CES Newsletter Spring 2014

CES Newsletter

Spring 2014

Table of contents

CES News page 2

SES: Summer Programme in European Studies page 4

CES Internship page 6

CES Events

‘Get Involved’ info market page 8

Amsterdam weekend trip page 12

Berlin study trip page 20

Positive Psychology Symposium page 26

Students’ impressions – favourite photos page 30

A very special reason to come to Maastricht… page 38

Teacher’s column page 42

Course highlight page 46

Maastricht at this time of year page 48

CES alumni – where are they now? page 56

CES Info page 58

1

CES News

PROGRAMMES AND COURSES:

SUMMER 2014:

We have added an extra class to our Summer Programme in European Studies:

Comparative Analysis of Global News Coverage. See page 5 for more info and apply now

to follow this course and/or any of the many other classes on offer!

FALL 2014:

Apply now for one of our 5 Open Enrolment Programmes for the Fall semester:

1. Business & Economics in Europe

2. European History, Culture & Arts

3. European Politics, Law & International Relations

4. Psychology & Neuroscience in Europe

5. Public Health & Medicine in Europe

APPLICATION DEADLINE SUMMER & FALL 2014:

UPCOMING TRIP(S):

Jorg de Vette, Director of CES, will be attending two major

events in San Diego this Spring: The Forum’s Annual

Conference from April 2-7, 2014 and NAFSA from May 25-30,

2014. He looks forward to meeting with many current and

prospective partner universities and colleges. Please feel free to

email him at [email protected] to schedule an

appointment.

2

APRIL 15, 2014

ANNOUNCEMENT:

The price of Dutch residence

permits has slightly increased

to €304 per January 2014.

VISITORS:

We were delighted to welcome several esteemed and enthusiastic guests in Maastricht over

the past few months. It was wonderful to (re-)meet them all on Maastricht soil and get the

chance to talk in person about programmes, developments and share our visions. Here they

are, in chronological order:

- Kathleen Horn, Program Coordinator at the Office of International Education at the

University of Denver (Denver, CO)

- Dr Antonio Papuzza, Instructor Management & Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School

of Business, University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)

- Dr Eva Lawrence, Chair and Associate Professor of Psychology at Guilford College

(Greensboro, NC)

- Tammy Orahood, Director of International Programs and Global Initiatives at the Olin

Business School at Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY:

Maastricht University was recently rated ‘best young university in Europe’ in

the QS ‘Top 50 Under 50’ ranking. Ben Sowter, Head of Division of the QS Intelligence Unit:

"Maastricht University is the top performing European university in this ranking. One of the

most international continental European institutions, Maastricht has established itself as an

attractive university and a prestigious center of academic excellence for both domestic and

international students and faculty”.

Maastricht University also appeared in the Times Higher Education’s list of 25 most

international universities worldwide , where it obtained the 15th place.

HAPPY NEWS AT CES:

Our 2011 Summer intern Caitlin Murphy from Lebanon Valley

College (Annville, PA) paid us a surprise visit on her way to Norway

where she is now spending a semester abroad. It was lovely to have her

here at CES again after all these years!

CES Education Officer Nathalie Ummels and her husband Atticus

are expecting a wonderfully cute addition to their family in August. Big

sister Indigo and big brother Sirius are very excited and we are all over

the moon to share in their good news! The photo on the right is Indigo’s

depiction of her mum, made with a jumping rope.

3

SPEND

YOUR

SUMMER

2014

IN

MAASTRICHT!

APPLICATION

DEADLINE:

APRIL 15,

2014!

Block period 2 21 July – 8 August 2014

Block period 1 2-17 July 2014

Entrepreneurship: it’s all about creating value

NEW! European Public Health in a Globalising World

NEW! EU-US Relations: Trade, Investment and Competition Policies

NEW! Going Dutch: Literary Reflections of the Low Countries in the 19th and 20th

Century

Intercultural Communication

NEW! Medical Ethics

NEW! The EU: Peace, Conflicts and Human Rights

Study Tour Central and Eastern Europe

Study Tour Western Europe

NEW! Comparative Analysis of Global News Coverage

Doing Business in the Emerging Markets of East and Central Europe

Dutch Art History

Economics of European Integration

NEW! Europe since the Renaissance: The Making of a

Continent and its Identity

Leadership and Management in a Global World

Law & Politics: Current topics in the EU (formerly known as

Politics of European Integration)

NEW! Positive Psychology

Courses available in the following majors:

Art History International Law

Business International Relations

Communication Literature

Economics Media Studies

Entrepreneurship Medicine / Pre-Med

European Studies Philosophy & Ethics

Finance Political Science

History Psychology

Human Rights Public Health

Click HERE to

view the full course

description, course

code and number of

credits for each

class.

