FASoS Student Ambassadors Talk 2022-2023

Right now, I am already three months back in Maastricht for my final semester of the Bachelor. Finding my way again here and coming back to a structured rhythm after the exchange has been both exciting and challenging at the same time. Most of my friends, including myself, are leaving Maastricht in a few months, which gives us a high drive to make the most out of it, enjoy to the fullest and appreciate the life and people we have around us here. However, final semester also means the BA thesis, wrapping up our final courses and a lot of time and energy going to application for master’s and/or internships for next year. Last period we had 2 skill courses, 1 content course and thesis preparation, which was quite intense. This definitely right after coming back from exchange where everyone had its own academic and personal experiences, and we needed to get used to being in Maastricht again. Luckily, now we only have 1 content course left and a full focus on the thesis. I am really excited to keep working on my thesis as we could largely chose our own topic of interest. Additionally, it is good to have a bit more time to spend on it, in order to really submit something which we are proud of! Nevertheless, besides the academic part, I am beyond excited to spent my last months in the city and to enjoy spring here to the fullest.

The 5th semester takes a detour from our regular curriculum – the semester is ours to make! You have a variety of options to choose from – studying abroad, doing an internship, or, like I did, following a minor at Maastricht University. I think my decision of doing a minor in Maastricht attests to the high-quality education offered by our university, as well as the charms of living in our magical city. With the hopes of giving my Digital Society knowledge a business edge and testing the waters for possible master’s options, I opted for the minor in Entrepreneurship offered by the School of Business and Economics. Over the span of four months and four courses, the minor has introduced me to a different educational environment, students from various faculties, and value-adding academic and practical insights on new business venturing. To learn more about the other 5th semester options, make sure to check out the @bachelordigitalsociety Instagram account, where my friends, Martina, Remco, and Lana, have kindly shared their experiences!

There are still a few months of hard work standing between me and that wonderful moment when my bachelor’s diploma is finally in my hands. The main task for the next period will be working on my bachelor’s thesis. Next to this, I will also be working on my Honours project on sustainable behaviour (with a focus on global warming), as well as my MaRBLe project – the Quantified Self: exploring the world of self-tracking. I know the upcoming months will be busy and stressful sometimes, but I’m so excited for what’s to come. BA Digital Society continues to be a highly rewarding, fun, at times challenging, but utterly memorable experience, and I’m sure that this last semester will be no different!

January 2023

Hello! My name is Salomé Chemla and I am currently pursuing my second year of the BSc Global Studies at Maastricht University. The reason I applied for the BSc Global Studies is that I knew it would give me the opportunity to view world problems in an interdisciplinary way. I am really enjoying the current semester “Migration and Citizenship” as I am gaining knowledge on a subject more actual than ever, and that is getting more and more important for different factors, including climate change for example, which is a theme we studied last year in the semester “Environment and Economy”. Seeing those issues from various perspectives allows us to deeply understand, and frame solutions for the changes of tomorrow.

Moreover, I really appreciate the Problem-Based Learning approach used at Maastricht University. It helps us improve our critical thinking and get an understanding of different opinions, even if they are sometimes far from what we believe. One of my favourite aspects about studying in Maastricht is the international environment, which gives us the valuable opportunity to be in contact with people coming from different backgrounds. We have the chance to always discover different cultures and traditions, and to learn from one another!

January 2023

During the fifth semester European Studies students can either do an exchange, a minor or an internship, and I decided to do the exchange! That is why I have been living in Porto (Portugal) for the past few months. Honestly, it felt so weird leaving behind all my friends, my room and basically my whole life in Maastricht when I left during summer. Especially, now hearing everyone talking about their new environments, some are doing an internship or exchange all over the world, while others are still in Maastricht,… Nevertheless, I really do believe that this experience has been a contribution to my bachelor. It has given me new perspectives, changed some of my views and made me realize the good, the bad and the ugly of both studying in Maastricht, as well as in a city like Porto. I learned that I love PBL even more than I thought, that I like how organised and structured the system is, and most importantly, how much the people I met in Maastricht mean to me. Needless to say, is that I also really enjoyed experiencing Portugal.  The weather first and foremost but also living in a bigger city and learning to live in a more ‘southern’ European mentality environment. It has been challenging by times; I have felt lonely and like I did not belong there. But other times, it has been amazing; it has shaped my journey, given me so many opportunities from which I learned a lot and besides this, I have met some incredible new friends along the way.

