CES Newsletter

Spring 2015

Table of contents

CES news

Programmes and courses page 2

New partners page 4

Visitors page 5

Recent & upcoming trips page 6

Summer internships page 8

Happy news at CES page 12

CES events

Jimmy Wales lecture page 20

Peace Palace visit page 24

UM Star lecture in Berlin page 28

Baylor trip to Greece page 32

Carnival in Maastricht page 40

Students’ impressions – favourite photos page 46

Teacher’s column page 58

Maastricht at this time of year page 62

CES alumni – where are they now? page 70

CES info page 72

1

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OPEN ENROLMENT PROGRAMMES AND COURSES:

Applications to our Summer programme in European Studies and our Fall Semester

programmes are now open, don’t miss out on an amazing study abroad

experience!

Information and online application forms available on our website via the hyperlinks below:

FALL 2015 OPEN ENROLMENT PROGRAMMES:

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

SUMMER PROGRAMME IN

EUROPEAN STUDIES

NEW PARTNERS:

CES is proud to announce new partnerships with two Universities in the United States:

We very much look forward to working with both Universities’ study abroad staff and

faculty and to welcoming students from both these schools at Maastricht University from

Fall 2015 onwards.

Additionally, we are very happy to report that

Maastricht University is now an official member of

The Forum on Education Abroad and NAFSA. CES will

be represented at The Forum’s 11th Annual

Conference in New Orleans from March 25-27, 2015

and at NAFSA’s Annual Conference and Expo in

Boston from May 24-29, 2015.

4

VISITORS:

We were delighted to welcome several guests in Maastricht over the past few months.

Here they are, in chronological order:

- Daniel Diaz, Study Abroad, Assistant Director at Guilford College (Greensboro, NC)

- Jesse Honsky, Instructor in the School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve

University (Cleveland, OH)

- Elizabeth Snell, International Programs Manager at Washington University in St.

Louis, Olin Business School (St. Louis, MO)

We also had the pleasure of welcoming a delegation from Kuwait University who spent a

week at Maastricht University to learn about some of our processes such as student

admission, housing, student guidance, etc.

Jorg de Vette, Director of CES, together with members of the delegation from Kuwait

University and staff members of Maastricht University.

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6

UPCOMING TRIPS:

CES will be present at the following conferences in the next couple of months:

Jorg, Maaike and Kim will be at

The Forum’s 11th Annual Conference

March 25-27, 2015

New Orleans, LA

Jorg, Kyra and Aude will be at

NAFSA’s Annual Conference and Expo

May 24-29, 2015

Boston, MA

We look forward to catching up with many of our current partners and to meeting new

interested parties. Make sure to come and see us at our booth!

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9

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.

10

Between 10 May – 5 September 2015. The internship can take place any time during this

period for a maximum of 90 days and a minimum of two months. Exact dates, working

days and working hours to be determined in conjunction with CES.

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.

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)

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.

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.

Please send your motivation letter and resumé to ces.info@maastrichtuniversity.nl , to

the attention of the Director of CES, Jorg de Vette before 15 March 2015. Don’t forget to

include information about your availability (dates).

Please don’t hesitate if you have any questions. We are looking forward to hearing from

you!

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We are really thankful to have a wonderful team of student assistants here at

CES. They are such a great help when picking students up from the airport, showing them

around Maastricht, guiding trips across the country and Europe… we couldn’t do it without

them!

Our dynamic team has grown recently and so we thought it was time to introduce them all

to you. We start with the first three in this edition of the Newsletter – stay tuned for the

rest of the team next time!

Photo: Eileen Martin

“I LOVE HOW INTERNATIONAL MAASTRICHT IS”

Field of study: European Studies,

second year student

Nationality: Spanish (from Palma de

Mallorca)

Student assistant at CES

since: I have officially been working at

CES since November 2014 but I really

started helping out on a more regular

basis since January 2015.

The best thing about being a

student assistant at CES is:

meeting different groups of people who

come from all corners of the world and

helping them adjust to their new life

here in Maastricht. It’s really nice to see

how they develop friendships between

them, explore a new environment, etc.

and to get to share all of this with them.