5

CES Summer internship – last chance to apply!

The Center for European Studies at Maastricht University organises study programmes for

non-EU students studying for a semester or a year. If you want to gain international work

experience in a dynamic environment, where you will have a high level of independence and

responsibility and lots of contact with international students, CES is the place for you!

Our workplace is informal, with supportive and friendly colleagues who will offer you a

diverse workload which is challenging and fun. You’ll be in touch with students and

professors and are bound to benefit immensely from working in this innovative and

international setting.

When Between 11 May – 6 September 2014. The internship can take place any time during this

period for a maximum of 90 days. Exact dates, working days and working hours to be

determined in conjunction with CES.

Responsibilities Front office activities. You will be responsible for providing assistance and information

to students from the various programmes offered by CES

Organisation and supervision/guidance of study trips and day trips for CES students

Administrative programme tasks

Various activities supporting the CES staff, secretariat and professors

Requirements You are a CES alumnus/alumna

You are a native speaker or have an excellent command of the English language

You are open-minded towards other cultures and nationalities

You are outgoing and able to work independently, as well as in a team

You are accurate, you are used to working to deadlines and are a good organiser

You have a high-level of customer service

You have some experience in guiding groups (desirable but not a must)

Please note The internship can be within the framework of your programme of study, but this is not

necessary. If requested, CES can grade your internship. The grade can transfer to your

home university.

Remuneration The internship is unpaid; you will be housed by CES at Maastricht University’s

Guesthouse (C single, P double or C double according to your preference) for free.

How to apply Please send your motivation letter and résumé to [email protected] to

the attention of the Director of CES, Jorg de Vette before 1 March 2014. Don’t forget to

include information about your availability (dates). Please don’t hesitate if you have any

questions.

We look forward to hearing from you!

7

CES IS LOOKING FOR TWO SUMMER INTERNS!

CES Events – ‘Get Involved’ information market

For the first time this year CES organised a ‘Get Involved’

information market for international students. Vera Adriaans,

student assistant at CES who played a large role in putting

together this event, tells us a little about this exciting new

project.

TEXT: Vera Adriaans

PHOTOGRAPHY: Aude Frost

9

Vera Adriaans studied Health Sciences and Psychology at

Maastricht University and graduated two years ago. She grew

up in Landgraaf, just half an hour from Maastricht, but has lived

in Maastricht for 5 years now. During her studies she worked at

the Student Services Centre and now we’re delighted she works

at CES as well.

10

As a student in Maastricht you

have many opportunities

to do something extra

next to your studies.

These possibilities vary

from learning a

language, organising

events, or volunteering

opportunities . From the

United Nations Student

Association to the Green Office,

there is something for everybody!

We noticed that many international

students were interested in getting

more involved in student life and

the local community but they didn’t

know where to start. We wanted to make

sure that they wouldn’t miss out on

anything and could make the most of

their time abroad.

Initially we started organising the

information market with our own

students in mind, but then thought why

not open it up to all incoming

international students of Maastricht

University. There were 15 participating

organisations and the Tuna Universitaria

Maastricht (a Spanish music group run

by students) came to perform. We

provided traditional Dutch cookies

and sweets called ‘stroopwafels’,

‘speculaas’ and ‘drop’ to keep

everybody going.

As it was the first time, we were

curious to see how many students

would turn up and hoped everyone

would benefit from it, and indeed

everything turned out great!

The reactions were very positive,

the information market was a

great sucCESs and we hope to

organise it again next semester!

CES Events – Amsterdam weekend trip

All students attending our January term programmes spent one

of their weekend trips discovering Amsterdam and the area.

Eileen Martin, a student from Guilford College (NC) who took

part in the Positive Psychology programme, was kind enough to

share her thoughts and photos of this fun and particularly

photogenic weekend.

