School of Business and Economics

SBE academics react to 2021 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

On 11 October, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences decided to award the 2021 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel with one half to David Card “for his empirical contributions to labour economics” and the other half jointly to Joshua D. Angrist and Guido W. Imbens “for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships.”

News of this years' prize was received with a lot of excitement at the School of Business and Economics. Many of our experts across multiple departments have stated that the work of this years' laureates has been incredibly influential in teaching and economics in general. In this article, SBE's academic experts share their thoughts on the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.

SBE awarded five-year EQUIS re-accreditation!

We are delighted to announce that SBE has been awarded renewal of our EQUIS accreditation for the maximum length of five years. This achievement continues SBE’s membership of a select global group of business schools that hold this accreditation.

The bigtime software toolbox: an Elinor Ostrom grant project

In this piece, Dr. Ines Wilms and SBE master student Enrico Wegner introduce the bigtime software toolbox they have developed with the support of the Elinor Ostrom Fund.

A colleague’s retirement: a tribute to Erik de Regt

After a fruitful career spanning 35 years at SBE, Dr. Erik de Regt retired at the end of August. Erik joined our School in 1986 and has made valuable contributions over the years, as a researcher, teacher, course coordinator, and most recently as the Chair of the Board of Examiners.

Maastricht after graduation: to stay or to go?

Peiran Jiao awarded NWO Vidi grant

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded Associate Professor Peiran Jiao of Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics with a NWO Vidi grant. The NWO Vidi grant of up to 800,000 euros is awarded to excellent researchers who, after obtaining their doctorate, have conducted research successfully for several years.

Crisis Case Challenge 2021

The Crisis Case Challenge is an SBE initiative to help local companies during COVID-19. It was created by students for students, and it offers students an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life situations. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, this year’s CCC had a total of 176 student participants.

Developing Best Practices in Technology Enhanced Learning — Candid Perspectives from the SBE Community

For this article, master student Alice Pan went on a search through SBE to find and interview members from the community about the topic of technology-enhanced learning. Through this exercise, she heard from academics and students about their experiences with technology-enhanced learning this past year and discussed with them what they see as challenges and opportunities technology can bring to learning.

Masterclass: guiding companies to better understand circular strategies

To innovate for a circular economy, companies need to make changes on many different levels. This can be difficult to organise. That is why Jan Konietzko created the Circularity Deck, a card deck-based tool that helps people in companies better understand the circular strategies and the levels at which they can be applied. Jan recently created a Masterclass with Impact Hub Amsterdam that goes over this Circularity Deck. 

UM Researchers help map how people in cities get a health boost from nature

Trees lining a street may encourage people to take a longer stroll or choose to bike to work. New research shows how access to natural areas in cities can improve human health by supporting physical activity. The researchers plan to equip city planners with tools to create healthier, more sustainable cities around the world.

International Case Competition @ Maastricht (ICC@M) 2021

For the eleventh year running, our School of Business and Economics was proud to host the prestigious International Case Competition @ Maastricht (ICC@M) from Sunday, 18 April until Friday, 23 April. During this week, sixteen teams of students from renowned business schools all over the world have been relying on their knowledge, business savvy and inventiveness to compete unseen against each other in a battle of wits. 

BISCI helps Limburg remain a leader in logistics

Crafting sustainability, value and beauty during Covid-19

SBE alumna Felizitas Oppel was disappointed by the options she had as a consumer when it came to finding sustainable yet affordable jewelry. So she started her own sustainable jewelry business! 

Meet the SBE alumnus on a mission to eliminate extreme poverty

Inspired by his own life and education, SBE alumnus Thanh Binh Tran created Moonshot Mission, a digital platform with the aim of eliminating extreme poverty by connecting donors with NGOs that utilise proven scientific methods to have the greatest possible impact per Euro invested. In this blog article, Thanh writes about the project and how his experiences at SBE have been influential in his career.

VerDus-Synthesis Study: Urban Sustainability Transitions: Energy, Climate, & Circularity

How do we involve citizens in the sustainability transition? When do they start participating? What solutions could reliably count on wide public support and how do we find these? What implications could such an approach have for governmental practices? What barriers do sustainable solutions encounter at the institutional level and how could these be overcome?

By synthesizing the results of twelve different research projects, Joop de Kraker and René Kemp (Maastricht Sustainability Institute) try to provide answers to questions like these.

