The Dutch Minister of Defence, Kajsa Ollongren, tells UNU-MERIT how the Netherlands seeks to support United Nations operations in Europe and abroad   Given its small population (17.5 million) and geographical footprint (with one-fifth the land area of an average U.S. state), the Netherlands has outsized military power, ranking 39 in the GlobalFirepower Index. How is the nation using its strength, both in Europe and beyond? Appointed in 2022, Dutch Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren has pol...

Recent years have seen the topic of migration rise to the top of political agendas in many parts of the Global North, propelled by images of overcrowded boats on the Mediterranean and migrant caravans in Central America. In recent weeks tragic events have been unfolding a stone’s throw from the Netherlands, in the English Channel, and on the borders of Belarus. For better or worse, policymakers at different levels of governance have responded to these events. Migration was a central feature of t...

How to master the art of compromise? “So these would be my last words to you as future policymakers: Try to see a compromise not as a watered down opinion, but as a very strong common ground.” Lilianne Ploumen Enter keywords...

Every year in mid-June, students on our Master of Science in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) are finally ready to immerse themselves in their Master’s thesis. Digging into the materials, it quickly becomes clear: a good Master’s thesis starts with a good literature review. But what exactly does that mean? And more importantly, how do you write a good literature review? Access all our SMART toolkits here. During the programme we train our students to develop a research proposal, b...

A 22-year-old student on our Master of Science in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) has won the first ever Maastricht Student Entrepreneur Award. Laura Nieboer took home the prize for her ‘Pieke Broodbier’ – a “really fruity” British Golden Ale with a “strong bite” and a novel twist: it is brewed from waste bread. Laura told Zuid Limburg news: “I first realised I could have an ‘environmental career’ while studying for a BA in Environmental Sciences and Entrepreneurship ...

Every 18 December, the UN celebrates International Migrants Day to recognise the efforts, contributions, and rights of migrants worldwide. A perfect moment to speak with Arjen Leerkes, who was appointed Professor of ‘Migration, Securitisation and Social Cohesion’ at Maastricht University and UNU-MERIT last month, about the position of immigrants in our societies. Where can asylum seekers go when they are trying to flee their country? Should they stay in the same region, or can they go else...

When I drive to work every day, most of my journey is recorded by cameras. Information about my route and speed of travel, as well as that of other people on the road at the time, can be used by governments to improve our national infrastructure, among many other things. It is the job of politicians to decide how much to invest, not only on roads but also alternatives, including incentives to avoid rush hour or switch to public transport. But what exactly feeds into this policymaking? Transport ...

Imagine you, a researcher, are given a bag of money, unlimited time and personnel. What research would you do? Dr. Zina Nimeh, university lecturer of Social Protection and Human Development, wants to discover why people no longer appreciate the welfare state. … Solidarity is the basis of the welfare state. Everybody makes a contribution in order to help and protect those who are vulnerable in society, for example by paying more tax than in a country that doesn’t have a welfare state ...

Our researchers regularly give policy recommendations to the UN and its Member States — not just in emerging economies but also across Europe. In November 2018, Prof. Melissa Siegel spoke before the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament, where she briefed members on the migration situation, shared scenario planning for the future, and discussed various ways to help migrants and refugees integrate into society. … What are the issues at stake – and who are the main stakeholders? I spo...

Over the course of the year, we rolled out the SMART Choices and SMART Tools education project — which is finally available now via the Blackboard Open Education portal. SMART Choices is a collection of six online courses based on our MPP academic tracks: a set of courses designed to help students decide which track they should follow. Meanwhile, SMART Tools presents a range of eight online toolkits designed to help students join the labour market. By making these online courses available ...