Ethnic communities in the Netherlands are intellectually weak. This feature thwarts their participation in the public debate and minimizes role models. Hence, the PhD Chamber (Dutch: de Promotiekamer) purported to strengthen the intellectual backbone of these communities. To that end, the chamber offered training and support for part-time PhD students with an ethnic background. Upon completion of the PhD, the (co)promotor and the candidate were honoured with a sculpture (see photo). The sculpture consists of three elements: a fanciful sickle that represents the whimsicality of a doctoral trajectory; a women wearing a veil covering her face, symbolizing the Hindu concept of Maya that represents the mysteries, illusions, and deceptions that threaten scholars; and an owl that occurs not only as the epic wise animal but also as a nocturnal bird that cannot see when it is enlightened. The sculpture was designed by Ruben Gowricharn, who is founder of the PHD Chamber and novellist  used to be a goldsmith.