News

Open Science proposes openness about data, sources and methodology to make research more efficient and sustainable as well as bringing science into the public. UM has a thriving Open Science community. Dennie Hebels and Rianne Fijten talk about progress, the Open Science Festival and what researchers can do.

Saturday’s Bachelor's Open Day at Maastricht University drew a turnout of 3322 prospective students. Feedback was generally very positive, reflecting the event's success.

The day-to-day life of psychology student Estella Jardi Roca differs from that of her fellow students. Chronic illness means she needs more rest than her peers and frequently misses lectures due to hospital visits. But Estella has always been determined to make her dream of going to university a reality. And despite her limitations, she succeeded! What is it like to study with a physical disability? And what tips does she have for others?

Technology has the potential to improve the quality of medicine and healthcare while also making it more personal and sustainable. But to reach this potential, healthcare professionals and researchers need multidisciplinary training. New programmes like the Bachelor in Regenerative Medicine and Technology and the Master in Health and Digital Transformation teach students to work across disciplines and collaborate with social partners.

UM is in talks with the CSC, the organisation that provides scholarships to Chinese PhD students, about continuing the cooperation. Both parties believe that this cooperation is valuable for PhD students and for the institutions. 

In his inaugural address on 11 October, Professor Gijs Goossens, Professor of Cardiometabolic Physiology of Obesity, highlighted the crucial role adipose tissue plays in our metabolism and overall health. The more we understand about this complex chronic condition, the better we can address the associated health risks, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Manon Weusten is Maastricht University’s 100,000^th alum. The South Limburg native with an international outlook, a love of her region and a passion for lifelong learning talks about UM’s contribution to her career path—and her aversion to attention.

On 8 October 2024, Maastricht University officially opened its new sustainable research greenhouse on the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo. The opening marks a significant step in research into sustainable food production. The university has named the greenhouse after Nick Bos, the former Vice Chair of its Executive Board who stepped down earlier this year.

Regenerate! a two-day workshop on the eco-systemic turn in material research and heritage practices, taking place on 20 & 21 March 2025 at the Jan Van Eyck Academy in Maastricht. This workshop brings together creative use of new or old materials with current material developments in the preservation and conservation of arts and heritage. Together we seek to create a space for debate and experimentation that examines – and contributes to – the ecosystemic turn in material research and heritage practices. How can materials advance new understandings of conservation in relation to circularity, repair, and regeneration? Which new forms of (co-)creation, (co-)ownership, business models, legal and policy frameworks, are emerging from shifts in material research and heritage practices? In which ways do material practices push new imaginaries of protecting endangered material, environmental, and cultural heritage?

In 2023, private donations in the US surpassed $500 billion for the first time, exceeding the total amount of official development assistance disbursed by all members of the OECD combined by more than double (Giving USA Foundation, 2021). These figures, alongside recent advances in development economics that revealed substantial differences in cost-effectiveness across interventions, highlight the immense potential of private charitable contributions and the importance of donors' charity choice in improving the welfare of the global poor.