About Maastricht University
Since its foundation in 1976, Maastricht University (UM) has left its mark on higher education, both in the Netherlands and in Europe as a whole. Building on its unique system of Problem- Based Learning, UM has evolved into a European research university with a strong international outlook. Today, it is one of Europe’s most international universities, with non-Dutch students accounting for 45% of its aggregate intake in 2007. The vast majority of its 16 bachelor’s degrees and almost all its master’s and PhD degrees are English-language programmes, an offering unparalleled in continental Europe.
UM’s ability to nurture talented researchers and offer students a challenging and personal learning environment in an international setting forms the core of its reputation in the Netherlands and abroad. The university seeks to offer students and staff alike a safe learning and research environment that also encourages them to strive for the best possible results.
UM aims to solve problems affecting the society of today and tomorrow, such as the pensions dilemma, the relationship between diet and cancer, and the issues of culture and identity in a globalising Europe, the coordination of efforts to prevent climate change, and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Teaching and research are closely intertwined and multidisciplinary by nature. Many departments have formed close partnerships with private firms and other international research institutes, thus ensuring that the university plays a strong part in promoting the economic development of Maastricht and its surrounds.