January 2023

Halfway through! As we are approaching the end of the year and I am about to finish the elementary phase of my bachelor’s programme, there are so many things happening and so many feelings coming up. Next week is exam week, which means a lot of studying and preparing for a discourse analysis presentation and an argument paper for ‘Cultural Pluralism.’ Personally, I really liked these courses but I am also excited for 2023. We are going to start the year with individual research papers. The courses ‘Research & Writing’ 1 and 2 are there to help you prepare for your bachelor’s thesis. The good thing is that we will get to choose our topics freely and I will write about Jane Austen. And, with that we will end the elementary phase meaning, we will start with the graduation phase and our electives. I am very excited about my electives! My content courses for period 4 and 5 will focus on perspectives in society that have been traditionally left out. In ‘Othering Europe’ we will learn about the process of ‘othering’ and the perspective of the traditional ‘other’ and in ‘Vulnerable Bodies’ we will shift our attention to bodies that do not match with the societal majority with special attention to disability and age. It is now also time to think about what I want to do in the 5th semester. Because I am a person that needs to be prepared, I already have an internship place. I will be an intern at the cultural editorial office at the ZDF in Berlin for the summer and will do a minor in Gender and Diversity studies in Maastricht after. If you have any questions about Arts & Culture, Maastricht University or student life feel free to just send me a message on Instagram.

December 2023

As I look back at my experience here, I cannot help but admire the extraordinary ventures I've had throughout my academic journey at FASoS. It has been a rollercoaster of learning, maturing, and self-discovery. So to say, I'm really elated to share it with you all.

During the 3rd period of my studies, I was lucky to attend a Political Identity course. The course contained a distinctive teaching method that involved weekly debates on topics of academic contestation. Such tasks challenged us to sharpen our critical thinking dexterities, learn how to articulate our thoughts ad hoc more effectively, and become more refined in our knowledge and practice when it comes to the subject of Political Identity.

In addition to the debates, we were graced by visiting speakers from our campus and other universities, bringing a wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives to the classroom. These guest lectures allowed us to explore different political ideologies, comprehend complex concepts, and truly broaden our understanding of political identity.

The 3rd period also assigned us with designing our thesis proposals. This proved to be both demanding and fruitful. The procedure required us to research and explain in-depth our chosen topics, analyze existing literature, and formulate effective reasons for why we have chosen our particular projects. From a personal perspective, I found this process self-fulfilling as it challenged me to get to work from day one and learn how to do emphatic work on the subject I have been interested in (e.g., Religious Politics).

The 4th period was a unique one. It presented us with an exciting chance to choose between a practicum or a content course. I opted for a course on Political Violence. I’m pleased with my decision. This class was amazing in terms of teaching materials, covering everything from historical perspectives to contemporary analyses of political violence. The topics covered and sources were both intellectually nurturing and profoundly thought-provoking, kindling a passion for the subject matter within me. Thus, later decided to incorporate some portions within my thesis project. 

Our professor was truly the cherry on top! Apart from his well-tailored teaching approach, he also had a fantastic sense of humor. His capability to combine scholarly and approachable demeanors produced the learning venture engaging and enlightening. Under his direction, I found myself more aware of the underpinnings of political violence and with a deeper understanding of the subject itself.

Of course, my Maastricht adventure wasn't exclusively confined to academia. During my time here, I had some possibilities to explore the surrounding areas, absorbing the rich history and stunning beauty of the Limburg region. From scenic landscapes to bustling city centers, each trip made me cherish memories and have a greater fondness for the world around me.

Indeed, student life in Maastricht is truly remarkable. Here you can find yourself being offered an array of adventures and prospects for personal development. Maastricht has a vibrant international atmosphere and social scene: with countless events, gatherings, and activities. All of that foster a strong sense of community among students.

That said, my time in Maastricht has been an unforgettable journey of self-discovery and academic growth so far. Courses have offered some useful information that I found capable to utilize in practice. Also, I found some means to drive forth my personal growth while expanding my network of friends and future colleagues. I am thankful for the lessons I've learned. I am grateful for the friendships I've forged, and the memories I've created. Thus, I look forward to seeing what the future has for me, and most importantly - as I continue working on my MA thesis, I hope to have it completed on time and in a good shape.  

To follow up on the last blog post, Period 2 ended in December with an assessment that required us to write a research project utilising at least one of the theories and methods learned in the course. Subsequently, the electives began. Electives offer a distinct perspective and allow us to be confident in our opinions. Since we were free to choose any elective from the three Arts & Culture specialisations, I chose the CLA course, 'What If?... Speculative Fiction Searching for More Just Futures.' In this four-week course, we learned about the affordances of speculative fiction to reflect critically on the past and present.

