Latest blog articles

Only a short drive from Maastricht, border stones still mark the borders of Neutral Moresnet, a small condominium that was the result of a very peculiar round of border negotiations and for over a hundred years was a tax haven, a gambling paradise and a would-be Esperanto state.

Throughout the EU, the rights of asylum seekers come under pressure. Overdue policy changes remain stuck in negotiations because of lacking political will. It is up to the European Commission to step up and protect the fundamental rights of asylum seekers.

For me, Problem-Based Learning is about democratising the classroom. It is about realising that everyone has something of value to add (not only the teacher) and that everyone in the room can bring something to the discussion. It is a very productive way to solve problems and to move forward.

Horizon Europe: game change?

Van Horizon 2020 naar Horizon Europe

‘Evolution, not revoltion’ was het uitgangspunt bij de start van de voorbereiding van het nieuwe onderzoek- en innovatiekaderprogramma Horizon Europe 2021-2027 van de Europese Unie. Grote aanpassingen leken niet nodig. Elders in de...

My message is, however, that next to the main lines of law’s contents, law students should learn about the ways in which law affects society and its participants. In this connection, they should study selected topics from sociology, but also – and that is the main message here – the cognitive...

A little bit of provocation sharpens the mind. Let me therefore start with a provocative thesis: Most lawyers have no idea what law is.

Is there such a thing as ‘European private law’? In my opinion there is not, just as there is no Dutch, French, English, or Chinese private law. Let me explain. Legal rules, including rules of private law, have many characteristics.