PhD thesis written by Jana Trifunovic
PhD thesis written by Jarin Nijhof
The UM Regulations on Doctoral Exams stipulate that every PhD candidate must send a digital copy of their PhD thesis to the University Library.
It also stipulates that your supervisor (first promoter) sends a written declaration the the University Library to indicate which parts of the thesis may be published online and which parts (or the full thesis) need to be placed under embargo (e.g. until publication of the articles). The UL will contact the supervisor at the end of the one-year embargo period, to verify if the embargo is no longer needed.
In all cases, the cover, abstracts, propositions and valorisation paragraph will be accessible worldwide, preferably from the day of the public defence onwards.
Please consult the instructions and send the thesis files and declaration
to: repository@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Your personal HR advisor advises on all matters regarding your employment contract and professional development. Your HR advisor may refer you to an HR assistant, as well as to the staff career centre and other HR service points for additional support. Please do not hesitate to contact your HR advisor with all your questions and concerns about your career at Maastricht University and beyond.
Please check the requirements per programme via the links below:
The statutory fee usually applies to student from an EU/EEA country who have not already obtained a Master's degree in the Netherlands. The institutional fee usually applies for students from a non-EU/EEA country;
More information about tuition fees.Is it possible to combine two specialisations from the master’s programme International Business?
It is possible to combine/follow to IB specialisations. Normally, students start with one master’s programme, then after 6 months submit an application via Studielink for the second specialisation and follow the courses/skills belonging to this programme. Regarding the master’s thesis, you can request to write a combined thesis at the Board of Examiners*. Also, you might encounter problems with conflicting schedules/exams. It is your own responsibility to make sure everything goes as planned.
Please note: the combined thesis will no longer be an option for students starting their master’s programme International Business in September 2025 or later. Students who have started their master’s programme International Business before September 2025 will be able to finish their combined thesis and graduate in two specialisations if they fulfil all exam requirements.
Because of the energy crisis in Europe, UM has affiliated itself to the national energy savings campaign ‘Zet ook de knop om’ (Turn it down). This means that in all university buildings the heating has been set 2 degrees lower and the cooling system 2 degrees higher. Moreover, other measures have been taken to reduce the energy usage, like reducing unnecessary lighting, reviewing building opening hours and optimising climate installations and ICT equipment. Next to this, UM started a process to speed up sustainable investments, such as switching to LED-lights in all buildings and insulating monumental buildings. For the monumental buildings, the focus lies on better window insulation. This is to save energy and to improve the comfort of the indoor climate.
The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 says to limit global warming to less than two degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era and to strive to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. For the Netherlands this has been translated into a reduction of greenhouse gases of 49% and 95% in 2030 and 2050 compared to 1990, respectively. UM's ambition is to be in line with the Dutch climate targets. UM is working on a road map for reducing energy consumption in buildings and phasing out natural gas. Additionally, UM is taking measures to provide an insight into the indirect emissions of the chain and to reduce these emissions by setting requirements for suppliers and stimulating sustainable mobility. Read more about tackling indirect emissions from mobility.
UM participated in the Long-Term Energy Efficiency Agreements (MJA3). The agreement ran up until 2020 and aimed to increase an energy efficiency of the participants by implementing energy-saving measures and reviving renewable energy. Examples of energy-saving measures that UM implemented include isolating the building envelope, heat recovery from ventilation air, the use of electric heat pumps, replacement of fluorescent lighting by LED and CO₂ controlled ventilation of lecture halls. The graph below shows the results of realised measures in regards to the aimed goals. The complete report can be downloaded here.
Almost all university buildings in Maastricht city centre have a monumental status. This makes the task of sustainability within the framework of the climate agreement even more challenging. Building physics interventions such as insulation can lead to moisture and mildew and thus damage the building. The municipality demands that monumental values, such as historic window frames and drawn glass, be preserved as far as possible. For the time being, these buildings cannot do without natural gas-fired boilers. Up until 2030 the focus lies on improving insulation (window insulation) and embedding hybrid heat pumps.
At the same time, UM is gaining practical experience in making monuments more sustainable, with particular attention to health and wellbeing. In the redevelopment of Tapijn, a former barracks site with monumental buildings, the sustainability standards BREEAM-NL and WELL-building are applied. During the renovation, the buildings are being fully insulated; moisture and mould problems are prevented by means of a box construction. Thanks to the high energy efficiency and the connection to the Belvédère solar park, the renovated buildings and new construction of phase 1 are energy-neutral.
UM has many buildings, but only few roofs are suitable for solar panels. So far, 640 PV panels have been installed on roofs, covering approximately 1% of the power consumption.
On 4 December 2019, UM signed a Maastricht Energy Agreement with Bodemzorg Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht for the realisation of a solar park in Maastricht. At the former Belvédère landfill site, 30,000 solar panels are installed with a capacity of approx. 12 MWp. In August 2020, the solar park has been put into use. The university financed half of the solar park and in return will receive 50% of the generated green electricity in the form of guarantees of origin (GOs). In 2023, the UM-part of the solar park produced 5.202 MWh solar power, covering 25% of the power consumption of UM buildings in Maastricht.
UM also receives electricity through MUMC+. The remaining power consumption is made greener through the purchase of GvOs from Dutch solar and wind power.
UM applies the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol when determining its CO₂ footprint. These distinguish between scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
The CO₂ footprint for scope 1 and 2 has decreased in recent years.
The energy performance of UM buildings is expressed in energy use (electricity and natural gas) per employee (FTE) and student or per unit of floor space. The graphs below show the energy performance for the period 2015-2022. Natural gas consumption has been corrected for annual fluctuations in temperatures during the heating season.
There is a lot to tell about research at our Faculty. For example: did you know that our research programme is divided in five interrelated research streams?
Monica Claes, our former vice dean for research, talks about it in this video.
Our research activities are organised into five interrelated research streams. We examine these streams using a range of legal and non-legal disciplines.
The Quantum Challenge had three stages:
1. Design
During the initial design stage, you will learn about quantum use cases and you will design a quantum-based solution. In addition to the quantum sessions, you will be invited to join a Design Thinking Workshop to help you on your way. Your idea will be reviewed by IBM Q Ambassadors. They will validate your proposal and judge whether the use of quantum computing is the right solution for your case.
2. Building
Next, you will start the building process. During this stage, the IBM Q Ambassadors will run consultation hours to support you in your quantum journey. If you are a developer, you may want to follow an additional developer track and get started with IBM Qiskit Aqua.
3. Competition
During this final stage, you will go head-to-head with the other teams. You will present your business plan and shoot a video pitch to promote your submission. The three teams with the highest score on the evaluation criteria will be invited to present their proposal during the finals. A panel of judges will announce the winning team.