In the tutorials and courses in Period 3, we studied significant works of the 21st century, such as The Handmaid's Tale, Game of Thrones, Avatar, Star Trek, and many others. We were allowed to create our own database of speculative fiction works from the first tutorial. In the last week of the course, we also had two workshops, one on creative writing and one on review writing. In the creative writing workshop, we had the opportunity to rewrite the ending of a speculative fiction film, TV series or book that we particularly liked. In contrast, in the review writing workshop, we learned how to efficiently write reviews about speculative works because the final assessment of this course was to write a review about a speculative work, be it a film, TV series or book.

Next, as part of Period 4, I have chosen to undertake an internship as part of the MA programme. From February to May, I am a research intern in the English Literature Research Group at KU Leuven, Belgium, where I will mainly conduct research on speculative fiction while developing administrative skills and competencies that early-career researchers should possess. Finding an internship is not difficult, but it requires commitment, especially when you have to write motivation letters and CV and conduct research. It is not daunting, however, because the staff at UM is there to help you every step of the way.

Starting with period 3, we develop our master's thesis. Throughout the Research and Writing course in January, we had several meetings with the professor and colleagues. We formulated our thesis ideas during the four weeks, mainly based on peer reviews. The course culminated in presenting our paper ideas in front of our peers. Shortly after, we had to submit the thesis proposal to our thesis coordinator. Considering the vast field of social justice, the master's thesis topics in this programme are diverse, but most of them are concerned with how the arts engage with social justice.

It's been a fruitful three to four months, and I am excited for the coming months when I'll be writing my master's thesis and completing my internship.

March 2023

Hi everyone! We are very close to the end of this master’s programme; only 3 more months and it is over: time flies when you are having fun! There have been many changes since the last time I wrote the blog. At that time, we were still in the middle of period 2 and then, Christmas break!

After the holidays, we started with period 3, which was a short but very intense period. We had 4 weeks of hard work, workshops, tutorials and lectures almost 4 days a week. For that period, I chose the elective Arts and Audiences and I am very satisfied with that decision because my internship is focused on that topic. Currently, I am doing my internship at Rotterdams Philarmonic Orchestra and my task there is to research how visual elements and sound affect different target groups. For this project, I am putting researching techniques into practice, and theories that we learned and used in the previous courses. I am glad to see how the practical and theoretical layout of the master’s programme has been very useful to start this project at the internship organization.

Besides the internship, I am working on my thesis too. In mid-February, we submitted the research proposal. The next step is to start writing the first chapters of the thesis and having them reviewed by the thesis supervisor. It has been a challenging process but I find very helpful that throughout the year we already have tutorials and lectures that were preparing us for this last phase of the master’s programme. I am completely convinced that the tools I have acquired during this master’s programme are the right ones for the professional field.

March 2023

Hello everyone and welcome to my second blog entry! I am more than halfway through the master’s programme and time just flew by so fast! It has been a great journey so far both inside and outside the classroom. Since the last time I wrote, I finished off period 2 and finally went home to the Philippines for the holiday after almost 2 years due to the pandemic. Came back to Maastricht in January for period 3 where it was a month of only focusing on our thesis proposal. I am happy to be accepted for an internship last minute after many couple of possible leads that did not pull through. I am very much excited to be a research assistant to a PhD candidate in FASoS. I will be starting the internship in April and have not done anything similar before hence I am really looking forward to learning as much as I can from this experience. Thesis proposal writing in just a month was stressful, but the course included lectures with Q&A’s, tutorials with peer support and feedback spaces and supervisor meetings that helped with its creation. The available support and meetings also helped reduce the overwhelming feeling of doing a proposal.

After this was reflection week, a week of period 4 then Carnival week right after. I celebrated Carnival with my friends and it was fun seeing how lively the streets of Maastricht became with all the dancing and unique and extravagant costumes. My course mates also took this week to travel around Europe such as London, Rome, and Lisbon. In the past months of my stay, since Maastricht is such in a good location, I have been able to travel outside the country such as Munich, Antwerp, Paris, and Luxembourg but also inside Netherlands like Amsterdam, Leiden, The Hague and Eindhoven.

I am currently in period 4 where I am only doing one elective since I am in the internship track. I chose Global Connections: non-Eurocentric historical narratives and have been enjoying the course so far with exciting different guest lecturers that are also the authors of our readings and will be doing a field trip to Brussels at the end of it. For my course mates that are doing fieldwork, they are already abroad starting it wherein destinations range from Brazil to Senegal. There are also one who will go on an internship abroad next period from India to Thailand. This master’s programme has truly given its students the flexibility on what track and topic of thesis they can do.

The deadline is coming soon so make sure to have your documents ready and submit in time! For any questions, do not hesitate to contact me in LinkedIn (Linet Arionne Dumag) or Instagram @globalisationanddevelopment.

