“Cook from scratch” sounds like neutral health advice. But planning meals, shopping, managing dietary needs and cooking still fall disproportionately on women. Madhura Rao argues that healthier food policy must address who does the work—not just what ends up on the plate. 🔗 edu.nl/y6vdu

UM student Pia makes music as Geffroy, the artist name once used by her father. After his sudden death, she learnt to balance studying and creating — but also resting when she needs it. Her personal story is about grief, ambition and making space for both. edu.nl/9guaa

Could a siesta be part of our heatwave strategy? Hannah Pallubinsky says gradual heat exposure, fans and adapting work hours can help the body cope—while air conditioning should be used when needed, not automatically. edu.nl/mfhth What do you think: would Dutch workplaces ever embrace the siesta?

Why do many people with cancer lose weight without trying? NUTRIM researchers Marit van Hooren and Niels Ruber create mini intestines in the lab to study how tumours may disrupt bowel function—and what that could reveal about cancer-related weight loss. Watch the video 👇🎥

Can EU institutions defend the rule of law when Member States withdraw support? ECJ judge Ben Smulders reflects in this @studioeuropa.bsky.social interview: edu.nl/9adve

A smart home can detect a fall—but when does helpful monitoring become unwanted surveillance? UM and Radboud researchers are exploring how privacy, autonomy and accountability can be built into care technology from the start. 🔗 edu.nl/rdh3m Where would you draw the line?

New funding for YUFEPULSE 🎉 The European Commission has approved YUFE’s next two-year phase. It will expand learning and mobility opportunities, strengthen cooperation across ten universities and deepen regional partnerships. More here: edu.nl/47uvv

Is Europe facing a migration crisis—or a governance crisis? In this interview by @studioeuropa.bsky.social, UM Professor Lilian Tsourdi asks whether the new EU Pact can create lasting solidarity or whether national interests will undermine it. 👉 edu.nl/d7dvu

Ten UM researchers have received Veni grants of up to €320,000 each. Their pioneering projects range from machine learning and responsible AI to Alzheimer’s disease, brain-computer interfaces and earlier warnings of heart failure. Congratulations to all ten! 👏👏👏 edu.nl/ecqxj #NWO #Veni #Research

By day, Jolijn studies medicine. By night, she sings and dances on stage. How does she combine both—and should artistic talent receive more support? Read more: edu.nl/kgyw4 #MaastrichtUniversity #StudentLife

Ahead of her keynote at Maastricht University's Opening of the Academic Year, futures literacy expert Loes Damhof shares why "there is never just one future." Read her inspiring UM50 interview and discover why imagining multiple futures matters: tinyurl.com/2yre9mx2 #UM50 #OAY26 #OAJ26

How do you bring Problem-Based Learning to life beyond the classroom? From student ThinkTanks to honours programmes, this #UM50 story shows how Maastricht University's educational philosophy continues to evolve through real-world learning. um50.maastrichtuniversity.nl/en/stories/p...

Some artworks need time to win people over. Mieke Derickx knows this better than most: for almost 25 years, she shaped how art is experienced across Maastricht University. After 42 years at UM, she reflects on a career rooted in curiosity and experimentation. Read her story: edu.nl/9xcun #UM50 #Art

How wild can animals still be when humans breed, relocate, monitor and protect them? Professor Raf de Bont explores the changing role of zoos—and why protecting distant tigers often feels easier than living alongside wolves closer to home. Read the full interview: edu.nl/xfx48

Osteoarthritis is more than “wear and tear”. Prof. Tim Welting explores how molecular cartilage research could slow the disease, improve diagnostics and help patients keep their natural joints longer. Discover how cells, drugs and animal-free models may shape future care: edu.nl/fhn7g

Can improvisation help you become a better psychologist? Student Bella Geraerds thinks so. She and Professor Anique de Bruin compare studying psychology at UM in 1995 and today—from PBL and less cramming to research that can help families. What has changed, and what still works? edu.nl/9aypu #UM50

An old newspaper office testing technology for an underground observatory. Students living above a lecture hall in a former arsenal. A greenhouse researching the future of food. Explore the places that tell FSE’s story: edu.nl/pmyxw #UM50

Tumour cells deprived of oxygen are often harder to treat. Prof. Kasper Rouschop studies how they survive, communicate and spread—and how to block those mechanisms. “If we can prevent metastasis thanks to the antibodies, we will have a huge impact.” Read more: edu.nl/cqacq #CancerResearch #Oncology

What stories are hidden behind UM’s buildings? The 4 km self-guided Maastricht University Tour takes you past 13 distinctive city-centre buildings. Scan the QR codes to discover their history, architecture and role in the university—and see Maastricht through new eyes.🚶More info: edu.nl/vd4cm #UM50

Ten years ago, the Living Lab Rehabilitation set out to bring research, education and clinical practice closer together. Today, its partnerships are improving rehabilitation care across the south of the Netherlands—while helping people regain control of their lives again. Read more: edu.nl/63n73

Can arts and crafts reshape medicine? Professor Anna Harris studies how craft, materials and unconventional thinking can make healthcare more creative, sustainable and humane—from knitted organs to improvised hospital equipment. 🧶 edu.nl/nc7rd

Ten years after Brexit, Europe still defines British politics today. Michael Shackleton, Emeritus Professor of European Institutions at UM, explains why closer EU–UK ties look likely, while rejoining remains distant. Has Brexit changed Britain for good? 🔗 edu.nl/wyg6u

When Denise Villerius joined UM, timetables were still drawn up in pencil. 26 years later, she looks back on KidzCollege, international students, colleagues and a career spent across almost every corner of the university. One thing won’t change: she may still drop by for coffee: edu.nl/rr6pe #UM50

In wartime Russia, doctors and volunteers use digital networks to help Ukrainian refugees—and challenge the state’s actions. Olga Zvonareva’s research asks a difficult EU question: how do we regulate platforms without weakening the spaces that enable solidarity and civic resistance? 🔗 edu.nl/a4g43

Where do we want UM to be when it celebrates its 100th anniversary? Join us on 31 August for the Opening of the Academic Year 2026/27. Expect academic awards, an inspiring keynote by UNESCO's Loes Damhof and a look ahead to the next 50 years of UM. Read more: edu.nl/jdbva #OAY26 #UM50

What if your student room was literally above your lecture hall? For Gema, who moved from South Africa to study at University College Venlo, student life means small groups, new friends, river walks and the occasional 15-minute bed-to-classroom commute. Read her UM50 story: edu.nl/7br7p #UM50

Hylke Dijkstra will become UM Europe Chair at Studio Europa Maastricht on 1 September 2026. His task: connect UM’s Europe-related research more strongly with policy, public debate and the transitions facing Europe. Quite fitting, in the city where Europe is never far away. Read more: edu.nl/r7t4x

Pupils already use AI for their homework. The challenge is making sure it helps them learn, not replaces the learning. A new UM project brings parents, teachers and pupils together to create practical materials for responsible AI use at school and at home. Read more: edu.nl/dnkd7 #AI #Education

UM’s International Staff Week has started 🎓 As part of #UM50, Maastricht University welcomes 25+ colleagues from 17 countries to swap ideas on internationalisation policy, strategy and the future of global higher education. Curious what’s on the agenda and why it matters? 👉 edu.nl/apr7b

Epidemiology at UM turns 50, and the field is anything but ageing quietly. From bowel cancer recovery to working with chronic illness, Professors Matty Weijenberg and IJmert Kant show why population health research matters more than ever. 🔎 Read more: edu.nl/njh7a #Epidemiology #PublicHealth