Dr Gonny Willems (G.)

Chief Advisor for UM's Internationalisation Strategy and Director UM International Office 

The International Office (IO) strengthens UM’s positioning, visibility, and impact as a European university with a global outlook, firmly rooted in the Limburg region and Euregion. Embedded within the Maastricht University Office (MUO), it plays a central role in shaping and coordinating UM’s international strategy across education, research, partnerships, and policy.

As a dedicated department, the IO advises the Executive Board and works closely with faculties, service centres, and external partners to support students, staff, and stakeholders. It brings together UM’s key internationalisation initiatives, including the Brussels Hub, Studio Europa Maastricht, the York-Maastricht Partnership, the YUFE Alliance, and the team of strategic policy advisors.

As UM’s strategic hub for internationalisation, the IO drives the delivery of major strategic frameworks such as the Internationalisation Plan, the Global Engagement Strategy, and the Europe Strategy, and oversees policies on scholarships, Erasmus+, and UM as bilingual university.