The best experience I have

had as a student assistant at

CES so far is: when I accompanied

a group on a weekend trip to Brussels, a

city I have been to so many times

already; it was so interesting to see the

Australian students discovering the

Belgian capital for the first time; it made

me see things from a different, more

exciting perspective! Trying different

chocolates during a visit to a chocolate

factory was definitely one of the

highlights of the weekend!

My favourite thing about

Maastricht is: I love how

international Maastricht is. It’s amazing

that it’s possible to meet people from all

around the world in such a small city,

and it’s right in the heart of Europe! And

it might be a silly thing but I love the

cobblestones in the city center; it makes

wearing heels a bit of a nightmare, but it

definitely contributes to the charm of the

city!

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“I GET TO MEET PEOPLE FROM

ACROSS THE GLOBE, I LEARN

ABOUT THEIR CULTURE AND

BACKGROUND”

Field of study: Arts & Culture:

Major in Literature

Nationality: Dutch

Student assistant at CES

since: August 2013

The best thing about being a

student assistant at CES:

Being a student assistant is a real

privilege! I get to meet awesome people

from across the globe, I learn

about their culture and background

which is often very interesting and

furthermore I get to go on many

trips so I can proudly show Europe

to the students.

Then of course there is the CES team

that is just magnificent!

Being a student assistant at CES has

been very good so far :)

A couple of anecdotes about

my time as student assistant

at CES so far: I am still really great

friends with the first group I ever toured

around; we are in touch on a regular

basis. I also remember how much we

laughed despite the -12 degrees

centigrade in Berlin.

And what I like best is all the friendships

and fun encounters with the students,

and all the great sights we get to go to…

oh, and often students come to me for

questions and I feel like a teacher when

explaining everything and that’s great!

My favourite thing about

Maastricht is: My favourite thing

about Maastricht is walking around,

enjoying the sights and sitting in one of

the many cafés having a coffee while

reading and/or writing.

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“MY WORK BECOMES THE PLACE WHERE I CAN LIVE MY

PASSIONS: TRAVELING AND MEETING NEW PEOPLE FROM

ALL OVER THE WORLD”

Field of study: European Law

Nationality: German

Student assistant at CES

since: October 2014

The best thing about being a

student assistant at CES is :

that my work becomes the place where I

can live my passions: traveling and

meeting new people from all over the

world.

The best experience I have

had as a student assistant at

CES so far is: quite impossible to

name. Every single trip is special. I

especially enjoy that when I join CES

trips, I learn to see the places we visit

through the eyes of CES students. Some

of them have never traveled Europe

before, and teach me a completely

different perspective on places that I had

already previously visited multiple times.

My favourite thing about

Maastricht is: the feeling you have

that despite it being such a small city, its

internationality appears on eye-level

with world metropolises such as New

York, London and others. Wherever you

go you meet people coming from

everywhere - it’s beautiful!

Right: view of Amsterdam, by Luca

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CES

EVENTS

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CES Events – Jimmy Wales lecture

Rebecca Byrne , 20, studies Psychology at the University of

Canberra in Australia. She spent 3.5 weeks in Maastricht in January

2015, taking part in our intensive Positive Psychology programme.

On January 16, 2015, Maastricht University awarded an honorary doctorate to Wikipedia

founder Jimmy Wales for the exceptional contribution he has made to academic

education and research. Wales was invited by the Ambassador Lecture Series group to

give a lecture which some lucky CES students got a chance to attend.

Rebecca was one of them; read her story on the next page.

TEXT: Rebecca Byrne

PHOTOGRAPHY: Aude Frost

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“Failure - Jimmy Wales is good at it.”

Modesty was the last thing I expected from the man who co-founded the fifth most

visited website on the planet, Wikipedia. However, throughout the lecture, Jimmy

revealed how vital failure is to success. He believes that if he hadn’t had his fair share of

failure, he wouldn’t be as successful as he is today. Having tried to launch many

businesses and ideas which later didn’t work out or were complete failures, he used this

as learning lessons and motivation to keep trying harder.

It was helpful as a student to experience, and learn that failure can be helpful, rather

than a setback. Jimmy represented failure as a useful and important strategy that

challenges people to grow and learn more, both as students and in general.