March 2023

The last few months after my previous blogpost have been quite busy, although very exciting and insightful! In my previous blogpost, I was entering the second period, while currently I’m in period 4. I have no idea where the time goes, honestly.

Period 2 ended, and I enjoyed a well-deserved winter break back home. Followed was period 3, consisting of thesis workshops and no classes. This was great, as it allowed us to focus solely on our master’s thesis and develop our research questions, literature review, and methodology. To keep up our progress, we have respective deadlines and meetings with our supervisors, which I find helpful for having a continuous process. In period 4, we are working on our thesis parallel to our course about the EU as a Security and Market Power. Here we analyse different policy areas related to the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Commercial Policy (CCP) of the EU. Assignments in this course focus on a longer policy brief than last time, although in groups, in addition to individual policy analysis. Writing policy recommendations at the university level is good practice, providing useful skills as young professionals after graduation!

Besides academics, we also had a study trip to Brussels with our faculty, together with the two other specialisations, and European Public Affairs. This excursion gave us more insight into the Brussels bubble, as well as a fun trip socializing across specialisations! We were even lucky enough to be at the European Parliament at the same time as President Zelenskyy’s plenary hearing, which we watched, live-streamed from the other room. Besides this, I travelled to Ghent and Brugge, which are both beautiful cities. I ate enough Belgian chocolate for like a lifetime. The distance is not far from Maastricht, although it helps to have Belgian friends as a guide. I also got to experience the carnival in Maastricht, which was something I have personally never experienced before. The carnival also gave us a week free from classes as well, and the city was full of colours, costumes and celebrations!

Ahead lies periods 5 and 6, which means the deadline for thesis submission is approaching as well: help! I still do not realise how fast time goes, and I have learned a lot so far. Moving forward, I will focus most of my time on the thesis, while simultaneously trying to figure out what my future will entail upon graduation. Excited to see what is next!

March 2023

About 1/4 of the master’s is already done. It feels like yesterday that the programme started, and I moved to Maastricht. The last few months have been a constant swing between many things to do and some free time.

A brief recap: we submitted the final paper for period 2 in December, and then enjoyed 2 weeks free from lectures and assignments until 8 January. Period 3 was very short and lasted about one month, hence a bit full of things to do, while last week we started period 4 which will last 2 months. Before period 4 begins, we first had a break for Carnival, which is highly celebrated in Maastricht and very nice to experience in person. As of now, it seems calm, but we already have to focus on the joint paper we have to write for the two courses we are following in this period and start to think seriously about the proposal of the thesis that we will submit in June.

Moreover, now is also the time in which we take a final decision on what to do during our second year: either follow the Double Degree path in Cologne, in which case we spend the whole second year there, or we choose an internship/an Erasmus to do during the first semester of the second year and have a 2-credit course during the second semester.

It all feels a bit distant and close at the same time, but in general, the past few months gave me a lot in terms of new knowledge and skills in the research field. After the first three periods, I can really say that one of the best things about the master’s programme is the freedom in researching the topic you are most interested in. In addition, we are a close group of classmates, and this is an added value that definitely has no comparison.

February 2023

Hi! I am Faustas, a student ambassador for this academic year. I would like to share my first months at FASoS and my experience in the master's programme of Arts and Culture (Modern Political Culture specialization). 

When I was done with my first master's degree this January, I spent quite a lot of time contemplating what direction I should take both career-wise and privately. Indeed, since my first graduate studies, I have been fascinated by research, academic inquiries, teaching, and helping to expand the knowledge upon the aspects we may lack. On top of that, working for some companies as marketing specialists didn't give me a sense of meaning - which is quite important to me, as I consider "meaning" the main component of a happy and self-fulling life. 

That said, I spent some time exploring what direction I should take (keeping in mind my fascination with politics, history, and philosophy). At the time of this directionless obscurity, I met one of my old classmates who was doing her master's in Maastricht; she told me about how happy she was at this university and all the other fascinating things about student life, etc. The way she shared her experience sounded very convincing and intriguing. So, after researching about Maastricht university, I stumbled upon a Modern Political Culture programme which appeared as an excellent pick as it consisted of all the topics I am interested in. (Yet, as I do recall, that probably would not have happened if not for my ex-classmates good word. So, thank you so much my dear!)

So why have I picked Modern Political Culture?

There are three reasons. 

First of all, this programme lasts only one year. That, in my mind, sounds like a good deal because "time is money". Also, this point leads to the following reason - the Modern Political Culture MA programme is tailored very well in structure and content, permitting the students to complete it within a year. It doesn't include unnecessary investigations or whatsoever which do not belong to the course trail; everything is well-focused. Last but not least, this master's programme is a multidisciplinary one; it tackles all aspects of political culture, such as ideology, history, economy, theory, philosophy, literature,  - the very same subjects I have been interested in since I began my academic journey. 

