Research Without Borders
As part of Maastricht University, the European University of the Netherlands, the School of Business and Economics' mission is to contribute to a better world by addressing societal problems, co-creating knowledge, and developing team players and leaders for the future.
Academic research plays a vital role in achieving this mission, which is why SBE’s research is built on the following three core values:
- We combine fundamental and applied research to advance scientific knowledge and practice.
- We carry out transdisciplinary research to address complex societal problems.
- We conduct research that is internationally oriented with a solid base in the region.
Accordingly, our mission statement for research is as follows: SBE’s research mission is to produce both fundamental and applied research, which is transdisciplinary and internationally oriented, in order to address complex societal problems and contribute to the global knowledge society. You can find a more in-depth explanation of our core research values and more in the SBE Research Mission and Values document.
SBE's Research Mission and Values document is based on consultation with members of our research community, the School’s leadership, and the School Board. The document outlines in-depth: SBE's vision on research, mission statement, core research values, strengths, and areas of expertise. It is a living document that will expand and grow as time goes on.
Strengths and Areas of Expertise
SBE’s expertise covers a broad range within the fields of business and economics with several strength areas across different academic disciplines. These include the following:
- Digital innovation, including service and social robots, data analytics and digitalisation
- Education and labour market research
- Entrepreneurship and innovation
- Economics, including macro, micro, behavioural and quantitative
- Governance and public policy
- Leadership and service management
- Sustainability, including sustainable development, circular economics, sustainable finance, responsible business
Departments
SBE’s Spearhead projects
In 2022, SBE launched three new spearhead research initiatives to foster the co-creation of new knowledge across disciplines and with society. These spearheads focus on three main areas: sustainable development, digitalisation and globalisation.
Graduate schools
SBE has two graduate schools that increasingly collaborate in providing high-quality PhD programmes:
Since 2011 the Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE) SBE's Research MSc programme, as well as PhD research supervision.
The integration of UNU's INSPIRE (formerly known as MGSoG) and Maastricht Sustainability Institute (MSI) sparked the creation of SBE's second graduate school: GSX.
Bringing Academia Closer to Society through our Institutes
As one of the main sources of research activity at SBE, our institutes are an important vehicle by which SBE brings knowledge into society. These institutes are primarily funded by external sources via contract research. Our institutes are:
- Business Intelligence and Smart Services (BISS)
- Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- ECCE research network
- Institute for Societal Policy & Innovation Research (INSPIRE)
- Maastricht School of Management
- Maastricht Sustainability Institute (MSI)
- Maastricht Center for Robots
- MARC
- Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market
- Service Science Factory (SSF)
- UNU-MERIT
Structured around academic disciplines and bound by the common goals of sharing knowledge and inspiring students, our institutes are at the gravitational centre of SBE's work in promoting excellence and quality.
News
SBE among best business schools for executive education according to Financial Times
We are proud to announce that the open executive programmes of Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE) have been included in the global top 80 by the Financial Times in their Open-enrolment Executive Education Ranking 2024.
How Limburg and African children together learn about hand washing
Thanks to an initiative of Prof. Dr. Edward Huizenga, children in Kenya, Uganda, India, Vietnam and the Netherlands are learning together how to wash their hands to prevent infectious diseases that would otherwise prevent them from attending school.
SBE students triumph in international case competition at Rotterdam
SBE took first place in the Rotterdam School of Management Star Case Competition (RSMCC). The competition welcomed 16 top-level international business teams of four students, who were tasked with tackling two real-life business cases.
Lower expected economic growth leads to decline in employment growth
ROA publishes new report on developments in education and labor market
Encouraging labor market mobility among job seekers can be counterproductive
Many governments offer financial support to unemployed job seekers with the aim of increasing their willingness to look for work outside their local labor market. Research by Maastricht University shows that this sometimes does more harm than good