TEXT: Eileen Martin

PHOTOGRAPHY: Eileen Martin

13

My name is Eileen Martin and I currently live in the

southeast portion of the United States. I am a proud mother of

three grown children, and when I finished raising my children, I

went back to school to re-ignite my passion for psychology and

helping others. I am currently working on my goal of becoming

a counsellor and advocate by obtaining a Master in Social Work

degree.

14

After our first fabulous weekend trip to

Brussels and Bruges, I had my doubts

that visiting Zaanse Schans and

Amsterdam would be able to compete.

Upon arrival at Zaanse Schans

my initial reaction was it was a

typical tourist destination

filled with all the trappings of such:

trinkets, silly photo opportunities,

replicated history. While this was all

true, it was much more. The tour

guide explained that the houses were

in fact original and moved to this site

to preserve their integrity. We learned details of what specific architectural ornaments

signified and the materials used during that time period. Looking past the trinkets, I was

able to learn how Dutch shoes are made and how cheese is processed. I sampled several

cheeses and left with a new favourite (sheep’s cheese). On a final note, I would have

missed not having the opportunity to see the stereotypical Dutch windmills and shoes

had we not visited Zaanse Schans. I guess that makes me a typical tourist!

Well, how do you explain Amsterdam? I had, of course, heard stories and wild tales

but was certainly not prepared for such a city. I am thankful for the historic tour we were

treated to because I was better able to grasp what makes this city pulse. I was amused

to learn about the Catholic church/Red light district connection and found the city not to

be such a scary place, but more of a place where people do not worry about what other

people are doing.

Although it was a bustling city, the canals were strangely quiet and peaceful with their

houseboats lined up, and the shear amount of canals was breathtaking and beautiful.

However, my favourite part of Amsterdam was visiting the Anne Frank Museum. This was

an experience that moved me and gave me an opportunity to reconsider notions I had

about the Holocaust and remind me how fear of difference can produce evil and mass

destruction. This is something we all should be reminded of frequently. I do wish we had

more time to explore in Amsterdam, but having the opportunity to be there even for a

short time was quite rewarding.

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CES Events – Berlin study trip

TEXT: Tom Ruben

PHOTOGRAPHY: Tom Ruben

My name is Tom Ruben and I’m a 22-year old BA Arts & Culture

student at Maastricht University. I live in Maastricht and I was born in the

little town of Reuver, about an hour north of Maastricht. I am a student

assistant at CES and among other duties I guide groups of CES students to

a variety of locations such as Berlin, Brussels, Antwerp and The Hague. In

my spare time I like to write, watch films, listen to music, practice sports,

have great conversations with friends at cafés, and take photos. Besides

working for CES, I work for Studium Generale, a department of Maastricht

University that organises extracurricular activities such as lectures, movie

nights and debates. Also, I own a little photography company and I write

for my faculty magazine Mosaïek.

On Wednesday the 22nd of January, Dario and I guided a group of 16 CES students on a

trip to Brussels and Berlin. After a visit to the European Commission and a city tour in

Brussels we headed to the airport. A short flight later we arrived in Berlin. A rather

unexpected freezing cold welcomed us, whilst we were trying to figure out how to use the

U-bahn and the S-bahn. Luckily, the PLUS hotel we stayed in was situated right next to a

U-bahn station so we did not have to fight the cold for too long.

We took part in many interesting activities in the few days we spent in Berlin. For

starters, Berlin-resident New Zealander Mike took us on a fun and inspiring tour through

the city, showing us all the important sites. Furthermore, we visited the Stasi prison

where we had a guided tour by a former inmate. We went to Sachsenhausen

concentration camp, a camp where approximately 200.000 people were sent to during

the 2nd World War. The cold emphasised its bitterness and made us experience and

realise just a minor fraction of what the ‘prisoners’ must have been through.

Although we already visited the most well-known Holocaust memorial of Berlin during the

tour, we visited it once more and this time we not only saw the memorial at ground level,

but also entered the museum underneath.

During one of the evenings we visited the beautiful Bundestag, the German parliament.

With great views over the city and a most informative guide this was more than worth a

visit. Although, as it was night, no members of parliament were present, the grandeur of

the buildings made us realise what an important place we were at and we could easily

imagine Angela Merkel walking around the hallways.