So, as I am done discussing some reasons that drove me to join the programme and other intricacies of the specialization, I would like to make a short re-cap about my recent experience.

During the first period, I had an introductory course about Political Culture. In the classes, we tackled various aspects, which belong to or stem from Political Culture, like social disobedience, identity politics, democracy, populism, etc. 

I truly liked it because the whole course was well organised, both in its structure and pace-wise (kudos to Dr. Camilo Erlichman!). Also, it was nice that each lesson comprised a theoretical introduction and case study readings. Thus, making the whole learning experience meaningful - pushing us to understand theory in practical terms. On top of that, we have been offered two field trips: to the old NATO headquarters and Maastricht archives. Overall, the first period was anything but delightful!

Presently, we are in the middle of period 2. We are at the second follow-up course focusing on how we should approach Modern Political Culture in terms of theoretical and methodological sense. One exciting thing about this course is that we usually have guest speakers from the faculty. And I found it lovely to know that many faculty members are interested in our success and eager to share their know-how. 

Above all else, I do feel great about my choice to study here because I feel that the Modern Political Culture programme managed to fulfil my expectations.  I met many amazing people during my first four months here in Maastricht. I enjoy attending my classes, I love my professors, and classmates as well. I relish my student life as it is colourful, self-fulfilling, and, most importantly - makes me feel like I have never left home. 

December 2022

A little less than four months ago, I started my first day as a FASoS student. Accompanied by a few friends who were also from Liege, we knew nothing about student life in Maastricht and what it entailed. I can proudly state today that I am very pleasantly surprised by what this beginning of the year in the ESST Master has allowed me to experience.

Indeed, having always studied in Belgium, this is the first time that my studies take place in an international environment. What a change! Throughout the different modules, I learned to know the different fellows of my class, their cultures, their interests, their strengths, their fears and so many other things! Just yesterday, some of them, used to the cute city of Maastricht, were sharing their favourite places with me and were able to brighten up the end of a productive day in the library.

I think it is reasonable to assume that the PBL (Problem-Based Learning) system has played a major role in this beautiful group cohesion. PBL makes us think together several times a week on common topics and work together to solve given problems. These interactions not only help us to communicate with each other in class, but also to gain skills and open-mindedness. Each of us analyses the problem from our own perspective, using our strengths and skills we have gained from our respective previous studies. This interdisciplinary approach allows us to study the interactions between science, technology, and society with a new eye, or rather with a variety of different eyes.

Speaking of courses, this year is divided into two periods. The first (September-December) consists of four modules, each of which focuses on a different perspective of the STS (Science, Technology and Society) field. I am currently writing these few lines in the middle of Module 4 and must admit that everything has gone by at breakneck speed. They say that time flies when you are having fun and that it is easier to work when you are playing. This makes sense today. Yes, we are pushed to work a lot, especially in terms of reading, but I feel that our skills and knowledge are improving rapidly (including the improvement of my English communication, which was not a foregone conclusion!).

The second period consists of two final modules, one of which is a specialisation abroad, followed by the writing of the Thesis. I must confess to being a little sad to be separated from some of my classmates during this specialisation period, but I am sure we will keep in touch, especially to help and support each other during the exhausting work of the Thesis writing.

For the different reasons mentioned above, I am slowly realising how lucky I am to study in a supportive and inclusive faculty, allowing us to develop our professional abilities as well as our soft skills. The professional world is waiting for us, and this rich experience in the ESST programme will allow us to enter it well prepared. I am firmly convinced of this!

December 2022

How do I start this blog? It is December 8, we had our first day of snow this week, and I am currently sitting in bed, writing my paper on raising socio-political issues through design. How cool is that? Approaching the end of period 2, meaning the end of the fourth month of the programme, I can’t believe we’re almost half-way through. However, there are many more things to look forward to still, and many things to reflect upon already.

It is my 4th year in Maastricht, so I can safely say I am used to the pace of the courses and have adapted to how fast time goes by as we study. However, the practical components of the master’s programme help to stay in the moment and connect learned theory to real-life practice. In period 1, we took the courses “Real Virtualities” and “Transformations in Digital Cultures”. We started with experiencing analogue technologies, from typewriters to Polaroid cameras and view masters (the little tv-looking thingies where you can flip through a slideshow of landscape photos or whatnot). This helped understand the method of phenomenology, which takes lived experience as the source of all meaning. In the context of digital cultures, it helped understand how we experience technologies and its boundaries and affordances. Whereas we started with analogue technologies, I ended up writing my final paper on a digital technology - the app “BeReal”. It was an academic as well as a personal challenge to analyse my sense of authenticity and realness on the app, but eventually ended up being one of my favourite assignments I’ve ever done.