There was lots of advice given on how to deal with failure. For example, he suggested

that “Real entrepreneurs fail; enjoy yourself and eventually you will succeed”.

Overall, the experience was interesting, inspiring, and everyone who attended was able

to learn something from such a modest and respected ambassador.

CES Events – Peace Palace visit

My name is Dragana Vujasinovic , I am doing a Bachelor of

Laws at University of Western Sydney and I’m currently in my last year

of study. I’m ecstatic that it’s my last year and would like to finish it

with a bang so I can focus on the future. I participated in CES’ January

2015 International Environmental Law programme in Maastricht.

TEXT: Dragana Vujasinovic

PHOTOGRAPHY: Dragana Vujasinovic

25

“The Peace Palace is actually so peaceful

even though the world’s biggest problems

are solved here”

I was very excited that CES was taking

our International Environmental Law

group to the Peace Palace in The Hague

because it’s where nations come

together to solve a problem with a little

help from the law.

When we got off the bus and we saw the

Peace Palace for the first time, I thought

to myself ‘well the name doesn’t lie’, it

definitely looks like a palace.

We were lucky enough to have a few

minutes to look around and take a

couple of photos of the palace, it was

amazing, the architecture was so old yet

at the same time it was modern.

The first thing you will notice is that the

Peace Palace is actually so peaceful even

though the world’s biggest problems are

solved here.

Our tour guide took us to the very first

chambers where the judges change their

robes and wigs. It hasn’t changed since

it was formed back in 1913; the room

holds so much importance that it was

wonderful to see that it hasn’t changed

for so many years. I can’t give away too

much, but it takes you back in time. P.S.

Don’t try to sit down or touch too many

things there for obvious reasons.

We then went to the presidential room,

where the judges and presidents of the

Peace Palace discuss some secret

business. Then finally we arrived to the

official courtroom. We sat down and

heard a little bit about the historical

cases that were decided in the courtroom

of the International Court of Justice.

Final thoughts, it was fascinating to see

that all around the Peace Palace there

were different gifts from all around the

world. The fact that the Peace Palace is

the final and official court and the only

one of its kind is truly amazing and

definitely worth a visit.

My visit to the Peace Palace

27

CES Events – UM Star lecture in Berlin

28

My name is Julia Duggan . I am originally from Acton, Massachusetts, and I

study neuroscience and Italian at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. I am

also a member of an a cappella group and two community service organisations

at school. This semester I am studying in Maastricht with CES; I am enrolled in

the Psychology & Neuroscience in Europe programme.

On January 22, I had the pleasure of attending Dr. Rainer Goebel’s lecture “New Insights

from Human Functional Brain Imaging” in Berlin, Germany. I went to this ‘UM Star

Lecture’, a Maastricht University alumni networking event, together with my fellow

students from the Psychology & Neuroscience in Europe programme as well as some of

the CES staff members who were on the Berlin study trip with us.

TEXT: Julia Duggan

PHOTOGRAPHY: Jorg de Vette

29

“What I found the most profound, was

his personal research on neural network

modelling and neurofeedback at the

Brain Imaging Centre.”

Dr. Goebel began with a brief summary

of the current happenings at Maastricht

University and the many impressive

improvements and achievements that

the University has made since its

founding in 1976. Of these exciting new

developments at the University, what I

found the most profound, was his

personal research on neural network

modelling and neurofeedback at the

Brain Imaging Centre.

Dr. Goebel uses ultra-high (7 and 9.4

Tesla) magnetic field MRI scanners, to

generate a three-dimensional scanned

model of the brain. The heightened

clarity of this MRI brings with it a

multitude of scientific and diagnostic

benefits. It has the ability to detect

signs of Alzheimer's disease in the

hippocampus, the first structure to be

affected by the disease, earlier than

previously possible. It also has the

ability to differentiate between white and

grey matter, to precisely localise the

activity of the brain, and to even trace

signals as they travel around the brain

and into the spinal cord. Goebel

explains, the more active a region of the

brain is, the greater the need for oxygen

(brain food). Oxygenated and

deoxygenated blood have different

magnetic fields that the MRI is able to

detect, thereby finding what area of the

brain is most active at any particular

moment. Goebel’s new software allows

brain images to be taken, and instantly

analysed. Instant analysis is a major

development as images that usually

takes days of work to

analyse, may suddenly be

interpreted in real time.

