End Fossil held an action at 181st Dies Natalis

 

 

End Fossil held an action at 181st Dies Natalis

 

TU Delft’s 181st Dies Natalis was celebrated last Friday. The university’s anniversary was dedicated to the 17th-century Delft scientist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. A cartoon version of Van Leeuwenhoek moderated the Dies, accompanied by experimental guitar music.

 

Delft professors Bernd Rieger and Sjoerd Stallinga talked about modern microscopy, after which Radboud University Nijmegen professor of microbiology Mike Jetten received an honorary doctorate for his new discoveries in the field of micro-organisms. Ingrid Thijssen of employers’ organisation VNO-NCW pleaded for more engineers in the Netherlands, after which rector Tim van der Hagen closed the ceremony.

 

Earlier that day, 36 TU professors visited Delft primary schools by bicycle and tuktuk. Under the name Meet the Professor, they gave – in togas – guest lectures to children of group 7 and 8. For example, the children played (safely) with high voltage and helped design the ideal aircraft seat. (Read more below photo)

 

^{Professor of ergonomics Peter Vink answers questions of a primary school class. (Photo: Fred Ernst)}

Just before the Dies, action group End Fossil again asked TU Delft to cut the universities ties with the fossil industry. To strengthen their request, they handed a stack of 21 scientific papers and newspaper articles on the behaviour of the fossil industry to vice rector Rob Mudde. After the Dies, End Fossil handed out flyers with their action points to the public. (Read more below photo)

 

^{End Fossil member Emre Gökalan hands over the stack of articles to vice rector Rob Mudde. (Photo: End Fossil).}

 

Mudde stressed that End Fossil and TU agree on the end goal of becoming fossil-free, but just not on the route to be taken. The TU continues to cooperate with the fossil industry, Mudde also reported in an earlier interview. (RvdW)

 

• Also read: TU Delft does not go along with demands End Fossil, but leaves room for conversation