Article cover: The whole Spring 2014 group in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

Left: Holocaust Memorial under the snow. Right: Neue Wache Memorial.

Talking cuisine, Berlin serves you well. For very reasonable prices one can have dinners

that could easily be shared by two. On Saturday night, we had a group dinner at the

typically German Bräuhof, where local food, beverages and entertainment are in

abundance. A huge hall with long Hogwarts-like tables, live music, waiters and waitresses

dressed in Lederhosen made us truly experience German gastronomy and hospitality.

One of the absolute highlights of the trip!

Despite the cold, we had a great time in Berlin; we visited lots of sights and experienced

many interesting activities. Now, back to the gym to work on those added pounds after

the epic meal at the Bräuhof.

Top left: Students on the walking tour of Berlin.

Top right: Inside the Bundestag, the German Parliament building.

Bottom left: Inside the Holocaust Memorial.

Bottom right: Sculpture of Georg Elser who tried to assassinate Hitler in 1939.

Right: Inside the Bundestag.

24

CES Events – Positive Psychology symposium

26

The 3rd Positive Psychology Students Research Symposium

Maastricht was held on Friday January 24, 2014 at the Faculty

of Psychology & Neuroscience at Maastricht University.

Caitlin Smith, from the University of Canberra in Australia, tells

us all about it.

TEXT: Caitlin Smith

PHOTOGRAPHY: Patrick O’Neill & Caitlin Smith

27

Caitlin Smith: I study at the University of Canberra in

Australia where I’m doing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology,

majoring in Counselling. I’m in my final year of uni and when I

finally graduate I’m hoping to study overseas (Maastricht being

my first preference!) in the field of cognitive or social

psychology.

On the 24th of January, all of us who participated in the Positive Psychology programme

presented a poster or an oral presentation based on our topic of interest, which of course

had to be related to the positive psychology content we had learnt in the previous three

weeks at Maastricht University.

The posters were based on our research proposal, which was due 3 weeks after the

symposium, where we were required to hypothetically design a study of our chosen topic.

There was quite a diverse amount of topics that emerged in the posters and

presentations, which made it very clear and interesting to see where everyone’s passions

and interests stood.

Although everyone’s work deserved to win, a few students displayed exceptional ideas

and were very creative in their display of posters. These were Eileen Martin, Kate Willis

and Jenna Riley who were very deserving of their awards. They researched topics such as

“The Pursuit of Happiness: An Examination of Achievement Avenues”, “Indigenous

Australian Youths: The Impact of Mindfulness and Strength Building on Recidivism” and

“The Effects of Self-Compassion on the Development of Postnatal Depression”. Ashley

Hodgkin gave a wonderful presentation on “The Lowlights of Lawyering: Workplace

Stress and Career Choice Satisfaction” and received a price as well. Congratulations to

them and to everyone else who presented their research and thank you to Maastricht

University for allowing us all to have such an amazing and inspiring experience to study

overseas!

28

Students’ impressions – favourite photos

For this edition of our newsletter we asked some of our Spring

2014 students to send us their favourite photo from their stay

in Maastricht so far.

Here are their beautiful pictures and stories.

TEXT: Spring 2014 CES students

PHOTOGRAPHY: Spring 2014 CES students

30

“Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities in Europe and I was so excited we could visit it

during our first couple of weeks here! The city is beautiful and so full of culture. Also, I

am making so many great new friends in Maastricht and I'm happy to

be sharing my travel experiences with them.”

Maha Elsarrag

Indiana University, IU in Maastricht Spring 2014

32

"This picture epitomises why CES is so great. Within the first week of arriving, CES had

pre-arranged a trip for one day to Brussels and three days and four nights to Berlin. They

had a multitude of educational and edifying activities for us to

do. While we only spent one day in Brussels, there was still so much to see and this

picture not only illustrates the wonders of Belgium, but also what CES has to offer. The

picture is very telling because it was only the first week of my four and a half month

experience and I was already fulfilling my aspirations of exploring the world."

