On 20th February more than 150 Maastricht University students, international scholars and members of the public were treated to a captivating lecture by Dr. Shyama Ramani on “the economics of toilets in India.”
In the best storytelling tradition, Dr. Ramani delivered a lively mix of anedcotes and insightful analysis of the complex interplay of economic, […]

In recent years, the number of men in their 40s who become fathers has continually grown. In 2006, about 24 thousand babies were born whose fathers were in their 40s, i.e. 14 percent of all babies born in 2006, as against 9 percent a decade ago.
More older fathers
The number of newborn babies whose fathers are […]

The blog badnewsfromthenetherlands is an initiative of a strategic consultant from Israel to show that negative media coverage really can harm a country’s image.
A blog with only bad news from the Netherlands. Since Curious Orange is devoted to bringing you the updates on this country and its people, one of our colleagues thought this website […]

Wearing a headscarf that only shows the eyes through a narrow slit (a niqab) does not have a negative effect on discerning emotions. This conclusion is from a study by the University of Amsterdam from which De Volkskrant Friday quoted.
A film in which a woman told a story and displayed various emotions was shown three […]

Queen Beatrix has partly adopted changes in Dutch pronunciation in her speeches. This is the conclusion reached by linguist Marc van Oostendorp.
Like most Dutch people, the monarch does not pronounce the letter R clearly if it is at the end of a word, as in ‘weer’ (again) and ‘door’ (through).’ A few decades ago, this […]

On 13 February, foreign minister Maxime Verhagen opened the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), calling it ‘one of the youngest offspring in The Hague’s family of peace, law and security’.
The establishment of the HCSS in The Hague has boosted the city’s international role. ‘As you know, The Hague’s reputation as the world’s legal capital […]

The Dutch government wants to introduce a ban on face coverings in educational establishments and the civil service, because it considers them to be a barrier to open communication.
The decision was reached on 8 February 2008.
In the government’s view, garments covering the face prevent open communication between people and make life difficult for women on […]

The number of inhabitants of the Netherlands increased by 46,000 last year. The Netherlands counted a population of 16.4 million as of 1 January 2008. This emerged from figures published on Friday by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
The statistics agency says the increase was twice that of 2006. CBS attributes this increase last year to rising immigration […]

From today’s Radio Netherlands Press Review:
The main story on the front pages of today’s Dutch newspapers is the failure of 20 years worth of educational reforms, or, as de Volkskrant puts it: “An interfering government and insistent politicians proved to be disastrous for the quality of education.”
A report published today, that was created by a […]

In the 18th century, while most of Europe was shaking off centuries of superstition and beginning to prepare for the age of reason, the lands which now form the Dutch and Belgian regions of Limburg were terrorised by hordes of flying devil worshippers.

Let’s follow Dutch author Reggie Naus on a fascinating journey into Limburg’s past to find out more about these strange creatures, who were to go down in history as the (in)famous ‘Bokkenrijders’, or Goatriders. [continued…]

The European Commission agreed to a plan to collect fingerprints and photographs from foreigners entering the EU, part of an effort to fortify the bloc’s borders.
The move is part of a European effort to fortify the bloc’s borders to the outside world. Brussels said the steps are needed to guarantee the free movement of Europeans […]

Asylum-seekers in the Netherlands can from now on do paid work for 24 weeks a year. The measure is effective immediately.
Previously, asylum-seekers could work for 12 weeks per 52 weeks. Social Affairs Minister Piet Hein Donner announced yesterday that the cabinet has doubled this amount.
It is not relevant whether asylum-seekers have a chance of getting […]

The Netherlands wants to thoroughly modernise the Benelux. The partnership between Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg should be more focused on completion of the internal market, sustainability and the joint security agenda, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen stated in the Lower House.
The partnership between the Benelux countries will also continue to function in the future as […]

The national statistics office CBS is launching an internet service to help people find out more about their neighbourhoods.
The site, based on google maps technology, gives information on the population, jobs, households and the type of houses in a specific neighbourhood.
Source: DutchNews.nl, 13 February 2008
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The Dutch educational system has been seriously neglected and educational reforms have led to a ‘worrying downward trend’ in subjects such as arithmetic and reading, a parliamentary commission said on Wednesday.
The reforms, introduced in the 1990s, were pushed through by a ‘circle of policy-makers’ who would not listen to criticism or warnings, the commission said.
The […]