The sense and non-sense of early supplier involvement

In this blog post, Assistant Professor Robert Suurmond explores the common argument that earlier supplier involvement is an effective approach to new product development. 

Melissa Siegel: Creating impact, one YouTube video at a time

As we move forward to address global challenges, facts and scientific research need to feed community knowledge and play an important role in public decision-making. For this, effective research communication is key! For this article, we spoke about this topic with Professor Melissa Siegel, who is an expert in migration and an avid communicator herself. 

TOF: Proud of Family-run Businesses

SBE wins two international case competitions in one week

The School of Business and Economics is very excited and proud to inform you that the SBE team submissions for both the CBS Invitational Case Competition (Copenhagen Business School) and the SCAN Health Virtual Business Case Competition (University of Windsor) were awarded 1st Place.

SBE launches three spearhead initiatives to tackle the Sustainable Development Goals

As a faculty committed to having a positive impact on the world, SBE believes one of its main responsibilities is to rise to the occasion, contributing its resources and expertise toward solving  critical challenges faced by our global community. To help achieve its mission, SBE recently launched three Spearhead initiatives focused on themes that are integral to the SDGs: sustainable development, digitalisation, and globalisation.

Career counselling for highly-skilled refugees in Maastricht: a student initiative

People often form preconceived ideas of what being a refugee means and of what kind of life they might have lived. But every refugee, every person, has their own story. The School of Business and Economics believes it is important to tell these stories and to support inclusivity within our local community. In this article, we speak with Safwan who recently attended the Career and Development Days through the SBE Refugee Project. 

Global business students bridge theory with practice in real company case study

SBE’s Global Business course, led by Professor Boris Lokshin, examines and explores the opportunities and challenges that multinational companies face in a globalised world. This year for his class, Professor Lokshin decided to collaborate with the internationalisation department of Boxine GmbH, a start-up that develops child-friendly audio systems. Through this partnership, Boris’ goal was to give students the opportunity to obtain first-hand insights into the company.

Meet the SBE alumnus starting a nut butter revolution

In October 2020, SBE alumnus Benjamin Porten, together with business partner Lorenz Greiner, launched their new entrepreneurial venture Naughty Nuts GmbH. In this article, we cover their journey to launching a start-up in times of Corona. Benjamin also shares his top tips to guide other aspiring entrepreneurs.

Two SBE researchers awarded Marie Curie Fellowships

Researchers Jonas Heller and Hannes Rusch from Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics (SBE) have each been awarded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships to conduct their research. The fellowships are personal grants and are awarded to both promising and experienced researchers. We caught up with Jonas and Hannes to congratulate them on winning these prestigious awards and to find out more about each of their projects

On the move with the Urban Hotspotter measurement bike

You may have seen him passing by on the Groene Loper 9a greenway in Maastricht)—researcher Bram Oosterbroek on his Urban Hotspotter measurement bike. It is certainly eye-catching, with measuring instruments on the back and a laptop in a basket on the handlebar. 'I study the health effects of spatial planning', he says. He is happy to explain more. 

Five SBE academics granted Elinor Ostrom grants

Research has shown that women are more heavily impacted by the corona crisis than men. In a timely response to this challenging reality, the Elinor Ostrom Fund five grants to female academics as part of its semi-annual grants programme. We reached out to the most recent grant winners to learn more about how they will be using the grants, as well as their views regarding how initiatives such as the Elinor Ostrom Fund can help to increase gender equality in academia.

How businesses can help build a more sustainable world – Nancy Bocken

To tackle urgent planetary challenges such as resource depletion and climate change, we need to fundamentally rethink the way we do business. As part of her research, Professor Nancy Bocken explores how companies might experiment with new sustainable business models, contributing to a more sustainable world.

SBE alumni turn their thesis into a career opportunity with a social impact

Last year, we covered the story of two SBE students, Esther and Stan, who collaborated with external stakeholders to help create a prototype matchmaking platform for charities. Since graduating from SBE with degrees in Economics and Strategy in Emerging Markets, both students have now taken on the exciting challenge of bringing this platform for charities to life. 

