Established in 1976, Maastricht University (UM) is the most international university in the Netherlands. With 20,000 students and 4,400 staff, UM offers a wide choice of bachelor’s, master’s and PhD programmes.
Top-quality education
Maastricht University is renowned for excellence and innovation in learning, and scores well in Dutch and international rankings.
Problem-Based Learning
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is UM’s highly interactive approach to learning, that allows students to acquire knowledge as well as skills and competencies, such as critical thinking, cooperation, leadership and research.
International orientation
Maastricht is located close to the open borders of the Netherlands with Belgium and Germany, in the heart of Europe. The UM has developed intentionally as a truly European University.
The university is bilingual (Dutch & English) and offers a wide range of programmes with a strong international orientation, most of which are taught in English. Over half of the student population and a third of staff is non-Dutch.
With its International Classroom and many student exchange agreements and partnerships around the world, UM is a reputed place for internationalized education.
UM is the coordinator of the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) alliance, a strategic partnership between ten young research-intensive universities from as many European countries, which has topped the EC’s European University Initiative. YUFE is in the process of establishing a borderless, student-centred, non-elitist, open and inclusive European University.
UM is also one of the founders of the Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN), which facilitates cooperation in research, education and service to society.
Multidisciplinary research
With its many research institutes, UM focuses on multidisciplinary research across faculties. Main research areas are Quality of Life, Learning and Innovation, and Europe in a Globalising World. Research into Data Science, STEM and Sustainability has enjoyed particularly rapid growth in recent years involving the establishment of new institutes and cooperation with many external partners.
Campuses
UM consists of various campuses:
- Maastricht Inner-City Campus: historic buildings in the old town centre accommodate Business & Economics, Management, Law and Arts & Social Sciences
- Maastricht-Randwyck Campus: Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Psychology & Neuroscience, Science & Engineering
- Campus Brussels
- UM is a partner in 4 Brightlands campuses, international open innovation communities of 29 entrepreneurs, researchers and students working on sustainability, health and digitalization:
- Chemelot Campus
- Health Campus
- Campus Greenport Venlo
- Smart Services Campus
Global engagement
As a European university with a global outlook, UM is actively engaged with globalization processes and the challenges and problems implied by these.
UM’s membership of WUN is just one expression of this engagement. UM offers educational programs in areas like global studies, global health, globalization and law and globalization and development.
In all UM education programs, attention is paid to the development of global citizenship. Research relevant for global sustainable development is conducted in various areas. Various units in the university work with partners in the global South to address global challenges and pursue the SDGs.
