Maastricht University

Maastricht University UM is situated in the heart of the Maastricht city, a thriving university city with lots to do and see. Situated in the Southern region of The Netherlands, Maastricht is within easy reach of the rest of Europe. With Maastricht there is so much to talk about! So, where do I start with Maastricht? I could start with their impressive rankings in each of the World rankings tables but that wouldn’t seem as impressive as the 3 key trends I picked out when I visited the university.

The university has pioneered an education model called Problem-Based Learning (PBL) which is Small-scale and personal, PBL gets students not only to learn their subject matter, but also to actively develop their talents and interests as well as skills such as self-reliance, assertiveness and problem-solving capacities. When combined with a broad and unique range of internationally oriented programmes, this is what makes Maastricht stand out. It is also very fitting for developing an internationally minded student who is ready for future global challenges. We don’t have to look too hard to know the challenges employers are facing across the world in creating a workforce capable of tackling problems on a local and global scale.

Located in the heart of Europe, the university is the most international university in the Netherlands. Almost half of their students and one third of their academic staff come from abroad, together representing over 100 different nationalities. Most of Maastricht's study programmes are taught in English, and the content of both education and research is deeply rooted in European and broader international themes. Again, this is a really interesting point, because in classroom settings you’ll be tasked with solving problems with an internationally minded group of students. This is just another reason why Maastricht is a good choice both for developing an understanding of the world but also for coping with the challenges of working in an international context.

It is all about relevant research and education at the university with European integration, healthy ageing and the influence of technological developments on society at the heart of activities. A recent example of this was when Maastricht University Medical Centre used a robotic device to surgically treat lymphedema in a patient, a world first! You don't have to look too far to see the extent of the universities impact on academic research both at undergraduate and postgraduate level. If you study at Maastricht be prepared to be a proactive researcher!

I was fortunate to meet two British students whilst out on my visit to Maastricht and got the chance to ask them questions on their experience of studying at Maastricht, I hope that they’ll be writing a blog for the us so that they can share their insights on studying overseas. I learned a lot from them. It seemed that they didn’t look back and that the decision to study at Maastricht was the right one for them, especially having the opportunity to study in the heart of Europe amongst other internationally minded students. There only regret was that they didn’t learn a language because in the context of Europe, British people are often the only people who can only speak one language! But this wasn't a problem because 95% of the population speak English!

I encourage you to consider Maastricht. For undergraduate degree programmes please click here.

Want to find out more about studying overseas and how an international education can prepare you for the future? Then visit one of our events!

Look out for more information on our events:

Study Abroad Fair in Birmingham - Sunday March 11th 2018

Study Abroad Roadshow - Monday 12th March - Thursday 15th March 2018

Study Abroad Fair in Leeds - Saturday March 17th 2018

International Education Week in the UK is a platform that aims to connect UK Students with universities outside the UK. It is the first official week dedicated to studying overseas.