Double PhD programme established with QUT to study social robots

Mark Steins is SBE’s first ever PhD in our new double PhD programme established with our esteemed partner QUT (Queensland University of Technology). As part of his research, Mark will carry out part of his research here in Maastricht, observing social robots in restaurants and in aged care centres. He will also do part of his research in Brisbane, where he will have access to the QUT’s behavioural lab at the BEST centre.

AI and the people: co-creating for the future of work

The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly accelerated digitalisation, intensifying considerations of how society should deal with the rapid increase of technology-driven change. It is for this reason that Dr. Marie-Christine Fregin and her colleagues joined forces with industry and policymakers to understand how technological change can be transformed into social progress.

'Thanks to my research, I'm finally empowered to speak out against menstrual stigmatisation'

Thanks to her research, Master's student in Public Policy and Human Development Riesa van Doorn has felt empowered to speak out against menstrual stigmatisation in Nepal. In this blog post, Riesa shares her own experience, tying this to her research for her master's thesis, which focuses on shifting perceptions towards harmful menstrual practices in Nepal. 

Conference on causal data science brings together academics and industry experts

On 11 and 12 November, the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics and Copenhagen Business School hosted the Causal Data Science Meeting. The two-day conference brought together academics and industry experts who work on one of the most fundamental questions in data science: discerning cause and effect from mere correlation.

Andy Mackenzie awarded a Veni grant for his project 'Robust decentralized institutions'

We are happy to announce that SBE’s Andy Mackenzie was awarded a Veni grant worth up to 250,000 euros by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) for his project on robust decentralized institutions.

Service robots: rising or falling stars?

While the benefits of using robots may be easy to imagine, it is equally important to explore the flip-side in a nuanced manner. When, and where, do the benefits of robots outweigh their detriments and vice versa? At what point does 'almost human' shift from being endearing to being eerie? These are the questions explored by Prof. Dr. Odekerken-Schröder's and Prof. Dr. Mahr's international research group here at SBE. 

A conversation about 75 years of UN

On Tuesday 20 October, Bartel Van de Walle, new director of UNU-MERIT met with Limburg governor Theo Bovens, ahead of UN Day on 24 October 2020. The two leaders discussed the state of the province and the planet, how to ensure young people are listened to and empowered, and how UNU-MERIT's staff and fellows are ambassadors for the UN. 

LIMES: an interdisciplinary approach to studying borders

In this article, we spoke with two of the PhD candidates from the School of Business and Economics participating in the EU-funded project LIMES to find out what drew them to the project and to get an update on their research so far.

SBE academics react to 2020 Nobel Prize in economics

This week, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2020 to Paul Milgrom and Robert Wilson 'for improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats'. The news of the prize was received with great enthusiasm here in Maastricht. We spoke to several academics with expertise in the field of game theory to hear their initial thoughts.

The creation of a new innovation hub for supply chain in Venlo

At the end of August several companies, amongst them vidaXL, Moonen Packaging, Seacon Logistics, Arvato Supply Chain Solutions and Brightlands Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (BISCI), joined together to create Supply Chain Valley (SCV). The SCV is a collaboration that seeks to work with government, companies and academia to deliver joint goals that result in great outcomes for all involved and the wider environment, society and economy.

Philanthropic foundation collaborates with SBE students to develop a matchmaking platform for non-profit sector

What if we could use the same mechanisms behind popular dating apps such as Tinder, Harmony and Okcupid to help connect philanthropic foundations with projects and organisations in need of funding? This is the idea behind Fundii, a platform that is being developed by SBE Professor Paul Smeets together with Valette Capital and the Maastricht based philanthropic foundation the Elisabeth Strouven Foundation. To help them develop the platform, the Fundii team collaborated with two SBE master students, Esther Njoroge and Stan Van Haren. 

SBE researcher awarded Marie Curie Fellowship to study firm R&D and skills investments

Van Anh Vuong, an assistant professor at SBE's department of Organisation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship (OSE) recently received a Marie Curie Fellowship from the European Commission to study firm R&D and worker skills investments in the service industries. We caught up with her to congratulate her and find out a bit more about the project.

How are family businesses getting through the crisis?

Do family businesses have greater resilience in times of crisis than non-family businesses? And why is that? Dr Anita Van Gils looked at existing research into these questions, which was primarily carried out after the previous (financial) crisis in 2008.

