Here’s what happened at the first Critical Policy Conference A guest post by Vincent Tadday, Global Studies student at Maastricht University     To effect real change in policy and create social impact by way of re-imagination processes and dialogue, a new student-led initiative has emerged: the Critical Policy Lab. On Saturday 3 June 2023 in Maastricht, the first edition of the Lab’s Critical Policy Conference welcomed around 70 participants from UNU-MERIT and Maastricht University co...

How to choose a topic for your master’s thesis? “Few assignments can be as intimidating at university as writing a thesis,” acknowledges Master’s student Lais Bonetto. How do you pick your topic and how do you conduct your research? Find out what motivated Lais and her fellow students in their choices. Enter keywords...

On 3 November 2021, students of the Master’s of Science in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP) presented papers that they had written for their Public Policy course. Their papers variously analysed the influence of civil society in the policy process of a selected county and on a selected policy problem, and the event aimed to encouraged open debate.  ...

‘Public Policy & Governance Beyond Borders’ was the guiding theme of the international conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), held in Brussels on 13-14 July 2017. In this fifth  post in the series, Dr. Mindel van de Laar and Ayla Bonfiglio ask how the event contributed to our understanding of global public policy. … As academic co-hosts of the APPAM International Conference 2017, we enjoyed rich and varied interactions with both researchers and polic...

A joint post by Dr. Mindel van de Laar and Prof. David Van Slyke. ••• Governing is no longer the sole responsibility of states – today’s reality is far more inclusive and demands coordination with NGOs, non-profits, and the private sector. These are changes driven by the sheer complexity of policy challenges, which rarely if ever respect national borders. Take for example regional and cross-border conflicts around the world. The fallout from such wars goes far beyond individual countries, affect...

This year, we stayed in our own new Sphinxkwartier neighbourhood to celebrate the closing ceremony of our Master’s programme in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP). The Muziekgieterij, the Maastricht pop concert hall located a few minutes down the Boschstraat in the renovated Timmerfabriek, Maastricht’s former carpentry factory, provided a rough and original old industrial setting for the festive event. The MPP closing ceremony marks the end of the academic year and serves as a...

Judit Vall Castello was one of the first PhD fellows at the School of Governance: she joined our Marie Curie European Social Protection PhD programme in 2006, before graduating in 2010 with a dissertation on ‘Business Cycle and Policy Effects on Labour Market Transitions of Older and Disabled Workers in Spain’. We caught up with Judit after she gave a seminar at the School of Business and Economics in early October. … The European Social Protection PhD was an EU programme to cr...

In June each year, the closing ceremony marks the end of classes for our Master’s students in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP). Many leave Maastricht to write their thesis, do field research, start an internship or enjoy their summer holiday. The MPP closing ceremony is therefore the chosen occasion to celebrate the end of the academic year with friends and family and serves as an early Graduation Day. Students and faculty members reflect on the year gone by and the future lying a...

Classes have ended for our Master’s students in Public Policy and Human Development and the question of many lips during the closing ceremony of the MPP Class of 2014-2015 was: “Where did the time go?” Daphne Baardman, who served as President of the programme’s student association DEMOS, looked back on an intensive but rewarding study year in Maastricht. Dear MPPers, I maybe should not say this because it is almost too obvious, but really… where did this year go? Not long...

How is it like to be a Master’s student in our double-degree programme in Public Policy and Human Development? How do our students experience their study year in Maastricht and how do they spend their free time? Manisha Kalikadien, who served as student representative in the Education Committee, shared her testimonial at the closing ceremony of the MPP Class of 2014-2015 on 11 June 2015. Hi everyone, After spending four years in Maastricht, I can only say that this year has been one of the...