On 29 January 2008, the Minister for Education Ronald Plasterk announced that his ministry and associated executive agencies will use the name ‘Universities of Applied Sciences’ (UAS) to refer in English to institutions offering profession-oriented study programmes.
In recent years, the universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands have grown from teaching institutions to broad-based knowledge […]

Four huge, genuine dinosaur skeletons are currently on exhibit in Maastricht. [More photographs and press release…]

Nearly one in four European workers suffers from job-related stress. Demands on workers are increasing while job security is decreasing, according to a new study.
Europe’s reputation for 35-hour work weeks and generous amounts of vacation time belies the fact that many workers find themselves facing an unhealthy amount of stress.
Stress is responsible for more […]

In an age where Europeans are increasingly urged to share and cooperate across borders, it seems only logical that someone would have the idea to spread the possibility of wealth and good fortune between neighbors.
Plans are being mulled over by nine European countries to create a cross-border lottery where citizens of those countries joining the […]

Mothers are not the only ones working mostly part time in the Netherlands. Women without (young) children also tend to work less than 35 hours a week. This clearly sets the Netherlands apart from other countries, according to the report Nederland deeltijdland (The Netherlands, part-time country) published by the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau on […]

A European human rights watchdog says Islamophobia is gaining ground in the Netherlands, with Muslim minorities facing increasing violence and discrimination. A report released on Tuesday by the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) not only says that Islamophobia has increased, but it also decries the tone of the debate about ethnic minorities in […]

Maastricht’s city website reports that a total of 18.6 million tourists visited our city in 2006. Crossroads writer Hania Piotrowska speaks with Stephanie Hameleers at the tourist information office about Maastricht’s image and assets. [continued…]

Independent MP Rita Verdonk is officially launching her political ‘movement’ Trots op Nederland (Proud of the Netherlands) on 3 April. She will lay out her principles at a meeting in Amsterdam.
Verdonk announced her movement last autumn after she was expelled from the conservative (VVD) party for persistent criticisms of VVD leader Mark Rutte. Little has […]

The city of Amsterdam has developed teaching material warning children against the politics of Geert Wilders, newspaper De Telegraaf yesterday reported. Wilders calls the campaign “sickening”.
The newspaper quoted from a letter that the city council has sent to three hundred primary and secondary schools in Amsterdam. Primary school heads believe that the letter is intended […]

Journalist Alberto Stegeman has succeeded in placing a fake bomb at Schiphol on a plane to Egypt. He says he has demonstrated that security at the Amsterdam airport is lax.
Stegeman did over three months of research for the programme Undercover in the Netherlands, to be broadcast by SBS6 on Sunday. A fellow-journalist got a job […]

The European Commission has concluded that Dutch anti-discrimination legislation fails to square with European Union guidelines. The Hague has been given two months to answer the accusation, after which the issue could be referred to the European Court of Justice. Such a move remains unlikely, but it is clear the Dutch legislation is not rigorous […]

“When Luc [Soete, Director of UNU-MERIT] said, ‘Shyama, why don’t you talk about the lessons for the economics of innovation from your Franco-Indian Reconstruction Project,’ I said, ‘Luc, do you really want to know about the economics of toilets?’ He said, ‘Why not?’,” recalls Indian economist Dr. Shyama Ramani.

Dr Ramani will discuss the potential of technology and innovation for development at the 2008 Charles Cooper Memorial Public Lecture and Debate at Maastricht University. [continued…]

Indian spiritual leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Mediation (TM) Movement, has died in Vlodrop, a village in the southern Netherlands, news reports said Wednesday. The Maharishi, who was thought to be 91, died Tuesday afternoon, among his disciples. The man who founded the movement in 1957 had been living in Vlodrop […]

The United Nations University has launched the OpenCourseWare portal to offer free online access to training courses.
The service will initially provide open access to about a dozen courses developed in partnership with Tokyo-based UNU Media Studio.
UNU said that the idea is to make course materials available on the web free of charge to any user […]

© 1982 NEA, Inc.

“Even from far-away Maastricht, the Netherlands, I am and stay active in USA politics,” says US expat Susan Schaefer. “I vote, I continue to pay taxes in Minnesota, and I avidly follow one of the most critical presidential campaigns of our times.”

Read on to see why Susan supports Hillary Rodham Clinton’s nomination as the Democratic Presidential candidate. [continued…]