First month at BISCI: the perspective of our two newest team members

Grant and Shreyas officially joined BISCI on 1 July as project managers. In this role, they work closely with Business Development Director Ton Geurts and support projects involving sustainability and digitalisation. After one month on the job, they share their first impressions and thoughts. 

A system’s response time and its psychological consequences

In a recent paper, published in the journal of Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Making Processes we (myself and colleagues from the Eindhoven University of Technology and Tilburg University, Dr. Philippe van de Calseyde and Dr. Anthony Evans) found that trust in an algorithmic system depends on how quickly or slowly a prediction is made. We found that people mistrust algorithmic systems that take time to make their predictions. 
 

Volunteering in Times of Corona - The Future of NPOs?

As a student at Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics, I am used to living in an international environment and constantly having opportunities to educate myself further by joining associations, initiatives and many exciting events. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, this accumulation of opportunity I had previously taken for granted, suddenly disappeared.

Internship solutions for students, by students

The idea behind 'internative' is simple: connecting students and companies through a WhatsApp integration platform for a quick, down-to-earth, personal approach. The project was officially launched in October 2019, in those hazy, carefree pre-Covid days on the Maastricht terraces. It was born from the work and internship experiences of four UM graduates: Niels Geominy, David Noorthoek Iron Brands and Berke Verhey.

How research on entrepreneurship can drive positive change

Over the past few weeks, we have heard inspiring stories from both current SBE students and alumni about their entrepreneurial journeys as well as some really helpful tips and tricks on how to start something ourselves. This time, we turn the spotlight to those dedicating their work to creating new knowledge and understanding in the field of entrepreneurship: our researchers.

Centre for Entrepreneurship (re)launch

Over the past month, we have posted a number of inspirational stories about students and staff who have embarked on a journey into the wonderful world of entrepreneurship. To help even more students and staff, aastricht University has (re)launched the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

'Invest in training your employees, especially now’

The corona crisis has affected many companies worldwide. One of the measures companies are considering taking to recover financially is to reduce training budgets for employees. However, that is not a wise move, argues Prof. dr. Andries De Grip.

The Crisis Case Challenge 2020: an SBE student initiative to help local companies during COVID-19

Many local businesses in Maastricht were hit hard by the consequences of the corona pandemic. This didn’t go unnoticed by SBE students who were quick to jump into action. In a matter of weeks, a group of students put together the Crisis Case Challenge 2020! The end result: 100 SBE students (and even a few alumni and staff) working together to provide five local businesses with creative and innovative solutions to help them weather the current crisis.  

SBE students use artificial intelligence to provide career coaching

Jumping into the world of entrepreneurship can be scary. Many SBE students have an entrepreneurial mindset, but feel that they need a little extra guidance before making the leap. That is exactly what Kibo is for! Kibo, founded by Robin, Ramses and Ronan, is a personal career coach powered by Artificial Intelligence. Its three founders met each other at SBE where they launched their first entrepreneurial venture.

Entrepreneurial advice from an SBE alumna

Owning your own business is a dream for many people. You get to be your own boss, realise your creative vision and interact with a wide range of companies and individuals. Here at SBE, many of our students have gone on to lead lives as successful entrepreneurs following their studies. We caught up with one of these very students: SBE alumna Josefine Staats. Josefine is the Founder and CEO of KULAU, a company she launched in 2009 that specialises in innovative organic food products.

Want to launch a startup next to your studies? 5 practical lessons I learned along the way

Louis Morgner, an International Business student here at the school of Business and Economics, wanted to gain some hands on experience in the business world, so he decided to launch a start-up next to his studies! In this blog post, he shares 5 valuable lessons he took away from his experience that might be helpful to other aspiring entrepreneurs. 

Twitter in times of corona: an analysis of business schools' coverage of the pandemic

Analysis by researchers at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics found schools around the world reacted differently to communicating about the pandemic and were largely reactive, waiting for official announcements before making their own contribution.

The possibilities and future of online education

A conversation with Dr. Boris Blumberg, captain of MaastrichtMBA

Sustainable Entertainment – Corona edition

In case you already binge-watched all your favourite sitcoms on Netflix and are bored of playing Trivia on Houseparty with your friends – why not get more into Sustainability? In this article, our fellow Sustainability Science, Policy and Society students prepared a little list of awesome podcasts, articles and movies dealing with different aspects of sustainability.

The EU’s response to COVID-19: success or lost opportunity?

