Stijn van Gils
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The perfect enemy
- The weed killer Roundup is under fire. On social media, criticism is raining down on the manufacturer Monsanto and anyone who dares to question the... -
Nostalgia
- Ting! I jump to attention. The committee is processing solemnly into the hall. This is the first PhD ceremony I have attended since my own. The... -
First-year weekend
- I was never taught by him when I was a student. But he is legendary. Gert Peek is a soil science teacher to the bone. He is so nice, he bagged the... -
Independent
- The man falls silent for a moment and there is no need for me to fill the silence. My thoughts wander. Secretly, yesterday’s ceremony was... -
A fun degree
- I gulp. This is not a good moment to get annoyed. Her comment was frank and no doubt it wasn’t meant personally. In fact, I don’t think... -
Regret
- The idea is: a big party, especially for me. Some people compare it with a wedding: you are marrying science. I hear on the grapevine that my... -
Mud
- ‘If you need something here, it is there for you,’ she says, recalling with frustration her own university in Italy. ‘All that... -
Peace
- It’s not really allowed, but I so enjoy sitting on the banks of the Rhine with a beer. Preferably for a moment of complete peace and quiet, and... -
Rejected
- Dear editor,
I always knew it was a bit of a gamble. Actually, it’s a gamble whenever you submit a manuscript to an academic journal. First you... -
Column: Mineral water
- She runs her hands gracefully through her hair. I watch the foam slowly running off her shoulders. I stare at her for a moment, and then go on to...