2 0Y RE 1 5A

From the Board of Directors

Dear Students,

It is a particular pleasure for us to introduce the 2014-2015 Yearbook. We have had so many excellent participants in our programs this year: motivated, passionate and very concerned about the bigger societal issues and the role of various organizations in these. MSM’s mission is to work together for better global management and you have helped us fulfi l this mission in 2014-2015 through your critical engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

This year has also been a remarkable one for MSM as we undertook many program and organizational innovations - and got nominated in the process for AMBA’s Innovation Award. This refl ects that we are concerned about the relevance and the quality of our education and that our students remain fi rmly our prime concern. Therefore it is great that you have chosen MSM. We trust that your newfound knowledge and qualifi cation will serve you in your subsequent endeavors.

As our alumni and alumnae, you are now part of the MSM family. The facts and fi gures you have learned about management and business will be outdated in a short time. But the approach to life and personal joy will hopefully be of support to you for much longer. Thank you for coming to MSM. We look forward to staying in touch with you. In the future we want to learn from you.

Prof. Wim A. Naudé, PhD Dean DirectorDirector Research

Ms. Kati Kovacs, MPA Associate Dean for Quality Assurance and Services

Ms. Amy Wang, MBA Associate Dean for International Relations and Innovations

Prof. dr. Aad van Mourik Director Education

Mr. Meinhard Gans, MSc Director International Projects and Consultancies

Ms. Chantal MuyrersSenior Manager Finance

Mrs. Marion Rutten-Klerckx, MA Senior Manager Human Resources and Legal Aff airs

Ms. Angelique Dijk Executive Secretary to the Directors

Dr. Boris BlumbergLecturer in Global Corporate Strategy and in Research Methods

A challenging, demanding and insightful journey has reached its final destination named “Graduation”. It was a pleasure to be a tiny part in your MBA journey - I appreciate our discussions, the diversity of experiences and backgrounds and the many smiles that you brought to class. You have shown what you are able to accomplish and I congratulate you with your MBA diploma. My sincere wish is that you will use the MBA experiences, the knowledge and the skills gained to realize your dreams and to make this world a better place for everybody.

Frans Boumans, MSc, MBALecturer in Investment Banking

New financing models in a changing world are needed since the credit crisis started seven years ago. What the world needs are not only different banks but also new financing models such as crowd funding, bank unions, peer-to-peer and family lending, and so on. We need to develop microfinance to the next phase of growth and sustainability. And last but not least to change the banking industry. With your MBA you can make the difference, also for the financial world. The MBA program provided you with knowledge and improved your competencies in order to help and advise others in making better choices. The investment returns of your MBA are various and numerous. You worked hard, you achieved your goal, and you earned your return. So now…You have plenty of time… no assignments with deadlines from your professors anymore…Life ahead of you, back to business as usual or something new, it is up to you again. I am sure you are ready to

move on, to make the right choices. I wish you all the best in good health and happiness!

David J. Dingli, MBA, MPhilAssistant Professor Operations Management

Dear students, as future business leaders you will be faced with many challenges. I hope that your time at MSM has equipped you with a global mindset. Business leaders of tomorrow must be globally competitive and require new perspectives on business and leadership. For those of you who plan to become entrepreneurs and launch the business ideas you presented to me in class (EMBA2013) I wish you every success. To the MSc MME class, you are now ready to lead technical teams as you have mastered the art of combining management and technology. Good luck to you all.

Stuart Dixon, PhDLecturer Global Corporate Strategy / Academic Coordinator Global MBA programs

Teaching in the residential MBA program is always a lot of fun, and this year was no exception. MBA31, you were a lively group. You were eager to learn, eager to challenge, eager to discuss but also eager to have fun. The atmosphere was great. The slightly smaller group meant that interaction increased, leading to livelier classes, deeper discussions and high quality of learning. MBA31, you were a pleasure to teach and made my job considerably easier and a lot more fun! I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, I’m sure you will all pursue them with the same enthusiasm as your studies! Good luck!

From the professors

Prof. Dr. Matthias FifkaLecturer in Global Responsibility and Ethics

Dear students of MBA31, it has been a wonderful and exciting week with you! Thank you for the lively participation in class and the vivid discussions! I wish you nothing but the best for your private and business life. Concerning the latter, always remember: It is less important how you spend the money that you make, what is important is how you make it. All the best!