The COVID-19 crisis represents a common threat for all 27 member states of the European Union; however, Europe has been criticised for being slow to formulate a collective response. We reached out to Prof. Clemens Kool, professor of Macroeconomics and International Monetary Economics to hear his thoughts on the matter.

Sofía Castro: an exchange student’s experience staying in Maastricht during COVID-19

When Sofía Castro found out that she would be doing her exchange in Maastricht at SBE, she couldn't wait for her trip! This would be her first time in Europe and she had big plans. But after just one and half months in the Netherlands, the corona crisis hit, forcing her to adapt these plans.

Humanity as an integral part of Sustainability

'Recovering ecosystems due to an economic crisis will not solve the problem of global warming if we return to do “business as usual” after the pandemic fades. Instead, we should work on improving our economic system in a way that it reduces its reliance of the depletion of natural resources and an ever-increasing economic growth.’ 

CIRCULAR X: new EU-funded project on Circular Service Business Models

Lead by Professor Nancy Bocken, CIRCULAR X will develop a new field of research on experimentation with circular service business models (CSBMs) in the transition to a circular economy.

Connecting with loved ones during the final stages of life

Adjusting to this new way of life during the Corona crisis is a challenge all of us are facing, but for some people, the reality of this crisis is more acute. For those people affected by the loss of a loved one to Covid-19, how to say goodbye, provide support and begin to mourn that loss under such difficult circumstances is also part of this new and difficult reality. 

Facing the corona crisis with entrepreneurship and innovation

The goal of the Maastricht University Centre of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) is to boost the entrepreneurial eco-system of Maastricht University and leverage the innovative potential of SMEs in the region. Due to the corona crisis, the centre has had to postpone several of its activities; however, the CEI team has now shifted their priorities to helping local businesses create more sustainable business models and be innovative in these uncertain times. 

SBE students conduct market research for DSM’s sustainable engineering plastics

In this year’s edition of the course Customer-centric Supply Chain Management, our 2^nd year IBE bachelor students conducted market research for DSM’s sustainable engineering plastics. Within seven weeks, students learned about the principles of market research and got to design as well as implement full-blown market research to examine an SCM-related problem from a consumer point of view. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, the best 13 teams delivered their pitch to DSM management online and two teams were awarded the first place.

Two UM students share their experience living through the corona crisis in South Africa

Jens and Chris, two students from Maastricht University's School of Business and Economics (SBE) were spending this semester abroad in South Africa when the corona crisis hit. As concerns for their safety grew, they made the difficult decision to return to their homes in Germany. However, this turned out to be a lot more difficult than expected. Read more about Jens and Chris's experience and how they made the best of a difficult situation. 

UM student interviews global entrepreneur on the business impact of COVID-19

SBE student Sandro Esposito interviews global entrepreneur Suvra Chakraborty to find out more about the business impact of COVID-19.

Adapting to virtual: Real life problem-based learning

We wanted to find out how some of SBE’s teaching staff have been experiencing the move to online teaching and learning so we interrupted their online creativity momentarily to find out what life is like behind the scenes of an online learning environment.

Shula Mensah: my work-from-home survival guide

As a person who is easily distracted, working from home is not the most ideal situation for me. This is why I always studied in the library because lowkey, the peer pressure of seeing others work hard made me do the same. But this is our life for now so being in this situation forced me to adjust my ways. In this article I share some tips that have helped me to survive (so far). 

Gender equality in academia: creating an environment where all talent can flourish

In the lead up to International Women’s Day on Sunday 8 March, we spoke with several SBE academics to explore some of the reasons behind the striking gender imbalance in academia and to find out what the SBE community is doing to address the situation.   

An algorithm could do this better and on less coffee

UM’s Mark Levels set up TECHNEQUALITY, a consortium of leading scholars around Europe. Their mission: to find out how AI and robotisation will affect the labour market and what policies are best suited to cushioning the blow – and hopefully tide me over to retirement.

In Memoriam Geert Hofstede (1928-2020)

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Geert Hofstede, professor emeritus of Organizational Anthropology and International Management. Geert reached the blessed age of 91. This world-renowned cultural scholar is survived by his wife Maaike, his four children, ten grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. According to his oldest son Gert Jan, with whom Geert co-authored major work and who will go on carry the torch, his father was ‘ready to go’.