Eric Lieberman

The Pennsylvania State University, European Politics, Law & International

Relations Spring 2014

33

“Here is a photo that I really like from my time here so far. It is from the last night of

the Berlin study trip and was one of the most fun nights I've had while abroad. The

reason I like this photo so much is because prior to the Berlin study trip, all of us did not

know each other very well, however by this night we had all spent time together and

grown much closer. Additionally, everyone in this photo genuinely looks happy and to be

enjoying each other’s company. It was great to be a part of a group

that began the trip as strangers and left as friends .”

Ethan Harel

Washington & Lee University, Business & Economics in Europe Spring 2014

34

“This past weekend, I went on an adventure to Interlaken, Switzerland. My group and I

were entranced by the magnitude of the mountains and their

indescribable beauty . We went paragliding, night sledding, and enjoyed our fair

share of Swiss chocolate and great Thai food - a perfect weekend by any measure. I am

already planning my return trip and look forward to more adventures in the Swiss Alps!”

Catherine Langford

Baylor University, Baylor in Maastricht Spring 2014

35

“This photo is of the Cliffs of Moher in Galway, Ireland. This picture not only represents

the freedom that comes with studying abroad , but the opportunities

that are available for me while I am here. This was one of the most unbelievable natural

beauties I have seen while in Europe and makes me more excited for additional sights I

will see in the next few months!”

Bradley Boll

Indiana University, IU in Maastricht Spring 2014

36

“Amsterdam is thus far my favourite place that I’ve visited in Europe. I experienced the same

thing in Amsterdam that I experienced with San Francisco all those many years ago when I fell

in love with that city: Taking that first step on soil and immediately feeling the pulse of

the city beating through your veins. It’s electrifying . That’s the only word

to explain it. The first full day I was there, I spent hours upon hours wandering around Jordaan,

which is famously one of the most beautiful places in Amsterdam, but I had never heard of it

before I began researching what there was to entertain myself with in the city. This is, of

course, because “Amsterdam” is synonymous with “The Red Light District” for many foreigners.

The thing that I loved the most about Amsterdam was how quickly it rejected infamous

stereotypes with its unparalleled beauty. Amsterdam is a city of winding canals, centuries of

Dutch art, and excellent food. It was the first place that I utterly fell in love with in Europe, and

I can wait to see what other cities throughout Europe catch me off guard with the same kind of

zeal.”

Maya Avery-Warner

University of San Francisco, European History, Culture and Arts Spring 2014

37

A very special reason to come to Maastricht….

We always enjoy reading students’ motivation letters; they

express their desire to get out of their comfort zone, to learn in

a new environment, to discover another corner of the world…

One letter during the Spring 2014 application process caught

our attention in a very particular way; the student in question,

Michael Murock, had a very special reason to come study in

Maastricht... Read his story on the next page!

38

Michael Murock is taking part in our European Politics,

Law & International Relations programme. Back home, he

studies at the Pennsylvania State University where he has

concurrent majors in both Political Science and Economics. He

expects to graduate this December.

“My grandfather, William Kennedy, served in the U.S. Army from 1943 until 1945. He

was part of the American forces that liberated Maastricht in

September 1944.

During the celebrations, he met Dutch soldiers, who introduced him to their sister,

Johanna Humblet. From there, they began a relationship that William wanted to result in

marriage. However, Johanna's mother believed that it was too soon and that if William

was serious, he would return to Maastricht after his discharge from the Army.

That is what he did. He left the Army and sailed back to Maastricht where he took a job

at a chair factory for a year. After Johanna had the approval of her mother, she sailed

back across the Atlantic with other Dutch war brides. She settled in Plum, Pennsylvania

where she gave birth to five children and adopted three more. She lived in Plum until her

death in 2003.

Since my grandmother had four brothers in Maastricht, I'm left with many distant cousins

still in the Maastricht area. I came here before the start of my programme so that I could

meet many of them.

This is one of the main reasons that I chose to study here for a

semester.”

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CES

TEACHER’S

COLUMN

Get to know more about one of our wonderful and dedicated teachers in each of our

newsletters!

We start this new section with Gwen Noteborn .

43

Gwen Noteborn holds a degree in

International Business with a

specialisation in marketing (MSc) and a

master in Conflict Management (MA).

