One of the victims is the Mathematical Sciences department who not only lost the contents of their offices, but still do not know whether their digital back ups survive. The safe in which they were kept was only lifted from the rubble this week and at the moment of writing it is still unsure whether it was heat resistant enough. Also it was one of their own who started the fire. Judith Timmer, lecturer in Mathematics, says: 'I would have preferred it if it had been a complete stranger. But a colleague. All his colleagues have lost everything. What can have possessed someone like that?'
Gerard Helminck, lecturer in the Fundamental Analysis group, assumes that he has lost everything. 'A part of my collection is irreplaceable: valuable mathematical works that are out of print, or lecture notes -handwritten or typed- by great mathematicians.' As soon as his home computer is back on line he wants to get in touch with speakers from an upcoming conference he is organising. 'I have to ask all speakers for their abstracts again, and ask people to register again. I am making a list of things I have to do as soon as possible. That makes me feel better and gives me more energy than writing down what I lost. If you dwell on that, you can get pretty despondent.'
At the faculty of Behavioural Sciences the Bureaus Educational Affairs of Educational Science and Technology and Psychology had just merged with Communication Studies and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society. On Tuesday the new dean, Lieteke van Vucht Tijssen, had been shown around the newly furnished offices by proud staff. All gone now. 'You do not count on such a start', Van Vucht Tijssen says, 'I must say I am impressed with the way in which staff have resumed their work. Some were teaching again straightaway. Everyone works like mad. And I want to do what I can to help. Some PhD-students and professors have lost so much.' PhD-students may be delayed considerably. Van Vucht Tijssen: 'We have to find a solution for the delay. Investigate whether they need more time, and if so how much more time.'
Ad Pruyn, professor in Marketing Communication and Consumer Behaviour, still hopes that some of the contents of his office survive. 'Articles with personal notes. Books. My complete research archive on consumer behaviour and waiting times dating from the first publications on this subject. This collection is of incalculable value.' And although it might be possible to replace the articles, Pruyn questions whether he still wants to. 'I am 50 now and it is no longer attractive to start a broad collection. I will have to focus on a certain area. What do I want to collect again?'
Communication Studies' study society Communiqué is back at work again, with the help of all and sunder. 'The educational director got us a room, the computers and printer came from Inter-Actief, study society for Computer Science, the faculty bought us a new kettle, and our website is back on line courtesy of study society Isaac Newton.'