In “Transformations in Digital Cultures”, we designed our own blogs and used qualitative interviewing as a method to gather data on topics like technomoral change and socio-technical imaginaries. I interviewed people playing life simulation games such as “The Sims” and “Wylde Flowers”. It ended up being so interesting that I started playing Wylde Flowers myself and now I cannot stop digitally harvesting crops. I am super excited about the next courses as well; we’re going to create digital collections and build 3d models (Of what? Do not ask me just yet).

About the city: Maastricht is a lovely little town with many hidden corners, shops, and churches. Actually, the churches are not so much hidden, but lovely, nevertheless. Particularly now during Christmas time it is a joy to walk through town, get some hot chocolate, stroll through the weekly markets, and watch the world cup at the Irish pub (or do the pub-quiz if you’re not into soccer). Rumor has it that the weather got really cold, but I am from the North of Germany and the lack of wind makes me appreciate the South. I am looking forward to Christmas break and returning home to where the bread is good and Glühwein is cheap before we start the next year with preparing for the thesis. Until then, Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone, it already has been three months since I started the master's programme Arts and Heritage: Policy, Management and Education. What could I say about that? It has been very intense, with a lot of readings and activities. However, it is exactly this combination of theory and practice the reason I choose this programme. The way the programme is organised, with the lectures, tutorials and workshops, has helped me to gain more insight into the current debates in the field of arts and culture. My experience would be incomplete if we would not put that knowledge into practice and have the opportunity to test our ideas in the activities we have done.

Almost at the end of the first period, we had a whole day focused on Design Thinking which is a specific approach to creative problem-solving. The task of that day was to make our own funding proposal for one of the three different institutions we choose to analyse their policy programme. In this way, we applied the knowledge we gained in the previous weeks of the course. Analysing each programme and thinking about how a hypothetical project could fit into the values and guidelines of a specific funding institution. In the first half of period two, we had a longer and more challenging, as well as exciting, project. We conducted commissioned research during two weeks in three different cultural institutions in Maastricht. The goal of this task was to give strategic advice to these institutions on projects that are in an early stage. Certainly, these activities have had a great impact on my learning process.

December 2022

Greetings from Vienna! A new academic year and a lot of new and exciting opportunities.

My name is Pia and I am in my second year of the research master Cultures of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST). While the first year was all about gaining research skills and finding our own research niche, the second year feels like we are finally turning into actual researchers!

In the first half of the second year of CAST, you get to do a research internship at a university or a knowledge-intense institute. Around half of the group decided to stay in Maastricht or the Netherlands since they found interesting research projects in the area while the rest went abroad! Some people even went as far as California or Singapore. What separates the research internship from a regular semester abroad is that first, we are completely free to select an institute or university that interests us! This means that during the first year, you decide on a top three list before getting together with the internship coordinator to discuss the selection. The coordinator will then try to make sure that your first choice works out!

Second, during the research internship, you are not studying, but really working as a researcher! For me, this meant being invited to conferences, attending research meetings, being introduced to a lot of different researchers at the university, doing interviews, and working on a literature review for my supervisor. My own research focused on deepfakes and their relation to the concept of trust. This internship helped me in finding out what I would like to research in the future and assured me that I would like to stay in academia!

I cannot believe that it has already been almost one and a half years since I started CAST. In this short time, I can feel that not just my academic skills have changed, but that I have changed as a person. I can’t wait to meet the other CAST students and hear about their experiences once we’re all back for our master thesis!

December 2022

As I’m writing this blog, I’m currently at the library working on our policy briefing. The policy briefing is part of the skills trajectory for one of our courses, and I have never heard of anything like it before I came to Maastricht! The skills training is really useful, and provides us with relevant experience for our future careers. One of the many things I enjoy about Maastricht and the university!

Since the beginning of the academic year, I have gotten to know my fellow students from all over the world, had my first school exam, and chosen my thesis topic! We are currently in period 2 out of 6. Period 1 had two courses, one teaching us the basics of academic writing, the second about European history, challenges and interdisciplinary perspectives. Period 1 is thought equally between all three specialisations of MA in European studies, and is meant to bring everyone to the same level of knowledge, no matter your academic background! I really like this concept, as it provides everyone with the equal basic knowledge. Even for me with a European Studies background, you can never really get enough of the founding fathers of the EU, can you? Of course it gave me a lot of new knowledge as well, especially within democratisation and decolonisation. As we are currently in period 2, we continue to work on our thesis, as well as our new course about International relations and European Foreign policy. Which is the course we are thought about foreign policy briefings, and practise writing them. Super interesting!