Prof. Geert Heling, PhDProfessor of Organizational Behavior

Working with you was really a joy; so many faces, so many different cultural backgrounds, so many promising talents. I am convinced that your professional and personal life will benefit from what we have dealt with during the lectures. You know the saying ‘change is a constant factor in life’. So all of us we will move on, in whatever direction life will take us. But, as we are connected now as members of the growing global MSM community, we will stay in touch with each other. Wishing you all the best!

Prof. R. JayashankarLecturer in Corporate Restructuring

The eclectic MBA31 batch got down to the brass tacks of Corporate Restructuring across the globe from Ecuador to the subcontinent. There was never a dull moment with the group. The animated debates and the whole hearted participation left lasting impressions. I wish the participants all the best as they try to make headway with their careers back in their home countries. It is needless to add that they will emerge triumphant and buck the trend amidst the challenges posed by the global meltdown.

Dr. Stephanie JonesAssociate Professor, Organizational Behavior

MBA31 brought the usual diversity and energy to the corridors of MSM. Life is very quiet without them. This year I did not teach all of the students but those with whom I interacted brought very special qualities to the group. One in particular (he knows who he is) brought a spiritual dimension to the pursuit of business which I saw as a great contribution to MSM’s unique cultural mix. There is not one way of looking at the world. If ever we might forget that, our students will put us right. When they come to MSM they start on a journey. There are calms and storms on the way. They know they have to weather them - it’s all a question of attitude. The learning process is tough, but as we know - what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger... (Nietzsche)

Terry Kakeeto-AelenLecturer International Marketing and Service Management / Assistant Professor in Marketing

Teaching the International Marketing and Service Management elective to the MBA31 students specializing in International Business (IB) was for me both an elevating and humbling experience. The group was small but very multi-cultural, practical and highly enthusiastic. This paved the way for lively, one-to-one discussions and the sharing of exciting global service experiences with one another. Although there was a lot to be covered within a very short period, everyone exhibited exceptionally high energy levels throughout the lecture week. I take this opportunity to congratulate each one of you for having reached this all too important milestone. I wish you a lot of success in all your future academic endeavors and other vital areas of your life’s journey.

Prof. Luc KeuleneerLecturer in Finance in International Markets

Teaching for MBA31 at MSM was a great experience for me! Having such an interesting and international MBA-group of very motivated people in the room is rather exceptional for a lecturer. Challenging questions made the teaching for me unforgettable. I have no doubt that this group is going to make it! All the best!!

Dr. Stefanie KleimeierAssociate Professor of Finance

Dear MBA31 students in the Accounting and Finance Specialization, my course “Portfolio Management” presented you with a challenging subject: You had to link abstract statistical measures to financial theories and ultimately to economic reality. And all of that in a very short time: from the basics of risk and return to evaluating international portfolios in just four days. Throughout the course, I was impressed by your dedication and hard work. You were motivated in class and when working on the projects after class. It was indeed a pleasure to teach you! I hope that the skills that you learned and knowledge that you acquired are valuable to you when you return to your home countries. I wish you all the best for the future.

Joris StadhoudersLecturer Global Supply Chain Management / Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems

You have been successfully participating, during a vibrant academic year, in an outstanding MBA class. You demonstrated great interest in the challenging topics of Global Supply Chain Management. You worked very well in teams, analyzing and discussing cases, and presenting them. The class demonstrated high level of involvement and willingness to listen to each and everyone’s point of view. That is probably the best way to learn. I felt privileged to lecture the GSCM course to your class. In return, I trust that your memories of MSM will be good. With great confidence I can say that I expect you to do well in the future. Congratulations with your achievements!

Jakomijn van Wijk, PhDAssistant Professor Sustainable Business

ISI-impacts scores, APA-standards and paraphrasing, summarizing and quoting rules... I guess there are much better ways to start your MBA experience. Nevertheless, I hope that you reflect on your thesis trajectory as an inspiring intellectual journey in which you have learned a lot not only about your thesis topic, but also about managing a one-year research project, including your supervisor, thinking analytically and writing academically. I truly enjoyed teaching you research methodology and coordinating the thesis trajectory in general. It was great to see how some vague and fuzzy initial research ideas evolved into solid empirical studies with not only theoretical, but also managerial implications for the organizations and industries you have studied. It was great meeting you and I wish you all the best in your future career and personal life.

learned how to put the theory into practice and experienced what it’s like to work together with diff erent cultures. I’ve gotten to know you as an enthusiastic, motivated and rather quiet group.

