Maastricht University is an international university in the heart of Europe, located in the City of Maastricht where - in 1992 - the Maastricht Treaty was signed. Of all Dutch universities, Maastricht has the largest number of international students.

The university was founded in 1976 and is well known for its contribution to innovation in higher education in an international context. Education at UM distinguishes itself by its problem-based learning concept, which stresses the importance of student-centred education, self-responsibility and co-operation in small groups, working on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cases or projects, as well as attention for practical skills. Research also has a prominent place.

Most bachelor students in Maastricht come from the European region. The master programmes have a major intake both from Europe and, depending on the nature of the programme, from elsewhere in the world. In 2004 our university has a student population of approximately 12,000, including more than 2,300 foreign bachelor/master students (23%) and 1,420 exchange or certificate course students from about 70 different countries. One sixth of the academic staff is of foreign origin.

Faculties
Medicine, Health and Sciences, Law, Economics and BA, General Sciences, Arts and Culture, and Psychology.
In addition to these, the university includes the University College of Maastricht (www.ucm.nl), the Graduate School of International Management (www.gsim.nl), Maastricht University Centre for international co-operation in academic development (www.mundo.unimaas.nl).
The Center for European Studies (www.ces.unimaas.nl) offers 'Study Europe' programmes, semester and summer programmes.
Maastricht University Language Centre (www.languages.unimaas.nl) offers language training to students, staff and citizens of Maastricht and around.

Programmes en modules in English
UM offers bachelor and master programmes in English in the fields of Economics and BA, and European Studies. University College Maastricht offers a broad bachelor programme. All faculties offer short programmes in English for exchange students and the faculties of Economics & BA, Law, Health Sciences, and Arts & Culture offer English postgraduate master programmes (www.studiekeuze.unimaas.nl).

Research
Most research at the UM is centred around multidisciplinary themes and focal points. For further clustering these themes and focal points are dealt with in research institutes with an independent board and management structure. The institutes offer good opportunities for further development of research and collaboration with third parties. The aim is to participate in research schools, centres of high-quality research with structured attention for the training of young researchers. A large part of UM research now takes place in recognised research schools.
Besides institutes and schools, research also takes place in a large number of UM-associated institutes within departments and faculty research units.
In the UM Holding a number of companies market applied research. See UM home page Research Magazine for more information on research (www.unimaas.nl).

Internationalisation
Throughout the institute, internationalisation policies have become an integral part of education and research at UM. To realise its international ambitions, the university invests not only in international recruitment but also in student housing, sports facilities, bilingual signposting, and services for foreign students. Following the Bologna process, UM implemented the ECTS credit point system from 2003/2004 on and will introduce the diploma supplement in 2004/2005. All this is meant to ensure that Maastricht diplomas will be recognised in the students’ home countries.
The university encourages its students to acquire international experience through internships or periods of study abroad. Interaction with other cultures makes students aware of international differences; it prepares them for jobs on an international labour market. The introduction of the bachelor/master degree structure has made it easier for the university’s departments to work with partners in other countries; this has added depth to their international orientation.

Networks
Maastricht University works closely together with more than one hundred universities worldwide. In addition, the university actively participates in international partnerships that focus on educational innovation. Within the framework of the ALMA network (www.alma-emr.nl), the university works closely together with universities in neighbouring countries: Rheinisch-Westfählische Technische Hochschule Aachen (Germany), Universitair Centrum Diepenbeek and Université de Liège (both in Belgium).

Maastricht University's strategy focuses on the following

• making the context of existing curricula even more international, by giving attention to international diversity and the multicultural environment;
• encouraging the creation of new master degree programme taught in English, in collaboration with preferred partners;
• developing internationally competitive Ph.D. programmes, together with foreign partners;
• increasing the number of programmes taught in English. By 2005 at least half of the master programmes and half of the Ph.D. programmes will be in English;
• increasing the percentage of foreign academic staff to ten percent by 2005. And by 2005 every permanent member of the scientific staff will have spent time in another country, either teaching or doing research;
• increasing the percentage of foreign students to 25 percent by 2005, at which time the same number of domestic students will be in another country studying or doing an internship.