Life in Maastricht has a lot to offer besides the university as well, and is very student friendly. There is lots of museums which I enjoy. There is of course the market every Wednesday and Friday, a cheaper way to get your veggies and fruits. I love going to the farm nearby as well, for unlimited petting of goats, piglets and bunnies! Totally recommend this during stressful exam periods. Because we are in December, the Christmas lights are up and Christmas market is under full construction. It is truly lovely! Can’t wait for it to open and try the Ferris wheel.

Things move pretty fast, but at a manageable pace, and I have learned a lot from the two periods already. There is only a month left before our second exam, which is a take home exam expanding over three days. I’m looking forward to Christmas break where I will cool of (literally, I live in Norway) and reset, before entering period 3 which is focused on thesis writing!

Wish me luck!

December 2022

Hi! My name is Flora, I’m from Hungary and I am currently studying a master’s in European Studies with a specialisation in Public Policy, Institutions and Governance. Three months into the degree, I can honestly say moving to Maastricht and choosing this programme were the best choices for me!

Before moving to Maastricht, I was working at a consultancy in Brussels with a focus on EU affairs. It was a fascinating experience but I felt that I needed more knowledge on how the European Union works in order to better navigate the so-called “EU bubble” in Brussels. As a result, I chose Maastricht because of its good reputation for European studies and its Problem-Based Learning (PBL) method, which makes sure students learn skills that are useful in the workplace.

The first period was quite intense and challenging, but very rewarding at the end. The first course: Key Challenges for Contemporary Europe: Historical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives focused on the history of European integration and how it affects present-day EU politics. The course aimed to equalise students from different academic backgrounds and ensured everybody at the end of the course had a solid knowledge of the history of European integration. People in all three specialisations took the course together; therefore, we were able to make friends in tutorials and lectures with people who chose International Relations or Global Policy as a track. At first, the PBL system was foreign to many of us, but because the people in my tutorial were so active, we quickly got a hang of it!

One of the highlights of period 1 was a lecture by Margrethe Vestager who is Executive Vice President of the European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age. Our course also had a virtual Brussels trip where alumni of the University held presentations about their current jobs and we were able to gain insights into possible career opportunities, which was very interesting!

Now, we are halfway through our second course, which is the EU Politics and Policy-Making Process module. So far, we had lectures on the workings of the Parliament, the Council, the Commission and EU Agencies. In the skills track of the course, we are currently working on our lobby strategies for a specific policy area we picked. We could pick a legislative file from different fields such as the common commercial policy, energy policy, social policy or environmental policy.

December 2022

Hi, my name is Andrei Burlacu, I'm from Romania, and I'm currently studying a master’s in Arts and Culture: Contemporary Literature and Arts with a specialization in Cultural Interventions and Social Justice (CLA). I chose to study this programme because for many years I have felt the desire to help the society, but I never had the theoretical support to do so. Therefore, when I saw last year that Maastricht University was going to create a new master’s programme that would meet all my needs, I didn't think twice.

I chose it because it focuses on culture in the making. I knew from the beginning that in this MA I will examine how 21st-century literature and art engage with issues of social justice, such as racial justice, class and gender inequalities, ageism and ableism, the discrimination of LGBTQ+ people, and more. One of the reasons I decided to study at Maastricht University is because it is one of the few universities that offers the Problem- Based Learning (PBL) system, which allows us to work closely with other students.

Three months into the courses, I can say that I really like this study programme. For our first period we studied the course Entering the Field: Social Justice in Contemporary Literature and Arts, which together with the course from period 2, established a sound foundation of a topically relevant archive of primary works of art and literature, the skills necessary to analyze these works, and the theoretical framework that allows us to critically reflect on how these can intervene in issues of social justice. During the period 1 course we covered topics such as: racial justice, stigmatization based on gender and sexuality, ageism and ableism, environmental justice, and class and distributive justice, all through different case studies and lectures that have helped us a lot to form our foundations regarding social justice in contemporary literature. Some of the case studies I liked best include Refugee Tales, Rachel Garnet’s play Starcrossed (2022), Bernardine Evaristo’s novel Girl, Woman, Other (2019), and many more.

Another thing that really excited me about period 1 was the openness that existed and the flexibility in what the students' needs and expectations were. Also, the involvement of both staff and students was commendable. A wonderful thing to note is that we had Rachel Garnet, the writer of Starcrossed, physically invited for a Q&A session, as well as the opportunity to attend a reading and Q&A session with David Herd from the University of Kent, co-organiser of Refugee Tales. Also, at the end of period 1 we had the opportunity to go on two field trips: reading and Q&A with Bernardine Evaristo in Utrecht and visiting the No Access exhibition, with 21 media art works and short films on border control and migration.

