Welcome to the SBE Blog!

Where are they now? Patrick Mack, Class of 2012

Completing a bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management in 2011 and a master’s in the same field in 2012—both as SBE—Patrick Mack has gone on to enjoy a career that has taken him from the Netherlands to work in three different countries, learn two new languages, and travel extensively. He shares with us his story to date.

SBE Researchers showcase Augmented Reality on UM's doorstep

An SBE research group collaborated with the local Coffee Lovers and applied Augmented Reality to showcase its impact on sales.

Migration Expert Melissa Siegel sheds light on the Ukrainian refugee crisis

A short blog on Melissa Siegel's recent YouTube series on the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

SBE researchers' findings challenge traditional research notions

SBE researchers Kimberley van der Heijden, Anouk Festjens, Caroline Goukens and NYU researcher Tom Meyvis recently published their findings on how individuals experiencing financial pressure make decisions. These findings challenge the traditional research notion that less wealthy people pick short-term benefits over long-term. 

UM researchers stimulate the regional circular economy transition

Researchers at UNU-MERIT, the Maastricht Sustainability Institute and the Department of Chemical Engineering of Maastricht University have obtained a 1.5 million euro grant to contribute to an EU-funded project on plastic packaging recycling.  The EU is allocating a total budget of 9.6 million euros for the SYSCHEMIQ project as part of the Horizon Green Deal programme. The project is intended to facilitate the systemic transition to a circular economy in the region.

Hannes Rusch awarded ERC Starting Grant

Hannes Rusch, assistant professor at the School of Business and Economics, is one of the 397 early-career researchers who received European Research Council starting grants! These grants are awarded to researchers with great potential and excellent research proposals.

Students collaborate with researchers to tackle policy issues across the globe

On 3 December, the students from the Master of Economics and Strategy in Emerging Markets at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics presented the output from their project work on a wide range of topics from the impact of Covid-19 in Northern Africa, South Africa and Zambia to migration in the EU and Industrial policy. Their project work was in collaboration with researchers from UNU-MERIT, Neil Foster-McGregor and Katrin Marchand, and under the general supervision of Kirsten Haaland.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.’ 

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. 

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).