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Five universities in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion aim to strengthen cooperation in education and research

On 14 March 2025, five universities from the Euregion – Hasselt University, the University of Liège, RWTH Aachen, the Open University and Maastricht University – signed a Memorandum of Understanding to intensify cooperation in research and education.

The Dutch province of Limburg is the driving force behind this initiative. Provincial executive Elianne Demollin-Schneiders brought the parties together for the signing on 14 March during the international art and antiques fair TEFAF in Maastricht.

The initiative stems from the desire to join forces in the region and strengthen Europe's competitive position. The five universities involved in the Euregion, which together account for more than 100,000 students, have already been collaborating for some time.  Intensifying this collaboration, for example through trinational education, can contribute to strengthening the innovative capacity and opportunities for students and scientists to gain international experience in their own region.

Increasing cross-border collaboration

In the MoU, the universities agree to strive to expand the possibilities for student and staff exchanges, joint research projects and related activities. The latter includes, for example, joint applications for research grants and sharing facilities and infrastructure.

The goal of educational collaboration is to educate students not only academically, but also internationally through trinational education. In the future, students will be able to gain international experience in their own region. This is an opportunity that is also accessible to students with a smaller budget, as additional housing costs and high travel expenses are not necessary.

Provincial executive Elianne Demollin-Schneiders emphasises the importance of this project for the region: ‘By developing trinational education, we are taking an important step in strengthening our Euregional economy and labour market. Trinational education contributes directly to the innovation necessary for important transitions such as sustainability, circularity and the realization of the Einstein Telescope. We do not see borders as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to make international experiences more accessible to students and professionals.’

Maastricht University sees further cooperation as an excellent opportunity to contribute even more to prosperity and well-being in the Euregion. It will also enable students and staff to benefit more from UM’s favourable international location.

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