With their neurofeedback

software, Goebel and his

colleagues can physically

show the subjects tested

what is going on while they are being

scanned. In the scanner, the subject

receives a “thermometer”, as Goebel

calls it, that reveals to the subject how

active a certain region of the brain is.

After a few trials, the subject can learn

30

what sort of thoughts provoke or pacify

activity in that region, and eventually,

will learn how to modulate his own brain

activity, himself.

This real time fMRI neurofeedback is

opening the doors to a new type of

clinical therapy. For example, Goebel

and his colleagues performed an

experiment on patients with severe

depression, who had seen little to no

improvement with any drugs or

psychological therapy; essentially,

patients who seemed to be past all help.

These subjects were placed in the fMRI

scanner and given neurofeedback of

their limbic system (emotional structures

of the brain). The patients were asked to

either activate or deactivate these areas

by looking at the thermometer. After two

or three trials, subjects were able to

control the activation of these areas.

When asked how they did it, patients

claimed that they were able to learn by

using emotional memories to go in and

out of emotional states at will, thereby

controlling the activation of those areas.

Through this treatment, these subjects

were able to gain some control of their

emotions again through self-treatment,

and even more astonishingly, five out of

the eight patients scored

significantly lower on their

depression scores after only

a few weeks. Better still, this

type of treatment does not

only apply to depression, but

to many other dilemmas

people face such as phobias,

ALS, and Parkinson’s

disease, to name a few.

What seems amazing to me

is that this treatment has

shown to make patients not

only feel better, but also has

the potential to work better

than medications or other

psychological treatments.

Julia and fellow student Lesly

got to meet Prof. dr. Goebel

after his talk.

Click here to watch a video of Prof. dr. Goebel’s talk in Berlin

CES Events – Baylor Greece tour

My name is CJ Farrell .

I am a Junior at Baylor University from Houston, Texas. This spring I am currently

studying at CES Maastricht in the Netherlands. I am majoring in Media Business and

hope to pursue a career in audio or video editing.

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY: CJ Farrell

32

At the beginning of the Spring semester a group of 43 students including myself and 4

faculty advisors from Baylor University had the privilege of touring Greece for 5 days and

4 nights. We resided in Athens and got to explore the city and many of the local areas

around us. We were able to go on tours led by our wonderful and knowledgeable tour

guide Helena.

Each day consisted of day trips to different famous sites around Greece as well as several

museums and famous structures. We were able to explore the majestic Acropolis, visit

ancient Corinth, and even cruise around a few islands in the Aegean Sea. The Acropolis

was where we saw the ancient structures overlooking the city of Athens. We learned

about the different styles of columns and the history behind the buildings. We took a trip

to the ancient ruins of Corinth on one of the days and were able to walk where Paul from

the Bible once walked. It was pretty overwhelming thinking about all of the history that

was standing beneath our feet. Being there in person gave me such a personal and

visceral feel for all of the events that once took place where I was walking.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was when we were able to take a boat out on the

Aegean Sea and dock at three different islands: Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. Each island

had such a unique feel and it was an incredible opportunity to just be able to walk around

and explore them for about an hour. We even got to learn some traditional Greek

dancing steps thanks to our live music performer on the boat in between the

islands. Dancing on a rocking boat is probably not the safest way to move but it

definitely made it more interesting!

Our group took in so much information and experienced a myriad of sights over the short

course of 5 days and now it almost feels like a dream. I am very grateful to have taken

part in the Greece trip; I will cherish all of the memories made on the journey around

Greece.

CES Events – Carnival in Maastricht

My name is Sara Ghassemi and I am originally from Orlando,

Florida. I’m a sophomore journalism major studying at Baylor

University in Waco, Texas.

TEXT: Sara Ghassemi

PHOTOGRAPHY: CES Spring 2015 students and CES staff

My very first day in Maastricht, I knew Carnival

was going to be something out of this world.

