supervised me well, not only face-to-face, but also from a distance; he was always available for a late-night Skype and I could rely on his quick replies by e-mail. Fons kept the perfect balance between giving me advice and feedback on the one hand, and trusting that I would make the right decisions on the other hand. I very much appreciated his sharpness, cheerfulness, and his consistency. Several weeks after my PhD defense, I returned to South Africa for a postdoc. Again, I met up with the people I knew through Fons from my first trip in 2003 and next trips in 2008. They turned out to be some of my closest friends up till this day. Looking back on the past 16 years or so, I can only conclude that Fons enriched my life, both professionally and personally. I will surely miss him.
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2019-06-09 18:04:18 View / Comment (0)Maike Malda
Fons congratulating me after my PhD defense, November 27th 2009.
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2019-06-09 14:38:49 View / Comment (0)
Zeynep Aycan
I am deeply saddened by the news that one of the most important names in the CCP community has passed away unexpectedly. I will remember Fons to be the "Flying Dutch", a nickname given by Cigdem (Kagitcibasi) during his stay for research in Istanbul in late 1980s. I would like to express my gratitute to Fons for being such a great adviser to so many Turkish graduate students. His big smile and sharp mind will always be remembered and missed.
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2019-06-09 06:30:07 View / Comment (0)
Michael Bender
ON BEHALF OF BARBARA BYRNE - Without question, I was both devastated and stunned in receiving the horrendous news from Michael and Ype last week concerning Fons, my friend and colleague for going on 25 years now! I first met Fons in 1995 at the International Test Commission (ITC) meeting in Athens, Greece at which time it was my first as a member of the ITC Council. I was totally fascinated with Fons’ work in the area of cross-cultural psychology and over the years, found myself constantly intrigued by how I might be able to apply my own specialty area of structural equation modeling within a cross-cultural perspective. From Day 1, Fons became my number one go-to person in answering my many questions concerning cross-cultural issues! In addition to being a brilliant scholar and educator, I found Fons to be an exceptionally kind and thoughtful human being – never too busy to answer a question, to discuss an idea, or to explain a complex cross-cultural issue in down-to-earth terms. Indeed, I consider myself to have been so fortunate in having published several articles with Fons as my co-author! One of my fondest memories will forever be that of my few weeks spent at Tilburg University in 2007 (a) working with Fons in trying to resolve problems associated with testing for invariance across numerous cultural groups, and (b) sharing both an office and ideas with Ype. To me, Fons was truly a very special person and now, when I read and reference his many papers and books, it will forever remind me of my great fortune in having known and shared ideas with this outstanding, yet forever humble icon in cross-cultural psychology!
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2019-06-09 02:49:40 View / Comment (0)Martha Givaudan
My promotion with Fons and Ype (November 2003). After the defense we have a Mexican party. Fons loved Mexican candies. Martha Givaudan
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2019-06-08 21:50:00 View / Comment (0)Maike Malda
Fons speeching at my PhD defense, November 27th 2009
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2019-06-08 15:32:26 View / Comment (0)Michael Bender
June 15th 2018, Fons listening to one of the laudatios at the retirement conference. His wife Lona Goudswaard in the background.
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2019-06-08 15:29:27 View / Comment (0)Michael Bender
June 15th, 2018 Fons reacting to one of the laudatios during his retirement conference. Ype Poortinga in the foreground.
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2019-06-08 15:26:45 View / Comment (0)Michael Bender
After the BBQ at the retirement conference, group picture with several former PhDs and Postdocs.
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2019-06-08 13:06:11 View / Comment (0)Michael Bender
Fons gives his retirement address at Tilburg University on the 15th of June 2018, after a day of symposia with former and current PhDs and colleagues on topics of his interest, and after having heard laudatios from PhDs, colleagues, and the Dean of his former faculty.
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2019-06-08 12:54:39 View / Comment (0)Fons at my thesis defense dinner on 4 Feb 2015. I started working with Fons in 2011 for my PhD. Fons was the best supervisor that I could ever ask for. He was most modest, generous, and supportive. He taught me not only cross-cultural research, but also how to be a good scientist and how to persevere in academic pursuit. Like many, I will miss his contagious smiles, easy-going manners, and stimulating conversations. I strongly believe that a true mentor never dies and Fons will live on in us (disciples).