A snapshot of the first BISCI event

The Brightlands Institute for Supply Chain Innovation had its first event at the Brightlands Greenport Campus hosting around 200 guests with exiting workshops around digital and sustainability.

Urban greenspace as motor for exercising, meeting and relaxing

Last year, the Maastricht Sustainability Institute joined forces with the public health service (GGD) of Zuid Limburg to investigate the influence of 'green in the neighborhood' on the health of residents in Maastricht.

A Valentine’s Day missive - head, heart or gut-reaction?

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day comes around every year, tempting, taunting us and playing with our minds.  If, like most people, you believe that your decisions are a result of a rational analysis of available alternatives, think again! You may not be as immune to these marketing tactics as you think, but not necessarily in the ways you might expect. Science finds that emotions greatly influence or even determine our decisions.

Catching up with BISCI: ambitious agenda to create digital and sustainable supply chain innovation

Set up by Maastricht University and the Province of Limburg in early 2019, the Brightlands Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (BISCI) drives state-of-the art digital and sustainable supply chain innovation, combining expertise from knowledge institutions, businesses and government. Last week, we caught up with BISCI’s business development director Ton Geurts and BISCI’s scientific director Bart Vos to get an update on the institute’s first year and find out about their plans for the future.

Subsidy awarded to 'RuimteGIDS': towards an environment that stimulates healthy behavior

ZonMw has awarded a four-tonne subsidy to the South Limburg consortium "Making space for health in the city" (RuimteGIDS).

Erasmus+ Grant for developing executive study module on Service Design Thinking

Together with Tallinn University, Stockholm School of Economics and consultancy firm Brand Manual, the Department of Marketing & Supply Chain Management (SBE) and the Service Science Factory (UMIO) received an Erasmus+ Grant to realise this programme to co-develop an executive study programme in the field of Service Design.

Running a business is psychology

Aukje Kuypers had no intention of following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather. Yet she is now managing director of the family business, Kuijpers, with more than 1,300 employees and an annual turnover of almost €250 million. This technical installation company is primarily focused on innovation, energy transition, digitisation and circular construction. “Technically speaking, everything is possible,” says the Businesswoman of the Year 2018, “but it’s about persuading people to get on board with you.”

Tom van Veen on internationalisation (and why it matters)

We reached out to Professor Tom van Veen, one of SBE's first faculty members and the former Dean Internationalisation of Education, to find out how SBE became the international faculty it is today and to hear his thoughts on the recent pushback against internationalisation in the Netherlands.

Jasper Brinkerink winner Best Doctoral Dissertation Award

UM academics react to the Nobel Prize in economics

This week, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2019 to Abhijit Banerjee (MIT), Esther Duflo (MIT) and Michael Kremer (Harvard) for their work to alleviate poverty. The news of the prize was received with great enthusiasm here in Maastricht. We spoke to several academics with expertise in the field of development economics to hear their initial thoughts.

BISCI workshop during Dutch Food Week

During the Dutch Food Week, Bart Vos hosted the interactive workshop ‘Sustainable food, how does it get on our plate?’ at BISCI’s home turf, the Villa Flora in Venlo. While the focus of the Dutch Food Week is mainly on what we eat, Bart’s workshop addressed how we get food where we want to consume it.

BISCI participates in funding workshop on shorter logistics chains & bundling

BISCI participated in a workshop hosted by TKI Dinalog for the Nationale WetenschapsAgenda (NWA)-route 16 on ‘Logistics, Transportation and Mobility’ on Friday 4 October.

Jean-Jacques Herings selected as Economic Theory Fellow

Jean-Jacques Herings, Professor of Microeconomics at Maastricht University, was elected Economic Theory Fellow by the Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET). Economic Theory Fellows are selected for their scientific excellence, originality, and leadership; high education standards; and scholarly and creative achievement.

UM researchers lead European project to tackle challenges linked to technical innovations

Led by Mark Levels with the help of Raymond Montizaan and Didier Fouarge, TECHNEQUALITY’s findings are expected to inform policy-makers working to support their populations through technological transformation. We sat down with Mark to find out more about this fascinating project and how it came to be.

Encouraging children to be more physically active does not always lead to better school performance

Ten primary schools introduced the Active Living Programme for children between the ages of 8 and 12. The programme aimed at increasing physical activity during and outside of recess, as well as walking or cycling to school.