Taking a walk through downtown and then to

the mall, I passed shop after shop with

gorgeous displays advertising for the huge

event to come. Clowns, flags and costumes

took center stage in almost every window and I

could feel myself growing more excited about

my opportunity to be a part of the celebration.

When I saw Jumbo advertising major discounts

on their Carnival attire, I decided it was

definitely time to do my shopping and put a

costume together. Trying to be economical, I

chose a cheap pair of fangs and thought that I

could easily be a vampire if I dressed in all

black. While I checked out, the cashier told me

that the next week was going to be insane and

that the town would be completely

transformed.

When Saturday finally came, I walked into the

city square in a state of complete awe. The

makeshift vampire costume that I had thrown

together completely paled in comparison to the

astonishing getups I was seeing. My black shirt

and lipstick “blood” were clearly the work of a

complete amateur in a sea of expertly crafted

costumes. I felt comically underdressed and a

little out of place. I could have sworn I was on

a movie set looking at all the beautifully

applied make-up and clearly very expensive

outfits that people were wearing. I saw the

Mad Hatter, Power Rangers, princesses, and

just plain outlandish outfits. There were

families in coordinated costumes, from

psychedelic 70s themes to space aliens. I’d

never seen anyone go to such lengths to dress

up outside of theatre productions, even

Halloween could not compare.

My whole group was overwhelmed by

everything that we were witnessing. It was 3 in

the afternoon but from the way that people

were partying in full swing, you might have

thought it was late in the night. The typically

calm, quiet, and quaint town of Maastricht had

transformed overnight into a big city filled with

crowds, food trucks and music.

One of the most amazing aspects of Carnival is

that absolutely everyone gets excited and

involved. All the stores on the main streets

close down, with some even boarding up their

windows. Everyone is out and enjoying the fun,

from grandmothers in wheelchairs to small

children being carried around by their parents

to avoid being trampled. Everyone comes

together for the celebration and puts their best

foot forward to have a great time. There are so

many people out enjoying the time together

that the party lasts all day and well into the

night.

42

As I stood with my friends enjoying the

warmth and excitement around me, a

woman came up to me and tossed a

fistful of glitter onto my hair and clothes.

With a friendly smile, she ran off looking

for her next victim. After recovering from

my initial shock, her act of silliness made

me realise that even with the wild

festivities that come with Carnival,

Maastricht remains a welcoming and

inclusive environment all year round.

Being from out of town or even out of

the country doesn’t stop you from being

treated like you belong. Everyone wants

you to be there and to have a good time.

43

“When Saturday finally came, I walked into the city square in a

state of complete awe.”

“One of the most

amazing aspects of

Carnival is that

absolutely everyone gets

excited and involved.”

“I could have sworn I was on

a movie set looking at all the

beautifully applied make-up

and clearly very expensive

outfits that people were

wearing.”

35 46

We asked some of our January and Spring 2015 students to

send us their favourite photo from their stay in Maastricht.

Here are their stunning pictures and stories.

TEXT: January & Spring 2015 CES students

PHOTOGRAPHY: January & Spring 2015 CES students

47

“On the way to our first morning classes at

Maastricht University.

It was as if the sun had decided to put on a

'welcome' show. This was just the beginning of our

discovery of how beautiful this place really is!”

Sammie Fair

University of Tasmania, Australia, International Relations & Politics in the EU:

Peace, Conflicts and Human Rights January 2015

49

“Here is my favorite photo. It's a picture of me next to the

pedestrian bridge overlooking the Meuse river. I chose this

picture, because it's one of the first things that caught my

attention in Maastricht. I feel like this river and bridge is very

specific to our beautiful city, and I had it taken by some of the

great friends I have made through the CES program.”

Joshua Perry

Case Western Reserve University, European Politics, Law & International Relations

Spring 2015

50

”This photo represents the friendships I have made so far in

Maastricht during our CES trip to Berlin. While there, I

celebrated my 21st birthday with new friends at a wonderful

city. This image shows the beauty of Berlin, through its ancient

history!”