And now, almost one year later you will leave MSM many experiences richer and of course a lot wiser. You will take with you new friendships and a knowledge that reaches so much further than what was taught during the many lecture hours.It’s all the ingredients of the pressure cooker that make this an experience you will never forget and I’m convinced this will help you in your future careers.

It was a true pleasure and privilege getting to know you and working with you. I wish you all the best in your careers and personal life. Congratulations!

From the staff

Karen TrompEducation Operation Offi cer - MBA

It seems like yesterday that you all arrived at MSM, not knowing what to expect in a country so diff erent from home. During the fi rst two weeks you started to get to know each other during the Learning Styles sessions and the Workshop Carousel and got to experience what team work is all about. And there was also time for fun; shooting the International Music Video with you was a great experience. It was so much fun watching you riding a bike for the fi rst time and eating raw herring!

But the famous pressure cooker was waiting for you! Starting off slowly with Managing Cultural Diversity the pressure quickly built up with courses like Accounting and Economics and remained at top level until the very last exam day. You struggled through exams and group assignments,

become very close in a very short period of time and lifelong global friendships had arisen. It was always hard to say goodbye! We hope that you will carry the knowledge you have gained at MSM in your backpack, not only the knowledge and skills you have learned from our lecturers and textbooks, but especially the knowledge you have learned from each other.We hope that all of this will contribute to your own empower-ment and to the support of your organization.

Oliver Olson (Head of Enrollment Management), Ellen Narinx (Senior Offi cer Student Aff airs and Career), Cathelijn Gilissen, Astrid Delhaas (Admissions Offi cer), Denise Dupont (Alumni & Education Offi cer)Enrollment Management: Admissions, Student Aff airs, Career Center & Alumni Offi ce

Dear MBA31 Students, fi rst, congratulations on successfully completing your MBA program! You have been with us for some time now. We got to know you through email and phone contact. There was a lot of exchange of information before we could welcome you all here in Maastricht. We enjoyed interacting with such a diverse group of participants. You not only learned a lot at MSM and from each other but we also learned from you. We hope that you enjoyed studying and living in Maastricht, The Netherlands. As you now become MSM alumni we ask you to please stay in touch with us. We would love to know how you are doing. Good luck with all your endeavors and we hope that you will have a nice welcome back home. Warmest regards!

Dolores McIntyreEducation Operations Offi cer - Executive MBA

It is my pleasure to congratulate you on your excellent achievement. Over the past 24 months I have had the privilege to get to know you during your visits to MSM, I experienced you as an eager and enthusiastic group of students who worked hard, showed tremendous energy, dedication and endurance in order to complete your MBA studies and all this on top of the added pressures of holding down full time jobs. Your team spirit and motivation got you through your numerous assignments, exams and prepared you for your Master Thesis. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and hope you apply all the knowledge and skills you have learned during your journey at MSM.

Manon SourenEducation Operations Offi cer - Executive Programs

Participants of the Executive Programs 2014-2015, you fl ew to Maastricht from all around the world. For some of you it was the fi rst time visiting the Netherlands or even Europe. We “knew” each other a little bit, because of the many email messages we exchanged before your arrival but it was always exciting to meet you in person on Monday morning during breakfast and match your faces to your names! Every group was diff erent but it was always a pleasure having you here in Maastricht. At the beginning of each course, individuals coming from diff erent parts of the world entered the class room. At the closing ceremony, we witnessed a group that had

