De Smet graduated in
zoology in 1954 at the
Catholic University of Louvain after which he became a teacher in secondary schools (1955–61) and completed his studies and researches at foreign universities :
Bloemfontein,
Padua, Stockholm, Glasgow (and later also in
Amsterdam,
Utrecht and in
research institutes in
Londen, Copenhagen and Stockholm).[6]
In 1961 he was appointed as a Junior Researcher of the National (
Belgian) Research Fund (1961–1963). In 1966 De Smet earned a doctor's degree at the Catholic University of Louvain. In the years 1963–1968 he worked as an Educational Assistant at the Institute of Natural Sciences. In 1968–1980 he was a Senior Research Worker at the Antwerp University Centre. In 1975, because of his merits in the domain of marine mammals, De Smet was adjudged the Henri Schouteden-award by the
Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. In 1980–1984 he was in charge of the Department of the General Scientific Services at the Institute of Natural Sciences. He served as a Professor of Zoology at the National University of
Ruanda (1986–1987) and at similar institutions in
Suriname (1988–1990) and
Gabon (1991–1994) until his retirement in 1994.
Since 1957 De Smet took an interest in
Esperanto. He was a well-known figure in the local, Flemish kaj international Esperanto-movement. In this connection he published a text-book for self-study in 1982. He was the main
initiator of the idea for coming off the 67-nd
World Congress of Esperanto in Antwerp. Because of an Esperanto written contribution, De Smet earned the UMEA-award in Japan.
During his career daily confronted with the imperfections of the existing
zoological nomenclature, already in the 1950s De Smet began developing an entirely new concept, without distinction between animals or plants, even with the possibility of housing the bacteria into the system. Translating the existing names into Esperanto is not the point, but a simplification, modernization and better handling of the ancient respectable Systema naturae. One of the aims was limiting the number of names, for example by elimination of the names of the
genera.
(in English) Anonymous 1989 : Men of Achievement, Thirteenth Edition, International Biographical Centre,
Cambridge, CB2 3QP,
Great Britain, p. 222.
(in English) Anonymous 2001 : 2000 Outstanding Scientists of the 20th Century, Second Edition, International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, Great Britain, p. 94.
(in French) De Smet, W.M.A. 1973 : Initiation à la Nomenclature Biologique Nouvelle (N.B.N.),
Kalmthout, 44p.
(in Dutch) De Smet, W.M.A. 1982 : Esperanto snel assimileren. Uitgeverij De Nederlanden, Antwerpen, 151p.
ISBN90 6583 028 6
(in Esperanto) De Smet, W.M.A. 1990 : Specio kaj genro en la biologio, Scienca Revuo, 41, 365–370.
(in English) De Smet W.M.A. 1991a : Meeting User Needs by an Alternative Nomenclature, in: Improving the Stability of Names : needs and options (D.L. Hawksworth, ed.), Regnum Vegetabile, no 123, 179–181, Koeltz Scientific Books,
Königstein.
(in Dutch) De Smet W.M.A. 1991b : Kennismaking met Nieuwe Biologische Nomenklatuur (N.B.N.), Vereniging voor het Invoeren van Nieuwe Biologische Nomenklatuur (N.B.N.), Kalmthout, 87 p.
(in English) De Smet, W.M.A. 1991c : A Guide to New Biological Nomenclature (N.B.N.), Association for the Introduction of New Biological Nomenclature, Kalmthout, 64 p.
(in Esperanto) De Smet, W.M.A. 1991d : La Sistemo N.B.N. ( Nova Biologia Nomenklaturo ), Asocio por la Enkonduko de Nova Biologia Nomenklaturo, Kalmthout, 94 p.
(in Esperanto) De Smet W.M.A. 2000 : Nova Biologia Nomenklaturo (N.B.N.) en la jaro 2000 kaj la problemoj pri nomoj de bestoj kaj plantoj, Fakaj aplikoj de Esperanto. Serio : Aplikoj de Esperanto en Scienco kaj Tekniko, 77–87.
(in English and Esperanto) De Smet W.M.A. 2005 : An analysis of New Biological Nomenclature. Analizo de Nova Biologia Nomenklaturo; SAIS,
Nitra, A.I.S, San Marino.
ISBN80-967425-7-4
References
^(in Dutch) Knockaert, Cyreen 2013 : Heeft Goliath voorgoed David verslagen? Raakt Nieuwe Biologische Nomenclatuur in de vergetelheid? Horizon-Taal, 45(260), 8-9.
^(in Esperanto) Knockaert, Cyreen 2013 : Nomenklaturo : ĉu kroma esperanta "finvenko"? Monato. Internacia Magazino Sendependa, 34(5), 22-23.