Lesly Zapata

Mount Holyoke College, Psychology & Neuroscience in Europe Spring 2015

“Visiting Berlin in January for the first time was so wonderful--it's a city with an

expansive history and an eclectic vibe. This photo was taken just outside of

Museum Island, where we spent the afternoon touring the different museums at

our own pace. It was great traveling to Berlin with our CES program group, because

our awesome coordinators helped guide us through the city, but also allowed us to

have plenty of free time to explore on our own. Can't wait to go back!”

Jenny Thomson

University of San Francisco, European Culture & Arts Spring 2015

53

“Aperitivo - Het Landhuis Maastricht. This was a homemade Italian dinner attended by many of the

students from the guesthouse. This highlighted how well the Maastricht community welcomed the

international university students no matter where you were from or how long you were staying.”

Jake Jubelin

University of Newcastle, Australia, Positive Psychology January 2015

“It’s incredible just how much beauty Maastricht holds. This

photo is especially indicative of my study abroad

experience, because every time I go for a walk on a nice

day, I stumble onto another incredible sight. Experiences

like these is why I chose to study abroad in the first place,

and why Maastricht has been the perfect destination for me

to do so thus far.”

Patrick Holbrook

Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, IU in Maastricht Spring 2015

CES Events – Positive Psychology symposium

58

CES

TEACHER’S

COLUMN

Get to know more about one of our wonderful and

dedicated teachers in each of our newsletters!

This time Kristine Sørensen tells us about

herself and the class she teaches our students.

59

Please tell us a little bit about

yourself:

I moved from Denmark to Maastricht in

2006 with my family, because my

husband got a job in the Dutch company

DSM. We have two sons who are now 11

and 13 years old and a cocker spaniel

called DaVinci. We thought we would

stay 2-3 years, but time has passed and

we are still here, because we like it so

much.

What do you like best about your

job?

I got involved in teaching European

Public Health at the Faculty of Health,

Medicine and Life Sciences and later in

teaching study skills at CES preparing

students from abroad to study in the

Netherlands. I used to be a study

advisor for five years and I think it is

important that exchange student get a

maximum out of their stay in the

Netherlands - in terms of both

professional and personal development.

In recent years I have coordinated

European research projects on health

literacy within the Department of

International Health. I love the

international working atmosphere and

the global flavor of my daily tasks.

How did you get where you are

today?

I studied medicine and realised that my

talents were rather in public health,

however there was no such education in

Denmark. I met a Dutchman from the

World Health Organisation who had

studied Health Science in Maastricht and

I realised that it was my dream to do the

same. But I had just fallen in love, so I

ended up staying in Denmark with my

boyfriend and we got married. Some

years later, it became possible to study

Public Health Science in Denmark as well

and I immediately switched. It was a

great time. Funnily enough, I have

ended up in Maastricht anyway with my

husband. Never say never…!

60

You developed and teach

“European Public Health in a

Globalising World” for CES. Please

tell us a little more about the

course.

The course focuses on health in Europe

from national countries to the European

Union to a global view. Health

professionals of today work in multi-

disciplinary teams focusing on local

issues as well as global impacts.

Just think of Ebola; the outbreak started

in a small African village and now

threatens people’s health across the

world. In Europe we now discuss an

outbreak of measles, which we have

hoped to eradicate. It will not happen, if

we do not vaccinate.

Furthermore, the burden of chronic

disease is a major health threat that is

preventable. We need committed health

professionals that can change the status

quo. This course hopefully encourage

young people to take up the challenge.

CES students absolutely love

taking your class. What do you

like most about teaching (at

CES)?

I appreciate teaching at CES because

students are happy to share their

knowledge and keen to learn about new

perspectives. I was touched during the

summer course when our Italian student

talked about the crisis of refugees fleeing

across the Mediterranean Sea. In turn,

our American students are challenging

the European way of thinking, which

creates lots of discussions in the

classroom. I prefer interactive and self-

directed learning methods, which

encourage everyone to take part in

creating the learning environment. My

class always includes an obligatory photo

safari in Maastricht to take photos that

represent health related terms; it is one

of my favorite parts! Minds are like

parachutes – they only function when

open; and the photo safari is one way of

provoking critical thinking and food for

thought in the class room.

