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Hylke Dijkstra appointed UM Europe Chair at Studio Europa Maastricht

Hylke Dijkstra will join Studio Europa Maastricht as Maastricht University (UM) Europe Chair on 1 September 2026. Studio Europa Maastricht is the centre of expertise at Maastricht University for Europe-related research, policy and public debate. 

Prof. Dr. Dijkstra, who also holds a professorship in international security and cooperation at UM’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, succeeds the late Professor Mathieu Segers, who passed away in 2023. As UM Europe Chair, Dijkstra is tasked with strengthening the university's societal impact by translating research findings into meaningful contributions for policy-makers and the wider public in Europe and beyond. With this appointment, Maastricht University aims to advance solutions to the complex challenges and transitions facing Europe while reinforcing its position as the most European university in the Netherlands.

Dijkstra: ‘Maastricht is the place in the Netherlands to study Europe. Students and scholars come from all over the world to our university for that reason. It is therefore a great honour to be appointed to this university-wide chair and to contribute to the European ambitions of Maastricht University and Studio Europa Maastricht in particular.’

UM Research Fellows on Europe

In his new role, Dijkstra will provide academic leadership to Studio Europa Maastricht and lead a team of research fellows. These researchers are affiliated with four of UM's six faculties, each focusing on one of the four themes that together form the university's European research agenda.

  • Dr. Valentina Golunova, assistant professor at the Faculty of Law (LAW)


    Theme: Knowledge, Technology and Digitalisation

  • Dr. Kai Heidemann, assistant professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) 


    Theme: European Integration, the Rule of Law and Democracy

  • Dr. Clara Weinhardt, assistant professor at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) 


    Theme: Europe and the World

  • Dr. Katarina Wessling, assistant professor at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) 


    Theme: Sustainability, Prosperity and Cooperation

Prof. Dr. Jan Smits, Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University: ‘Maastricht University has unparalleled global expertise on the topic of Europe. I am confident that Professor Dijkstra, together with the UM Research Fellows on Europe, the Studio Europa team, and the faculties, will make an important contribution to bringing together UM's European expertise and translating that knowledge for policy-makers.’

Valentino Vondenhoff, Head of Studio Europa: ‘As the coordinating platform for translating Europe-related research into policy at UM, Studio Europa looks forward to working with Professor Dijkstra and the research fellows. With the substantive strengths they bring, we expect to increase UM's influence in the European debate, strengthen the university's academic visibility and translate research into actionable insights for policy-makers and the public.’

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