Ton Geurts joins BISCI as new Business Development Director

Ton Geurts will join BISCI as Business Development Director. He will support Greenport Venlo logistics and supply chain management from the Brightlands Campus in the Limburg region through smart and sustainable innovations.

Breaking free of the Great Recession: Maastricht researchers join Horizon 2020 project

GROWINPRO, a new EU-funded project led in part by Prof. Pierre Mohnen and Assistant Prof. Tania Treibich will provide a raft of joined-up policies to set Europe on a more balanced course of development – one fuelled by innovation but sensitive to issues like climate, demographic and labour changes. Six months into the project, we caught up with Pierre and Tania to hear the latest updates.  

Leadership down to a fine art

The highlight of the Maastricht art scene is TEFAF (The European Fine Art Fair), the annual March event that draws hundreds of high-end dealers and collectors and thousands of visitors to the city from all over the world. This year, the same week saw another – smaller – group of international visitors break new ground: the first cohort of the Executive Master in Cultural Leadership.

UM professors contribute to the Dutch pension reforms

At Maastricht University’s School of Business and Economics (SBE), our academics regularly carry out research that has a direct impact on society. Today, we sit down with one of these academics: Professor Antoon Pelsser who regularly contributes to the nation-wide debate surrounding pension funds in the Netherlands.

A numbers game

Maastricht University’s delegation secured a silver medal in this year’s Econometric Game in Amsterdam. To appease fans frustrated by the lack of mainstream media coverage, we asked one of their number, Lea Bottmer, to tell us more.

A summer in the life of an academic

Ever wonder what academics do during the summer break? Well, wonder no more! Associate Professor of economics Christian Seel shares with us his summer plans and, as you'll quickly find out, they consist of a lot more than three months of sipping cocktails on the beach.

Meet the team conducting research on the exciting future of Augmented Reality

Housed at SBE, the Augmented Research Initiative is a global research group dedicated to studying AR technologies for Marketing. The group investigates the value-added through AR applications in a variety of B2C and B2B contexts, such as online and offline retail, warehousing and logistics.

Creating an inclusive social innovation ecosystem in Lesvos, Greece

In May, Dr Jarrod Ormiston, Assistant Professor in Social Entrepreneurship, was a keynote speaker at the Changemakers Summit in Lesvos where he presented his insights from the Inter agency (UNCTAD / IOM / UNHCR) Policy Guide on Entrepreneurship for Refugees and Migrants.

Dean Peter Møllgaard on the value of university rankings

Each year, various publications such as the Financial Times and Times Higher Education release university rankings, rating schools on various criteria to indicate which programmes offer the best educational investment. Although there are differing views on what these ratings actually reveal, Peter Møllgaard, SBE’s Dean for the last year, believes they are quite valuable.  

Meet Melanie Feeney: an advocate of interdisciplinary research

Originally from Australia, Melanie Feeney's career path includes the completion of a master's degree in sustainability in Sydney, research on sustainable business in remote and rural Australia and Southeast Asia as well as a role as Education Development Officer at UM. Building on her extensive experience, Feeney has decided to now focus her research on how organisations transition towards sustainability, under the umbrella of the SBE research theme Sustainable Development.

The Maastricht Debate 2019: a student's opinion

The Maastricht debate, a political debate between the “Spitzenkandidaten” of the leading European parties took place last Monday, 29 April at the theatre at the Vrijthof. Simultaneously, the debate was live broadcast on the Vrijthof square for all interested spectators who did not get the chance to join the debate inside the theatre. A unique aspect of this debate was that it targeted in particular young voters.

Silver medal at the World Championships of Econometrics

The Econometric Game is a yearly event in Amsterdam, often dubbed as the World Championships of Econometrics, and took place this year from April 10th to April 12th. Maastricht University has been a consistent participant in the game for the last ten years, battling it out with the likes of Harvard University, Universidad Carlos III, and the University of Monash for eternal glory.
We are proud to announce that team SBE came in 2nd place during this final case, and therefore also placed 2nd of all 30 teams!

SBE students conduct market research for Zalando

In 28 March 2019, Maastricht University had the pleasure of welcoming Christian Klein, Operations Manager Process Management and Daniel Rausch, Business Developer from Zalando as jury members for determining the best marketing research project (MRP) as part of the Marketing & Supply Chain Management course.