May or may not Africa be viewed as an economic springboard for China’s forecasted rise to geo-political dominance? For its last event of the season, Maastricht Debates on May 20 decided to take a closer look at the Chinese strategy in Africa. A critical review for Crossroads by Eliot Rolen.

“Why is Europe boring? Why doesn’t it sell?” asked professor Ulrich Beck and the audience gathered in the lecture hall of the Maastricht Faculty of Economics went quiet. “The history of Europe is a story of ‘NO’,” answered Beck to his own question, “Europe is a lady in her 50’s, without a name. It’s a reality without theory.”

Is “cosmopolitanism” the missing narrative for Europe, as suggested by Beck?

A review of the annual Schuman lecture that took place earlier this month at Maastricht University, by Misia Furtak. [continued…]

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon would have been proud to witness the impact of his institution on young people at the recent EuroMun conference in Maastricht. Organised by the small team of the Maastricht United Nations Student Association (UNSA), the event attracted 450 students from all over the globe to the South Limburg capital. All had come with the same goal: take part in a European Model United Nations, simulating real life UN proceedings. A review for Crossroads by Tobias Gerhard. [continued…]

The newly established Islamic Student Association Maastricht ( ISVM) recently organised its first public event with a “Conference on Islam and the West”. Crossroads writer Henrik Hartmann speaks with ISVM’s chairman Zine Abhidin Zouggari about the perception of Islam after 9/11, Geert Wilders’ controversial statements, and how Muslims are represented in Maastricht. [continued…]

Under the heading “the EU and Russia: Strategic Partners or Competing Neighbours?”, three experts participated last week in a hot public debate on the political and strategic relationship between the EU and Russia. A review by Tobias Gerhard. [continued…]

Mr Eickelman, a US professor of Anthropology and Human Relations at Dartmouth University, Massachusetts, and senior advisor to the American University of Kuwait, recently visited Maastricht to share his views on “The Knowledge and Practice of Democracy in the Middle East”. A review by Eliot Rolen. [continued…]

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, […]

“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…]

Challenging researchers through international prize competitions to come up with innovative medicines and ideas for improving global health can help break existing profit-driven patterns that produce mostly drugs for the rich, according to world experts attending a landmark meeting devoted to the topic.
More than 50 experts assembed in Maastricht Jan. 28-29 focused on how […]

US Professor Michael Klare, an expert on Peace and Security Studies and author of the book “Blood and Oil,” recently presented a chilling perspective in Maastricht on the topic of energy in international politics. A review for Crossroads. [continued…]

In a recent lecture entitled The Naked European Citizen: State Surveillance in the EU and hosted by Maastricht University’s Studium Generale, Dr. Douwe Korff, a Dutch Professor of International Law at the London Metropolitan University, provided both an educational and worrying perspective on the measures taken by governments in the pursuit of national security which may infringe on the privacy rights that form the core of the democratic ideal. [continued…]

What is the function of professional press photography today? How do images determine the way we look at the world? The citizens of Maastricht can now find out the answers to these questions at Centre Céramique, where the winning press photos of the 2006 World Press Photo Contest are currently on display. [continued…]

Almost 500 professors, researchers and students gathered on 4-5 October 2007 in the area around Centre Céramique to examine the role of women in Science, Education and Research through debates, demonstrations, performances, workshops and more informal parties. A review of the WISER festival in Maastricht for Crossroads. [continued…]

Ever wished you lived in London or any other metropolis? Congratulations, say the creators of Mahl magazine, for if you live in Maastricht, Aachen, Hasselt, Heerlen or Liège you are an inhabitant of Eutropolis. [continued…]

This year’s edition of Maastricht’s annual gastronomic festival known as “het Preuvenemint” had a special European flavour. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which in 1957 established the European Economic Community, and the 15th anniversary of the Treaty of Maastricht, the festival’s theme was entitled “Europe at a table” and each stand was supposed to represent one of the 27 EU countries. But did the festival fulfill its goal? A review by Hania Piotrowska for Crossroads. [continued…]

David Nordfors on Innovation Journalism

More than 20 media experts from around Europe and the United States convened in Maastricht to discuss innovation journalism and the innovation ecosystem. The EJC partnered with the Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University, Stanford University and Deutche Welle to host the conference “Innovation Journalism: Detecting Weak Signals” on July 25-27, 2007. A report by Kathlyn Clore. [continued…]

Gerrino Mulder, President of the Maastrichts Mooiste Foundation, tells Crossroads writer and Maastrichts Mooiste contestant Eliot Rolen about the origins, the challenges and the goals of the increasingly popular annual sportive and cultural event in Maastricht. [read the interview…]

Sundays are traditionally designated as days of rest, when one can indulge in quiet pursuits, sleeping in, sitting at one of Maastricht’s many cafés sipping on a cappuccino and reading the newspaper, visiting with friends… All of which allow the buildup of a buffer that will assist in managing whatever stress lies in store in the upcoming week. But there is another activity - although some would call it masochistic - that succeeds in the construction of this “stress buffer”: running.

