Brussels Hub Activities
The main goal of the Hub is to enhance Maastricht University’s core missions: education, research, and knowledge transfer. To achieve this, the Hub provides spaces for the UM community to elevate the quality of research outputs, broaden networks, boost visibility in Brussels, and forge collaborations with international stakeholders.
At the heart of the UM Brussels Hub lies its focus on public affairs and facilitating activities organised by the UM community. The Hub has created the various initiatives below to support its mission of enriching Maastricht University's core missions. These initiatives serve as platforms for fostering dialogue, collaboration, and engagement within the UM community and beyond.
Building networks and facilitating community led activities
UM Brussels Activities
Fireplace Talk Series
he Fireplace Talks (FPT) event series cultivates an inclusive space for dialogue among academics, practitioners, and the audience. Each Fireplace Talk evening delves into a significant global issue or trending topic.
The discussions held at the Fireplace Talk Series are enriched by the blending of academia and practice. Audience questions and contributions play a vital role in driving the conversation forward. These events are highly interactive, and attendees are actively encouraged to engage.
What's up, EU?' Talk Series
Over the past years, the Hub has curated the 'What's up, EU?' talk series to delve into and discuss topics at the forefront of the European Union (EU) agenda. These talks are designed to strengthen UM's presence and visibility among European stakeholders while also fortifying UM's standing as the European university of the Netherlands. This commitment is aligned with the increasing importance of EU initiatives in education, research, and innovation.
With this in mind, the objective of the ‘What’s up, EU?’ talk series is to keep UM informed about developments in and around EU policy, with a specific focus on issues directly relevant to universities. Additionally, the series aims to encourage the UM community to contemplate how these developments may impact them.
Podcast series 'Stories from Brussels'
Are you aware that Maastricht University boasts a significant academic community residing and working in Brussels? Are you intrigued to uncover how fellow UM staff, researchers, and students navigate their academic pursuits while living in Brussels? Explore how your UM colleagues balance their research with teaching responsibilities or hear firsthand from UM students living in Brussels about their career paths.
The podcast series 'Stories from Brussels', designed to bridge connections among various UM communities and share personal narratives of living and working in Brussels. Tune in to casual conversations with UM researchers, alumni, and students as they discuss their work, adjustments, and outlooks for the future.
More information on the podcast series 'Stories from Brussels' here
RELAY project
RELAY is a project that aims at discussing the European Commission’s political guidelines and work programme with a wide and diverse array of stakeholders. It was coordinated by Maastricht University Brussels Hub and included several academic and non-academic partners.
‘Within the Union, the European institutions must be brought closer to its citizens. Citizens undoubtedly support the Union's broad aims, but they do not always see a connection between those goals and the Union's everyday action’ (European Council).
Although this quote is almost 20 years old, it still rings very true today. In 2019, 60% of European Union (EU) citizens were of the opinion that they are not sure they would miss the EU if it were gone.