That experience abroad left him wanting more. After his studies, Pieters went straight to London for a year to do another master’s degree. He then spent a decade working for the Dutch government, first in The Hague and later as a diplomat in Brussels. When his term ended in 2016, he took stock again. “Just as it had felt natural to fly the nest after graduating, this was a logical moment for my wife and me to return to the south. We wanted to have children and were keen to be closer to our families. I loved discovering the world, but in the end, Limburg feels like home.”

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Pieters quickly found a job that lived up to his ambitions. He immediately dismisses the prejudice that job opportunities in Limburg are limited. “There’s no shortage of things to do here. Of course, Maastricht isn’t London or The Hague. You won’t find a Zuidas in Limburg, but we didn’t expect that to be the case. If you look closely, there are plenty of career options and opportunities here. And there’s so much more space; it’s a fantastic living environment.” The term ‘ageing’ likewise rubs him the wrong way. “Let’s stop saying that all the time—it just reinforces the image. The ageing population not a ‘Limburg’ problem. It’s an issue in the rest of the Netherlands, too; in fact, all of Western Europe.”

After working for the Province of Limburg and the Municipality of Sittard-Geleen, Pieters is now a policy adviser in the field of heat transition for the Municipality of Maastricht. The work focuses on how we can wean ourselves off gas and onto alternative heat sources by 2050. For Maastricht, with its historic city centre, this is a challenge. At the same time, the job allows for a good work-life balance—a conscious choice for the father of two young children. “I love being able to be present and involved. It’s great not to have to travel too much and to be able to take them to school myself.”

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Pieters isn’t bothered by the clichés about working and living in this region. “We have a fantastic lifestyle, right in the centre of Maastricht, between the student houses. Another conscious choice, because it’s not a necessity here in Limburg, where there’s still so much space and you could easily choose somewhere quieter to live.” For the time being, Pieters and his family feel at home in the hustle and bustle of the city. “We love the liveliness of it. I’m happy to think that my children are growing up in a city that’s not too massive, but has that international allure.” 

This is all thanks to the presence of the university, he says. “Maastricht has its own culture with plenty of tradition, but in recent years it’s also acquired a new, international face. That has so much added value for the city; it makes it an appealing place for young families to settle. And the open character of the university, which draws in so many international students, suits its location on the border with Belgium and Germany. That openness is also part of our culture in the Netherlands. Let’s not forget the benefits it has for all of us. And that applies to the whole of Europe.”