21/05/2009 | Newsletter, Netherlands

View from the Top: Jo Ritzen, Rector of Maastricht University.

By: Tim Rogers

Investment in attracting the very best international graduate students lies at the heart of Maastricht’s student recruitment mission.

Investment in attracting the very best international graduate students lies at the heart of Maastricht’s student recruitment mission. Since 2007, the University has invested a considerable budget in a financial aid and scholarships initiative very different from almost all other universities and graduate schools based in Continental Europe. Called the “best 3%” scheme, it literally offers the best students at Maastricht the opportunity to study for free for the duration of their study programs. Professor Ritzen sees the scheme as central to making Maastricht the first choice of the world’s best students. “Making it possible for the best 3% of students to study for free is quite something in a country like The Netherlands. It is our commitment to talent and it turns out that this is an important point of attraction for international students. We are now extending the scheme for masters and PhD students by some 5% as we are seeking additional scholarship sources from a variety of sources – not just our own money, but industry and business support.”

Maastricht’s focus on internationalisation will enter a new phase later this year when a dedicated office in the Indian city of Bangalore opens. Chosen for its key strategic location at the heart of India’s research region, the Maastricht University Office will help coordinate new initiatives with institutions and companies that ensure the development of key academic and research areas such as innovation, technology, development and entrepreneurship. Ritzen believes that the approach adopted by Maastricht in India will attract a great deal of interest for the Dutch university. “Our work in India and the structure and content of our masters and PhD programs are very attractive to all students, many of whom come from very different backgrounds. These students really think about their futures and fulfilling their potential and Maastricht excites them because we have so many attractive relationships. Phillips, for example, sees us as the preferred university for their staff or students that wish to work with them. They see us as a university that teaches students how to solve problems and encourages them to have an intercultural aspect in their learning experience without the need to learn Dutch.”

The future certainly looks very bright for Maastricht University and the international students that make it their number one choice. With masters and PhD degree programs developed in collaboration with leading research academics and the labour market, the Maastricht way of doing things may well be the way of the future. Professor Ritzen is clear on the type of international graduate student that will thrive at Maastricht. “We would like to see students from different countries, with different strategies who know that learning can be done in very different ways.”