On this particular Sunday (June 10th), this masochistic endeavor was to be undertaken by what seemed like thousands. [continued…]

Organized by the university’s Studium Generale cultural organisation, Koko student association, Maastrichts Mooiste foundation, and the city of Maastricht, Maastricht’s Global Culture Festival took its audience on a flavourful voyage through music and food from all corners of the world. [continued…]

‘Raindrops keep falling on my head…’ That iconic musical line was running through mine as I left my warm and dry abode for the Kesselkade, a boulevard alongside the Maas river whose restaurants and cafés are usually of more immediate interest than the rather drab looking streets that lie immediately in front.

But on this dreary day, the Kesselkade would see a battle testing strength, balance, endurance, and most importantly, a substantial amount of alcohol, for this was to be the site of the Waiters’ Race (or Kelner Race in Dutch). [continued…]

Bright pink brochures in hand, thousands of people roamed the streets of Maastricht on May 26th, 27th, and 28th, with only one thing on their minds: modern art! It was the weekend of the 8th annual Kunsttour (ArtTour), and Maastrichters young and old alike enjoyed the displays of cutting-edge art exhibited all around our city. The types of art were diverse, including contemporary art, design, and new media art, but those attending the ArtTour had at least one thing in common: a genuine appreciation for artistic innovation. [continued…]

Jeremy Rifkin speaks at the Schuman lecture on 9 May 2007 in Maastricht.
Recorded by Bernd Kapeller, European Journalism Centre

Related article:
Forum Maastricht 2007: “If I call up Europe, who answers the phone?”

“While it’s a time to celebrate, it’s also a time to reflect on Europe’s missed opportunities,” said Maastricht University president Jo Ritzen last week in his introductory address to Forum Maastricht, the university’s annual conference on European affairs. [continued…]

Ahhh, spring in Maastricht! Outdoor chairs appear at every café, the sun shines, flowers bloom, and Maastrichters head outdoors with gusto. The parks of Maastricht become popular, and populated, once again. This time of year these public spaces have shed their gray winter coats to become sunny green magnets for one and all: dogwalkers, sunbathers, sports players, families, bikers, strollers, readers, writers, and all the rest. [continued…]

The perpetually contested issue of Israel and Palestine was the central theme of an illuminating debate recently held at the University of Maastricht. Organized by Maastricht Debates and moderated by Wilfried Ruetten, director of the European Journalism Centre, the event allowed a glimpse into the hearts and minds of a Palestinian, Saman Khoury, and an Israeli, Avi Primor, who appeared as two very conscientious individuals seeking not to evangelize their respective causes but to find new hope through Europe’s next generation. [continued…]

One of Maastricht’s most majestic groups of buildings, the Saint Servatius Basilica, became a stunning concert hall for Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Passion according to Saint Matthew” for two consecutive nights on the weekend before Easter. A review by Hector P. Alvarez for Crossroads. [continued…]

Bucharest. December 22, 1989. The Romanian people have risen. Communist dictator Ceausescu has fled. The Revolution is spreading through the streets. But chaos ensues… A review for Crossroads of “The Paper will be Blue”, Radu Muntean’s breathtaking film. [continued…]

On the evening of March 29th, a full house at the Grand Theater La Bonbonnière — over 200 mostly international students — waited expectantly for Jan Pronk to speak. Launching off with the incendiary declaration, “Everything went wrong and everyone is responsible,” Pronk didn’t disappoint. [continued…]

As part of a series of lectures on Europe and its citizens, Studium Generale bravely hosted a lecture on 28 February on one of the most controversial topics in politics and academia – if and how Islam is reshaping Europe. Hundreds of students poured into the auditorium on the Minderbroedersberg to listen to German journalist and writer Henryk Broder. He didn’t disappoint them and began with a punch: “These are the last days of Europe as we know it.” [continued…]

If you are a lover of Spain’s culture, its language, its traditions and its cuisine or if you are a Spanish expatriate feeling a little homesick in Maastricht, Círculo Cervantes is the organisation you are looking for. [continued…]