Following the discussions, the students were invited to write a letter addressed to Goldschmidt reflecting on the letters of Dubois. Described as an “eye-opening workshop”, the students were given the opportunity to explore a now dying skill of letter writing whilst furthering their knowledge of Dubois and his works. Goldschmidt, a “natural storyteller”, created a comfortable environment for the students to express their opinions freely. He even responded to each students’ letter with his input and comments, a truly fitting format for providing feedback.

Vincent Bijman, a PhD candidate at FASoS whose research focuses on the history of endangered species, explained how the masterclass allowed him to step out of the traditional academic way of writing and encouraged a more creative approach. Bijman hopes to incorporate this new skill into his future academic writing. Eva (FASoS) enjoyed the engaging interdisciplinary approach of the class. This was concurred by Anna (UCM), as she frequently likes to “walk the line” between the various disciplines at the University College Maastricht and felt the masterclass allowed for a mix of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences in a new format. David (MSP), who grew up in Maastricht, had not heard of Dubois before the class. Therefore, he enjoyed learning about a local celebrity of sorts. He also explained how he discussed the life and works of this local scientist with his friends and parents, who had not previously shown much interest in his studies in Physics and Mathematics at university. Similarly, Eva explained how she loved repeating the stories of Dubois to her father, who has a keen interest in palaeontology and anthropology.

Following the class, the students were presented with a certificate to mark their course completion. Much to the students’ excitement, their letters and an essay from Goldschmidt will be compiled into a book.