Maastricht University sticks to position on Debye

The Terlouw Committee has advised the executive boards of Maastricht and Utrecht universities (UM and UU respectively) to continue using Peter Debye’s name for the UM academic prize and UU’s Institute for Physics and Chemistry of Nanomaterials and Interfaces. Utrecht University will accept this recommendation; Maastricht University will not.

The committee, established by the universities in spring 2007, had been asked to issue a written recommendation about the use of the Debye name following publication of a report by the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation (NIOD) on Peter Debye between 1933 and 1945. In February 2006, both universities decided to abandon the use of the name; in their opinion, the image of Debye was incompatible with the exemplary role of the research institute and award.

The Terlouw Committee’s task was to advise on the desirability or otherwise of using the Debye name to label UU activities, buildings or units, and UM’s cooperation in the presentation of an academic prize carrying the Debye name. In its recommendation, the committee indicates that although it appreciates the earlier decision of both universities, the NIOD report pointed out ‘now it has been proven that Debye did not act in bad faith, one should assume that he acted in good faith.’ It concludes: ‘We believe that there are insufficient reasons to deprive Debye of his academic laurels.’

The Executive Board of Utrecht University will accept the recommendation by renaming its physics and chemistry research centre Debye Institute for NanoMaterials Science. The UM Board, however, will abide by its previous decision, referring to its original motivation that the image of Debye evoked is incompatible with the exemplary role of one of its awards. Regardless of prevalent thought, the UM Board feels it is important to embrace social responsibility. The observation of the Terlouw Committee that, after the Second World War, Peter Debeye failed to explain his role in the Nazi period weighs heavily for Maastricht University.

The advisory committee was composed of Dr J.C. Terlouw, Chair (former deputy prime minister and minister of economic affairs, and mathematician and physician); Prof. D. Bosscher (former rector of Groningen University, professor of contemporary history); and Prof. Th. van Boven (emeritus professor of international law at Maastricht University). R. Louw (executive secretary of Leiden University) acted as committee secretary.

Source: Maastricht University, 18 January 2008