"Shame on science" - this is how Dutch engineers reacted to Frans Timmermans receiving an honorary doctorate. The engineers surrender their degrees in protest when TU Delft awards 'climate pope' Frans Timmermans an honorary doctorate in January. Nearly five thousand people have signed the petition "We will not award an honorary doctorate to Frans Timmermans from TU Delft", reports hirado.hu.
Frans Timmermans, the vice-president of the European Commission, will receive an honorary doctorate from the Delft University of Technology in the first weeks of January, which decided to do so citing the politician's social achievements in the field of energy transition, reports the Dutch newspaper de Gelderlander . According to Jan Asselbergs, a former graduate of TU Delft, it is unacceptable for the university to award an honorary doctorate to someone who talks nonsense about the energy transition.
"Timmermans is not a scientist, but a shrewd politician"
About thirty alumni of Delft University of Technology wrote a letter to Rector Tim van der Hagen to change the decision, university graduate Egbert de Beyer said,
Timmermans is not a scientist, but a shrewd politician.
Beyer also asked the university to remove him from the list of engineering graduates after Timmermans was awarded an honorary doctorate.
A TU Delft spokesperson said the honorary doctorate is for social and not academic achievements. But Beyer said he sees it as nothing more than a left-wing ploy to get funding. De Beyer also expresses strong doubts about Timmermans' frequent public statements about carbon dioxide "populist statements", according to which a CO2-free society should be achieved with windmills and solar panels everywhere.
He believes that TU should give more space to doubts and critical thinking about the climate crisis.
"The basis of science is to think critically about theories and, if possible, disprove them," he emphasized. He pointed out: Timmermans does not understand nuclear energy and makes statements that have no basis in reality, thus actually hindering the energy transition.
Jan Asselbergs is also strongly against the appointment and is ready to resign his title. At the end of November, he launched a petition that has already been signed by nearly 5,000 people.
He emphasized:
"this is a shame for the university as a knowledge institution."
Source: hirado.hu
Cover image: Illustration / author: MTI/EPA/LUSA/Miguel A. Lopes
