Expert opinions, analyses, and more

Knowledge Beyond Borders

Welcome to the SBE Blog, a platform for our academic community to share their expertise with people beyond their academic borders! Our authors range from students and PhDs to tenured professors and lecturers.

Would you like to contribute to the SBE Blog? Then send your pitch to SBE's Research Communications Officer, Nima Hassanloo

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Transparency and Traceability in the Supply Chains of Coffee and Cocoa

“Although vital for millions of smallholder farmers, the cocoa and coffee industries are plagued by economic hardships, environmental concerns, and human rights issues”

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Blog posts

Pledge first, Think Later! How Giving Pledges Increase Donations to Cost-Effective Charities

In 2023, private donations in the US surpassed $500 billion for the first time, exceeding the total amount of official development assistance disbursed by all members of the OECD combined by more than double (Giving USA Foundation, 2021). These figures, alongside recent advances in development...

Pledge first, Think Later! Janek Kretschmer  BLOG

School of Business and Economics ranks first in National Student Survey for fourth year in a row

Each year, students in the Netherlands rate the quality of their Universities and study programmes in the National Student Survey (NSE). This year’s results on the survey’s core questions positioned Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE) in first place again, making it the...

NSE results 2023 UM

A Different Conversation: How a Female Investment Network is Shaping Entrepreneurship

Why do female entrepreneurs struggle to secure funding in today’s competitive ecosystem? Despite efforts to level the playing field, women continue to face significant barriers when pitching their ventures to investors. But with a growing focus on sustainability and social impact, can female-led...

ERSA young scholars

When Transitions Hit Home: Exploring the decarbonisation divide in domestic heating and cooling

The Netherlands stands at the threshold of a monumental task: the decarbonisation of nearly 8 million homes by 2050. As society navigates this transition away from fossil fuels, communities encounter both promising opportunities and significant hurdles. Job Zomerplaag’s PhD project, provisionally...

Job  Zomerplaag

Ward Alfenaar, E84001: Reflecting on holding SBE’s first Student number

Students were issued student numbers (ID numbers) and the first student (alphabetically) was Ward Alfenaar. Today, 40 years later, we checked in with Ward to talk about his memories from those early days of studying in Maastricht.

Ward alfenaar