Lustrum

The Roman Catholic Business School, the predecessor of Tilburg University, was founded in 1927. If there had been such a new-fashioned thing as a mission statement at the time, it would have been Cobbenhagen’s adage: “The economy is the maidservant of ethics.” The 2017 anniversary theme, in English now, is actually not too far removed from its precursor: “90 years of connecting people and knowledge.” The origins of the word lustrum are not entirely clear, but the word is assumed to go back to a Roman sacrificial feast that was celebrated once every five years. In academia, a lustrum signifies the end of a five-year period. Naturally, the University’s birthday, its dies natalis, is also celebrated in a lustrum year. In 2017, therefore, the University celebrated its 18th lustrum with a wide array of activities, including a university battle and a special episode of the University Night, with an Education Bazaar and a student party.