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…]

On 23 January, 2007, Maastricht played host to a public debate on the latest World Development Report, ‘Development and the New Generation’. This was the second such event hosted by Maastricht Debates with several more events planned throughout the year in the city. [continued…]

The Ghanaian dance troupe Kusum Gboo on January 17 presented its new show Sankofa! at the Kumulus theatre in Maastricht. A review for Crossroads. [continued…]

A good 80 Dutch and Flemish editors and researchers gathered on Friday 24 November at the European Journalism Centre, Maastricht, to assess and discuss several prototypes of novel newspaper products or services. All are web-based one way or another, and ready for the Web 2.0 publishing environments. [continued…]

Controversial English psychiatrist and writer Dr Anthony Daniels, who uses the quirky pen name Theodore Dalrymple, was recently invited to present Maastricht University’s Tans Lecture. This annual lecture commemorates Dr Sjeng Tans who helped create the university 30 years ago.

Limburg media caught wind that the retired prison doctor would be speaking. He is often criticised for being anti-liberal and the media attention helped draw a large crowd to the UM’s Collegezaal theatre. Dalrymple did not let the audience down and delivered a contentious speech on why heroin addicts deserve little sympathy or government aid. [continued…]

British journalist and Netherlands watcher Simon Kuper on a recent visit to Maastricht gave a compelling two hour lecture on the transformation of the Netherlands. He wanted to dispel the myth that the Netherlands is suddenly unsafe and rife with religious and cultural conflicts.

Yes, he said, the country’s demographics have changed drastically since WWII, but this is still probably the safest land in the world! [continued…]

When listening to Vicente Amigo, the famous flamenco guitarist who played at the Theater aan het Vrijthof on 18 October, it is easy to hear La Convivencia channelled via the ancient tradition of flamenco music. [continued…]