Amitav Ghosh and Michael Ignatieff at Dies Natalis
At its 43rd Dies Natalis, Maastricht University will award honorary doctorates to CEU rector and president Michael Ignatieff and acclaimed novelist Amitav Ghosh. The recipients of the honorary degrees will deliver a lecture on the eve of the Dies Natalis.
Michael Ignatieff
Michael Ignatieff (1947) is a Canadian writer, journalist, academic and influencer avant la lettre. Between 2006 and 2011, he served as an MP in Canada and as leader of the country’s Liberal Party. Ignatieff is currently the rector and president of Central European University. He is a forceful proponent of the concept of an open society.
Read more about his ideas in Lessons in freedom and hope from a preternatural optimist.
Lecture
On 24 January, Michael Ignatieff will deliver a lecture on democracy, tolerance, justice and other key values of open societies. The venue: the Statenzaal of the UM Faculty of Law.
Click here for more information.

Amitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh (1956) was born in Calcutta, studied in Delhi and earned his PhD in social anthropology at the University of Oxford. He is an award-winning novelist whose writings are informed by global history, literature studies, politics and climate change.
Read more about Ghosh in How can the world be so blind to this?
Lecture
On 23 January, Amitav Ghosh will deliver a lecture titled Can the non-human speak? Other Beings in Myth, Literature and Ethnography. The venue: Franz Palm Lecture Hall.
Click here for more information.

Dies Natalis
Maastricht University celebrates its 43rd anniversary in the Sint Janskerk, Maastricht, on Friday, 25 January 2019. The theme of this year's celebration is: Global Challenges – Future Imaginations.
Titled 'Our commitment, their future: the SDGs and young people', this year’s Dies lecture will be delivered by Sigrid Kaag, Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.
More information about the event.

Also read
-
More than another ‘to-do’: how the UTQ helped me rethink my teaching
At Maastricht University, the University Teaching Qualification (UTQ) is a professional development programme designed to strengthen teaching and learning. It supports teachers in developing core teaching competencies through a combination of workshops, peer learning, on-the-job experience, and...
-
It’s not easy being green: the challenges and benefits of international research collaboration
As the world seeks cleaner energy solutions, green hydrogen has emerged as a key component in the transition to a sustainable future. Many governments have drawn up policies to support this technology, but competing priorities mean initiatives often fall short. Fabianna Bacil, a PhD candidate at UNU...
-
A new outlook on rehabilitation care
Ivan Huijnen (CAPHRI) aims to shift from the biomedical 'disorder-focused' thinking to an integral view on healthcare.