sat that evening in the back of the auditorium where the first Senate session of the academic year was being held. The table on the stage was draped with a green tablecloth that reached the floor. Seated at the table were the patricians of the university, which is situated north of an almost dry riverbed. A microphone was connected to scratchy loudspeakers. The national flag and the university flag drooped side by side in their stands.The meeting opened with a string quartet whose young members had been asked to perform a classical piece to reflect the aesthetic taste of the Senate members, devotees of culture at a prestigious university. The rector then welcomed the participants, wishing them a year of fruitful research, a year of striving for excellence, and a year of peace.