Maastricht University

Overview

Universiteit Maastricht (UM) or Maastricht University in the Netherlands was established in 1976, making it a relatively young Dutch university. However, it has quickly made a name for itself in prestigious rankings. It has received honors for being among the top 300 universities in the world from various organizations. Also, it is widely recognized for being one of the best young higher education institutions in the world.

Founded with the aim of expanding Dutch medical training, it took on the name Rijksuniversiteit Limburg or, in English, the State University of Limburg. Since it was founded, the university has been espousing and promoting the innovative problem-based learning approach. This allowed students to learn about a subject by exploring open-ended questions and challenges. Today, the university’s teaching framework predominantly retains this learning-teaching method.

It was only in 1996 that the institution officially added its current Dutch name. And, in 2008, it took on its English name, which the university is better known as internationally.

UM currently operates six faculties. They are the (1) Faculty of Arts and Sciences, (2) Faculty of Science and Engineering, (3) Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, (4) Faculty of Law, (5) Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, and the (6) School of Business and Economics. Each has its own departments that oversee both research and teaching processes for the university.

The university offers educational services at all levels, from pre-bachelors to PhD. There are also a wide variety of courses on offer. They range from those in the areas of Health and International Business Economics to Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Moreover, UM has a comprehensive and active exchange program. In fact, around half of the student body comes from abroad. This makes it the most international university in the country. Also, because of this makeup, most courses are offered in English.

UM is actively engaging in research in various fields of study. The university structures its main research endeavors using its research themes that put emphasis on impacting social challenges. The research themes are (1) Learning and Innovation and Europe, (2) a Globalizing World, and (3) Quality of Life. Socially impactful research projects include innovating in personal finance education, manufacturing plastics from organic materials, and migration research. University research, whenever possible, is actively transformed into products or processes with social, financial, and economic value.

Also, research is conducted through a multidisciplinary lens. Specialized research units are also housed at the university. Research institutes and centers include the Maastricht European Center on Privacy and Cybersecurity, the IDS Institute of Data Science, and the Maastricht Center of Human Rights.