She has been teaching at CES since

2009 and has been in charge of the

following courses for our students:

BUS2003 International Management

BUS2004 Brand Management

SEM3009 Transportation for the Future

Gwen says: “I love teaching at CES as I

meet new students each time and have

the possibility to add a little something

to their experience abroad. Studying

abroad will be something

they remember for the rest

of their lives and I regularly see

my "old" students on Facebook sending

messages such as I miss Maastricht (and

occasionally I miss my teacher )…

Facebook also allows me to follow what

they become after their time in

Maastricht. I really like that.

I try to be creative in class: I use

Facebook as a learning platform instead

of blackboard... I feel that using

Facebook stimulates discussion. I also

bring material to class, showing YouTube

clips that relate to the topic for example,

and I try to always include visits to

businesses in the Maastricht area such

as IKEA and the Bisschopsmolen (a local

enterprise in the city centre which has its

own bakery and oldest working watermill

in the Netherlands, dating back to the 7th

century). We also use blogs in our class

where students write about a company

of their choice, related to the course. By

adding these different elements, I try to

make it more appealing, fun and

engaging. I also try to implement a

competitive part in each course where

students challenge each other to see

who has the most inspiring and

innovative project.”

Left: Gwen’s

Summer 2012

International

Management

class during

their IKEA visit.

Next page: Ed

Lab, the mascot

of one of Gwen’s

award winning

project. He even

has his own

Facebook page!

Aside from her work at CES, Gwen works at the Department of Educational Research and

Development of the Maastricht University School of Business & Economics. She is also

the director of the Edlab: the educational laboratory of Maastricht University. The Edlab is

an inspirational environment to experiment with new digital tools and education

methods. It looks into ways to help teachers improve their education to be more in line

with PBL 2.0. For this reason, Gwen finds it especially relevant to have a connection with

the work field and to keep on teaching as it gives her creative ideas that

can be implemented in education to stimulate other teachers.

Gwen was recently awarded the Wynand Wijnen Education Prize 2013 together with two

colleagues from the School of Business and Economics for the remarkable contribution

they made to UM education with their Finance Video Project. According to the jury, the

Finance video classes that they created “have had a significant impact on student’s

learning effectiveness and professors’ development of educational skills.” Not only did the

finance video classes improve the passing rates and student evaluations significantly,

they also stimulated the professors involved in the project to rethink the way they

organise and teach their courses to be more in line with the changing needs of students.

We are delighted to count Gwen as one of our CES teachers and students always enjoy

her classes tremendously. If you are looking into coming to study at CES in the near

future, make sure you have one of her classes on your list - you won’t regret it!

45

UM course highlight

Maya Avery-Warner: I’m from Seattle, WA in the United

States and I am earning my bachelor’s degree at the University

of San Francisco, majoring in Comparative Literature & Culture

with minors in Philosophy and Gender & Sexuality Studies. I’m

currently on my semester abroad at CES, taking classes at

Maastricht University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

“Myth & Disenchantment is a course that explores human conceptions of good and evil

through religion and mythology. The first part of the course introduces students to the

theory and philosophy of mythology and religion, while the latter half of the course

focuses on applying theories to creation myths, religious texts, and works of art and

literature. Through these means, the course aims to reveal how myth functions in

culture and creates cultural world views, particularly as Western culture seems to be

secularising.

I am enjoying this class thus far and am continually intrigued by how every assignment

fits together. One great strength in the course, which differs from how my home

university works, is the interdisciplinary nature of the course. While many of the majors,

including my own, at my home university are interdisciplinary, classes tend to focus on a

single discipline. This course has elements of philosophy, religion, art, literature,

psychology, and the social sciences, which allows the tutorial groups to tackle very

complex issues.

This course is very unique to Maastricht University and works seamlessly with Problem

Based Learning. Through this course, I have begun to challenge my conceptions of

religion and mythology and question where my world views originated. It’s a

powerful and enriching course not only for its academic

content, but also for the way it encourages critical thought

about one’s personal beliefs .”

46

Course title:

Myth and Disenchantment

Course code:

ACU2004

UM department:

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

We’ve had a surprisingly mild Winter and early Spring this year, which has been perfect

for our January and Spring term students to go and explore the city!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Eileen Martin

Maastricht at this time of year

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53

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CES alumni – where are they now?

