DFN Managing Director Christan Grimm Receives Vietsch Foundation’s Medal of Honor
On June 13, 2024
Dr. Christian Grimm—Managing Director of the DFN Association together with Jochem Pattloch—was presented with the prestigious Medal of Honor given by the Dutch organization the Vietsch Foundation. He was awarded the honor for his service in the founding and development of GÉANT, the European research network association. The ceremony took place during the TNC24 conference in Rennes, France.
As a board member for the Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe (DANTE) Limited in Cambridge in 2013, Dr. Christian Grimm was jointly responsible for the multi-year process of merging DANTE Limited with the Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association (TERENA), which ultimately led to the founding of the GÉANT Association at the end of 2014. This merger paved the way for other European research networks to join as voting members. During his time as Chairman of the Board for the GÉANT Association (2015–2020), he consolidated two offices in Amsterdam and Cambridge to the 160-person staff today.
In his laudatory speech during TNC24, Valentino Cavalli, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Vietsch Foundation, emphasized the role that Grimm played during the founding phase of the GÉANT Association, “As GÉANT’s Chairman of the Board, he helped shape the organization with great commitment, dedication, and empathy. The entire R&D community will benefit from this for a long time to come.”
Foto: GÉANT
“It was a privilege to contribute to the success story of the GÉANT Association during its founding years,” Grimm said during his acceptance speech. “It is with great pleasure that I accept this Medal of Honor—not just for myself, but on behalf of the entire Executive Board. At the same time, I also see it as recognition for the enormous commitment and the great work done by GÉANT management and staff during its start-up period.”
Each year, the Vietsch Foundation awards its Medal of Honor to people who have made exceptional contributions toward developing or using innovative internet technologies to promote science and education. The organization was founded in accordance wit the last will and testament of Willem Karel Vietsch (1952–2014), who served as TERENA’s Secretary General for more than 15 years.