This week, we kicked off the new round of the Tilburg University Master of International Management. I have been teaching a course on Management Consulting in this program for a couple of years. Today, we had the first lecture, and from tomorrow on, it will be project work on cases in smaller groups. The group of students is a nice one. They engage in discussions only very carefully at the beginning. But that will change once they know what they are up for. The class is far less international than in the past. This may have to do with the very tight housing situation in Tilburg at the moment. For international students, finding a place to stay is even more challenging. The campus is lively again. Covid-19 and all the restrictions are history now. And we all hope it stays like that. Since 2015, I come to Tilburg at the same time of the year, and it is always the start of the first signs of autumn. It is a wonderfully green campus, and leaves will start turning yellow somewhere in mid-September. Some years a week early, some years a week later. This year was quite a good mix of sunshine and rainfall. So, all looks very well and the start of fall is not twisted in one direction.

For me, the opportunities to “hang out” on university campuses are probably getting much less in the future because my “daytime job” is asking for tribute. That’s also good because, without a large proportion of up-to-date practical knowledge, teaching advanced courses in a relevant form is nearly impossible. Ultimately, “management” is not (!) a science; it’s a craft. So, I am especially enjoying campus time this year and will try keeping a mix of activities, just with a different proportion.