Visitation committee praises Maastricht legal research
Press release 2 July 2010
Maastricht University’s legal research has once again performed well in its review by the national visitation committee. High scores were awarded not only for quality but also productivity: the Maastricht Faculty of Law has the second highest publication rate per researcher nationwide. The quality of Maastricht research programmes are rated second only to Tilburg. According to the committee, the faculty’s decision to conduct all its research within two national research schools was valuable one. Despite its relatively small size, the faculty plays an active and leading role in these research schools. Maastricht also has the highest relative number of PhD candidates, indicating a healthy rejuvenation policy. The 2009 Evaluation Committee for Legal Research will present its final report today during a meeting at the VU University Amsterdam.
In its final report, the committee praises the faculty’s current organisation: nearly all academic researchers are now members of a research programme. During the last visit, the committee expressed concern about the scope of UM’s non-programme-related research. By joining these national research schools, the relatively small Maastricht research groups can now conduct research on a larger, more organised scale. This interfaculty collaboration also ensures that the quality of the research is maintained – a great success, according to the committee’s report. In addition, Maastricht was praised for its contribution to the success of the two national research schools, Ius Commune and Human Rights.
The faculty recently established four new research partnerships: the Montesquieu Institute, the Institute for Globalisation and International Regulation (IGIR) and the Institute for Corporate Law, Governance and Innovation Policies (ICGI) are now associated with Ius Commune. The fourth partnership is with The Maastricht Forensic Institute, which unites all forensic disciplines within the university. The faculty also plans to launch the European Private Law Institute in autumn.
The committee conducted a separate evaluation of the faculty’s contribution to the schools and institutes. For Ius Commune, this evaluation was largely based on the 2009 KNAW reaccreditation review. At that time, the faculty received only positive reviews (between 4.2 and 4.8 on a 5-point scale). After examining the reaccreditation request and additional faculty information, the committee agreed with this assessment.
The Globalisation and Human Rights programme also received a positive evaluation. It focuses on current and theoretical issues and received high scores for its social and academic relevance (4.75). It was awarded a 4.75 for quality of research and a 4.5 for meeting all necessary productivity requirements. The programme also has publications in leading international journals. In terms of its academic strength and feasibility, the committee believes that the faculty handled the retirement of professor emeritus Theo van Boven exceedingly well.
The Criminal Law and Criminology programme was positively assessed by the committee, receiving a 4.0 for academic quality. The committee also praised the close collaboration between lawyers, criminologists and criminal psychologists as well as Maastricht’s focus on comparative law. The programme received a sufficient score of 4.0 for productivity and its social relevance was considered high due to its focus on current events. Thanks to its solid staffing in terms of both professors and PhD candidates, the programme was awarded a score of 4.25 for vitality and feasibility.
The research institutes and faculties are externally evaluated every six years according to the Standard Evaluation Protocol (SEP). The faculties draft a self-study once every three years. This year, the Visitation Committee was chaired by professor emeritus Albert Koers from the VU University Amsterdam. The committee members are appointed by the Executive Board, who judge candidates on their knowledge, availability and scientific expertise.
Note for the press:
For more information on the contents of this press release, please contact Frederike Vernimmen on 043 388 2027. You can reach the UM Marketing and Communications Department on 043 388 5222 or at pers@maastrichtuniversity.nl. For urgent matters outside office hours, please call 06 4602 4992.
<< Back