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TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY: Mymer Love

Mymer Love: I was born and grew up in the tropical country of the

Philippines. I am in my third year of studying my second degree: a

Bachelor of Psychology at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, in

Queensland, Australia. My aim is to be able to work with children when

I finish my psychology degree.

The city of Maastricht is small and simple yet beautiful. It has a very relaxed and

peaceful atmosphere, friendly locals, delicious food and it has a good mixture of mostly

old buildings and a few with new architecture.

One of the things that I looked forward to this January was the snow and Maastricht’s

weather did not disappoint us Australian students: we were welcomed with snow when

we arrived and were given a white sendoff the day we left; the whole city of Maastricht

was blanketed with snow. I really enjoyed watching snowflakes gracefully fall from the

sky; for me it was therapeutic.

Maastricht in January can get very cold, with negative degree Celsius temperatures,

sometimes hailstones and even though it rained a lot of the time this did not stop me

from making the most of my stay in this beautiful city. I already miss Maastricht. It

would be my pleasure to come back one day.

Maastricht at this time of year

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CES alumni – where are they now?

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

YOURSELF:

I'm originally from Los Angeles and

recently graduated from Indiana

University. I now live in Atlanta and

work for Delta Air Lines as a Strategic

Planning and Customer Experience

Analyst. I love traveling and playing

basketball in my spare time.

YOU WERE IN MAASTRICHT IN

SPRING 2013, WHAT IS YOUR

BEST MEMORY ABOUT STUDYING

ABROAD WITH CES? HOW DID IT

INFLUENCE YOU?

My favorite aspect to studying abroad

would be the global perspective I

gained. I really enjoyed interacting with

people from a variety of backgrounds

and learning about different cultures.

Studying abroad in Maastricht was also

a great location for traveling throughout

Europe and doing so sparked my

passion for travel. When I returned to

Indiana University after my semester

abroad I decided to add international

business as a major to my degree and

pursue a career which aligned with my

new mindset.

YOU TOOK THE FOLLOWING

CLASSES: DUTCH, ECONOMICS OF

EUROPEAN INTEGRATION,

COGNITION, LEARNING AND

KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT,

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

IN A GLOBAL WORLD AND

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

STRATEGY. WHICH OF THESE

STAND OUT AND WHY? HOW WAS

IT TO STUDY IN A DIFFERENT

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM?

The course Leadership and Management

in a Global World stands out to me

because it introduced me to the airline

industry. Our class studied the

leadership styles of the CEOs at

Southwest and Ryanair which made me

consider a new career path. The

educational system in Maastricht is

unique in its Problem Based Learning

structure and was a positive experience.

This system encourages students to

interact with one another in small

groups and discuss the learning topics in

a collaborative environment.

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WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST

ACHIEVEMENT SINCE

GRADUATING?

My biggest achievement since

Maastricht would be moving to Atlanta

to start my career with Delta. Studying

abroad in a foreign country gave me the

courage to move to a completely new

city.

IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU

WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO IU

STUDENTS WHO ARE THINKING

ABOUT GOING ABROAD?

Studying abroad is a must. It is truly a

once in a lifetime opportunity every

college student should take advantage

of. While abroad, make the most of the

experience and do not let a single day

go to waste. I also encourage you to

step out of your comfort zone and

consider programs in smaller cities

which may not be as popular. These

programs do not feel like Indiana

University in a different city, and can

really expand your horizons.

Matthew Altschul

was a student at CES in

our Spring 2013 IU/UNC

programme.

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SPRING & SUMMER 2015 AT CES

January 16 – June 6: 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 16 – June 6: IU/UNC programme

January 24 – April 23: Baylor in Maastricht (Spring)

May 8 – June 4: Grand Valley State University

May 10 – June 6: Xavier University & Lebanon Valley College

May 18 – August 13 Baylor in Maastricht (Summer)

June 12 – June 30 University of Colorado Boulder

June 15 – June 29 Christopher Newport University

June 26 – August 7 Summer Programme in European Studies (SES)

August 1 – 24 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: ces.info@maastrichtuniversity.nl

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