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2019-06-08 12:59:40 View / Comment (0)
Betty Tjipta Sari
I am one of the last PhD students of Fons. I always feel at home in the university when Fons is around. Since Fons is no longer in Tilburg university, it feels now like that I am a lost child without a father. Fons had always been kind and helpful. He used to say positive words to encourage me, even when he needed to show some flaws in my writing/paper. I can be sure that he is the best promotor I can have, academically and personally. I have learned a lot from him not only how to do a cross cultural research, but also how to be a person. His expertise in methodology and statistics has been known and it has helped me a lot. We all will miss him as an expert and a person.
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2019-06-06 11:02:17 View / Comment (0)
Charles Newton
I remember the first time that I met Fons in Kilifi, Kenya. We shared a joke about the Fonz, a character in an American sitcom. But Fons was completely different from that character. Fons had great empathy and humility, despite his immense academic achievements and international recognition. He had real insight and understanding of the difficulties encountered by children in Africa. His warmth and enthusiasm was contagious. His energy in promoting cross-cultural psychology and psychology research in Africa is unsurpassed. I consider myself privileged to have known Fons, and had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics whilst we gazed over the Indian Ocean. We have lost a remarkable academic and a wonderful man.
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2019-06-04 15:32:51 View / Comment (0)
David Kaplan
This is very sad news indeed. A wonderful gift I have received in serving as a methodologist on these various ILSA expert groups is the privilege of learning a great deal about international education from all of you. One of my best teachers was Fons. By simply listening to him, I developed a sensitivity into how different cultures might respond to the instruments that we create. I have carried what I have learned from him into my teaching, and will continue to do so. I will deeply miss his intellect, kindness, and warmth.
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2019-06-06 21:00:19 View / Comment (0)
Ralph Carstens
I got introduced to Fons by Janet Harkness at the first 3MC conference in late June 2008. Svenja Vieluf and I were looking for advice around issues about the comparability of scale scores we started to derive for the first cycle of TALIS for 24 countries. I remember the warm, open and almost instant responses from him (sometimes in the middle of the night), basically confirming that we all did not know well yet how to judge the statistical outputs and the invariance of score metrics based on (MG)CFA and IRT. I believe this was also when Fons got introduced - and massively interested one might add - in the field of large-scale surveys in education. A decade later, these question still puzzle us and many others. He led an education working paper (#201), a massive contribution to the debate, which only came out about a month before his passing. I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to work with him. I remember the various conversations we had in the expert groups, or while canoeing the canals of Hamburg. And of course his excitement about the move to Australia.
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2019-06-04 14:25:23 View / Comment (0)
Maria Stog
Hard to believe that Prof. Fons van de Vijver is no longer with us. I had the privilege to work under his supervision from the beginning of my academic career when I was still a master student, exploring the world of cross-cultural research for the first time. Sometimes you are in the right place the right moment to meet the most inspiring people. I will always remember his positive attitude, his passion about research and teaching, all the things I learned from him (particularly about measurement invariance). He was willing to share his knowledge freely with everybody and would give the same opportunities to all his students. I want to thank him for everything. This is the first paper we published together. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147176715000449
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2019-06-04 12:26:51 View / Comment (0)
Michelle Helms-Lorenz
I think I was part of the first cohort of phds under Fons's supervision. That is about 20 years ago. My first encounter with Fons was as a bachelor student. I spoke to him for the first time when I had questions about his grading of one of my assignments. He was quite surprised and asked me why I wanted to know, was I planning to become a phd student, he asked (ironically). Back then it was obvious that Fons was a rising star and it was a priviledge to watch him and Ype operate, discuss, publish and present. I enjoyed the dynamics, expertise and the drive. Ype and Fons were both inspiring role-models. I will cherish the memory of Fons, always. Eventhough Fons objected to my mentioning and aknowledging my christianity in my thesis, with one sentence, I trust and hope that we will meet again, for my sake.
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Tuulia Ortner
Tuulia Ortner
EAPA Conference in San Sebastian, 2013.
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