My name is Yannick

Schindler and I would like to tell you

a little bit about my experience as an

alumnus of the Center for European

Studies but before I do so I will have to

bore you with a little background. When

I turned 10 years old, I moved to the

United States where I would

subsequently pursue my undergraduate

studies at the Colorado College in

Colorado Springs, CO. During my junior

year at the Colorado College I attended

Maastricht University through CES as an

exchange student and while I enrolled

mostly in courses at the Maastricht

School of Business and Economics, I was

also able to take other courses in law as

well as humanitarian studies. A year

after my abroad semester in Maastricht,

I graduated from the Colorado College

and returned to Europe for a traineeship

programme at the European Central

Bank.

I have been working at the

European Central Bank (ECB)

for well over a year now and I can

happily say that is has been a fantastic

experience. To be honest, I would be

very hard-pressed to think of a better fit

36 38 56

as I get to work with many very talented

and diverse colleagues on tasks that I

am quite passionate about. I work in the

Monetary and Financial Statistics Division

and we are responsible with providing

the ECB as well as the public with

statistics on financial markets as well as

monetary and financial institutions. The

work environment is naturally quite

diverse as the ECB recruits its employees

from all over the European Union and I

learn new things about my European

neighbours every day (be it a new word

in Dutch or tasting a new dessert from

Poland). My time in Maastricht allowed

me to come prepared for such a

culturally diverse workplace not only

through providing me with an academic

environment with students from all over

the world but also through its central

location in Europe which made it very

easy for me to travel during my

semester abroad. In fact, my Romanian

colleagues are quite surprised that this

so-called “American” has spent a

weekend in Bucharest!

Of course these are nice personal

anecdotes but I can also more

fundamentally say that my time

studying in Maastricht with

CES allowed me to gain the

kind of exposure to the

different cultures of Europe

from which I am now

directly benefiting . It would have

been quite different had I crossed the

Atlantic from the United States and been

dropped into this very exciting and

vibrant community of employees at the

ECB without any prior exposure to

Europe and the many cultures she

encompasses. My time in Maastricht also

gave me something much more valuable

than a preparation to work at a

European institution. My abroad

experience allowed me to become

acquainted with the many great

treasures this continent has to offer be

they the boundless splendours of its

landscapes or the diversity of its cultures

and histories. Through my CES

experience I was also able to garner a

more intimate sense for the current

milieu that has encompassed Europe as

it forgets the trenches of the past and its

inhabitants partake in the most

significant political and economic

undertaking of the 21st century. That is

an experience that no textbook,

professor, nor classroom back in the

United States could have provided.

In addition, everyone at CES is

incredibly helpful and deeply aware that

an away semester is meant to be a

comprehensive experience not only

inside of the classroom but outside of it

as well. The study trips, the support, and

the warmth that the CES staff provide

ensure that each student is overcome

with a sense of “home away from home”

while studying at Maastricht. In short, I

can only say positive things about the

time I was able to spend in Maastricht

and about the programme that CES

offers... I only wish I had stayed longer.

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SPRING AND SUMMER 2014 AT CES

January 17 – June 7: Open Enrolment Programmes

Business & Economics in Europe

European History, Culture & Arts

European Politics, Law & International Relations

Psychology & Neuroscience in Europe

Public Health & Medicine in Europe

January 17 – June 7: IU-UNC programme

January 30 – April 24: Baylor in Maastricht (Spring)

March 9 – 15: European Management Residency in Entrepreneurship

and Business for Benedictine College Executive MBA

April 19 – May 16: Washington & Lee University

May 9 – June 6: Grand Valley State University

May 11 – June 7: Xavier University & Lebanon Valley College

May 19 – August 14: Baylor in Maastricht (Summer)

June 10 – 28: University of Colorado Boulder

June 27 – August 8: Summer Programme in European Studies (SES)

August 3 - 25: Meiji Gakuin in Maastricht

CES Info

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Mailing address

Maastricht University

Student Services Centre | SSC

Center for European Studies | CES

PO Box 616

6200 MD Maastricht The Netherlands

Visiting address

Maastricht University

Student Services Centre | SSC

Center for European Studies | CES

Bonnefantenstraat 2

6211 KL Maastricht

The Netherlands

Phone: +31 (0) 43 388 5282 Email: [email protected]

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