By Professor Rianne Letschert, President of Maastricht University
“I greatly appreciate the efforts of all colleagues involved in YERUN over the past year. The network continues to provide us with important information about what is going on in Brussels, thereby aiding us in strengthening our influence in European policy-making. In addition, the exchange of knowledge on topics important to UM (such as European Universities, Open Science, academic assessment reform, sustainability, support, etc.) is invaluable, enabling us to enrich opportunities for both students and employees. For the coming year, I look forward to seeing important new initiatives, including the YERUN research collaborative platform, come to fruition.
Maastricht University, as the European university of the Netherlands, will continue its steadfast commitment to internationalisation in 2024, serving as a driving force for the region. For UM, an international academic community and its associated values contribute to collaboration, knowledge, mutual understanding, prosperity and well-being. All this involves actively addressing the negative consequences of the national debate on the internationalisation of higher education in the Netherlands.
In the upcoming year, our focus will be on several priorities: offering concrete examples to policy makers and politicians to underscore the importance of internationalisation, especially for border regions like ours; expanding our Brightlands quadruple helix campuses; deepening European cooperation in education and research, including participation in European funding programmes such as Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe. From our European perspective, we will also strengthen our global engagement. YERUN’s role as the voice of young universities in Europe is greatly beneficial for these objectives.
Maastricht University looks forward to continued cooperation within YERUN and wishes all YERUN colleagues and their families happy holidays and a good start in 2024.”