Right now, we are in the middle of period 2, which is mainly based on theories: Intersectionality, Post-Humanism, Coloniality & Decolonization, Debility/Disability, and Trans-Inter-Queer. At the same time, during this period we learn about relevant research methods such as: comparative analysis, archival research, narrative and discourse analysis, and visual analysis. At the same time, during period 1 and period 2, the Research and Writing course takes place, which aims to develop our academic writing skills and to prepare us for the writing of the master thesis.

So much for period 1 and a sneak peak of period 2 which is still ongoing. Maastricht is a beautiful city to live in, it offers a lot of Dutch culture as well as international culture and is a great environment to make friends and participate in all kinds of extracurricular activities.

Don't forget to follow all the student activities from this program on Instagram at @contemporaryliteratureandarts.

November 2022

Hi! I am Eleonora, student ambassador for this academic year and I would like to share with you these first months at FASoS and my experience in the Research Master European Studies.

Why I chose this master's programme is in common with many other students here: great reputation, a small cohort and a lot of internationality, but if you want to hear in more detail what motivates me, I suggest you have a look at the short video presentation, where you can also see one of my favourite places in Maastricht.

On the academic side, period 1 lasted about two months and was a time to bring all of us students, with different bachelor's degrees behind us, on the same level. The courses we had had three with different focuses: presentation skills, introduction to research methods and state of the art of European integration. It was a period in which we worked individually for almost all deadlines, but one of the aspects I appreciated most was the feedback on the work we did. Of course, it was also a period in which I got to bond a lot with my classmates, and this was one of my favourite aspects: being a small cohort, we help each other all the time and there was a great atmosphere.

Now we are already in the middle of period 2, which will last until the start of the winter break on 23.12. This period includes two main courses, for which there will be one final paper to be handed in at the end of the period. One of the courses concerns research methods, qualitative or quantitative, while the second focuses on an area of interest, so-called specialisations in History, Democracy and Representation, or EU and the World. During the first term we decided on what to focus our future research on and chose a specialisation and research method according to our personal interests. What I appreciate most about this period is that, despite our official choice, we can also participate in the classes of the other specialisation or research method, to get a more complete view of what we study.

November 2022

Hello, I am Linet Dumag, from the Philippines and I am currently studying the master’s programme in Globalisation and Development Studies (MA GDS). I have always wanted to do a master’s, as it is aligned with my career goals, with the competitive advantage it brings, and for the further improvement of my critical thinking and academic writing skills. It was also chance for me to have a complete university experience because I did a good amount of my previous bachelor’s programme online due to the global pandemic.

My undergrad was on Economics, Politics and International studies and my interest in development sparked when I took International Development in my second year. Following this, I took Gender and Development, Topics of Economic Development and did my dissertation with a focus on economic development in the Philippines for my final year. This was accompanied with my desire to work for NGOs and/or for the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines. It is because I believe international development is needed now more than ever with the increase of globalisation and the current political and economic state of the world.

I chose MA GDS specifically because it is a one- year course and had the flexibility of doing a desk study, internship, or fieldwork for your thesis. The Problem-Based Learning (PBL) system of Maastricht University is also attractive because it is student centred and can fully discuss the readings assigned for the tutorial. I chose to look into the Netherlands in particular because of its high English proficiency, the great opportunities available and its proximity for travel to other places. I also wanted to challenge myself to be in a different environment from where I grew up and did my bachelor’s programme (which was in the UK).

Two months into the programme and I can honestly say I am enjoying it. I love learning from the international cohort and staff and hearing about everyone’s experiences and takes on the topics. The theories are also relevant in current events, and I get to share my experiences as well living in a developed country. The Theories and Histories course was a good start to adjusting to the programme because our tutor would always ask questions that did not cross my mind and it is interesting to delve deeper into them. I am currently doing the Globalisation and Poverty course and writing my Trajectory paper where we follow a commodity throughout its life cycle and comparing it to global value chains, which is appealing to see how the world is connected.

The programme requires a lot of work but there is also time for extracurricular activities. I am in AIESEC in Maastricht because I did it back in the UK and it is an international youth organisation that focuses on leadership development. Many from my cohort are in other student associations like UNSA and have part time jobs.

If you have similar aspirations and interests, I encourage you to apply. Also, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to pop a message at @globalisationanddevelopment on Instagram where I will be sharing my journey for the rest of the year.

November 2022