Erik BartelsProcurement Officer

Dear participants, congratulations for your hard work. Good performance and efforts during the year 2014 - 2015 have paid off to complete this MBA31 program. I have been working at MSM for 19 years and it remains surprising to me how fast all these diverse nationalities with their unique character adapt so easily to the Dutch- and particularly MSM- culture and especially to the other students in our rooms, courses and programs. I still learn a lot from this experience, wishing that it would be like this all over the world. It would make life for all human beings much more peaceful. For the MBA31 class, I will remember all your activities that MSM or you planned and joined, especially the making of the video clip; the photo reportages of the work visit to EU Brussels and the city of Brussels itself; the fine food fair with Mayor Onno Hoes from Maastricht; the profile pictures for business purposes and for the Yearbook and the many photo shoots of you together with the guest lecturers who enriched you with their knowledge. It will be in my memories for ever. And not to forget your big and cheerful smiles even after a though exam. It shows that MSM is one big family which is still growing and growing. I wish you all a successful, happy and most of all a healthy future, both in business and in your private life! Godspeed to all of you.

Arsenio Kranenburg Facility Officer

Dear participants, first of all congratulations for your hard work and successful completion of your first-class degree. Today marks an important day in your lives. It is the beginning of a new journey. I hope you will continue building bridges between different cultures and continue to create a world with understanding and cooperation for the benefit of your respective societies and the world community. Good luck and wishing you all the best.

Iris WeijenbergInformation Center

Dear students of MBA31, congratulations! One year of hard work is over and you are going home, carrying an MBA degree in your suitcase. But more importantly, you gained a lot of knowledge and experience. Knowledge which you can use in your job and knowledge which you can transfer to the organizations in your country. I will remember MBA31 as a very friendly, quiet group. I enjoyed the moments I spent with you in the Information Office. From the first introduction to the lectures about literature review and referencing to the individual requests for help on how to find the key articles for an assignment or for your thesis. The lively group discussions, tired faces around deadlines and nervous students before the thesis defense are also part of my memories. I want to thank you for all the “Thank you’s” I received from you. It was a great pleasure working with all of you and I wish you a very successful, healthy and wonderful future. Keep in touch!

Maud de By, Sueli Brodin, Mariëlle Daemen, Paula KolfschotenCommunications Office

Dear MBA31 students, dear friends, “Cause you’re a sky, you’re a sky full of stars”Those are the words that come to mind when we at the MSM communications office think of you, and for us, this song by Coldplay will forever bring to our minds the cheerful video clip that we made with you at the start of your MBA journey at MSM, as you enthusiastically discovered your new surroundings in the city of Maastricht. You all danced, sang and laughed in front of another important star, the big red star of Maastricht. We shared many more memorable moments this year, such as the international dinner in November, where you gave your guests the chance to taste fabulous dishes from your respective countries, or the New Year PechaKucha celebration, where you inspired us with your heartfelt presentations, and our lively Carnival party, to mention but a few. The spirit of comradery created during these events at MSM and also during the many extracurricular activities that you undertook, such as the trips you made together throughout the Netherlands and Europe is undoubtedly what helped you keep up with the fast pace and intense rhythm of your MBA studies. It is also what will maintain the feeling of connection after you return to your respective homes and responsibilities. During our group lunch sessions, we very much appreciated the feedback you gave us about the importance of personal recommendations and word of mouth communication in promoting our programs abroad. This confirmed once again your immense value for our School, not only as students but also as future alumni and hopefully ambassadors. Quoting Coldplay’s song again, we trust that your experience at MSM “will light up the path” to success! Our best wishes to you all!

B AM 3 1

From the Academic Coordinator MBA31

I am always sad to say goodbye to graduating students. “Partir c’est mourir un peu,” as the French say, and this accurately describes what I feel when students go back to their own countries. Saying goodbye on the other hand also fi lls me with pride: I am proud of the fact that so many of you made it until the end, proud that you are MSM alumni, and proud already of the great things that many of you will do for your home countries and fi nally proud and grateful that I have been one of your professors.

You have a year behind you of very hard work, with deadlines almost every week and with exams at least once a month. As for me, I enjoyed working with you very much, especially as you bore our Moodle experiments with great dignity and with no complaints. I enjoyed reading all your theses and learned a lot about your topics, countries and cultures. I hope that when you go back to your countries and meet your old friends and relatives, you will gradually start to realize how much a year at MSM has changed you. Hopefully you will have made friends on all continents, and hopefully you will stay in touch. Finally, we hope that you have learned things that will make a diff erence to your personal lives and future careers.

Time has passed by very quickly and the year has now come to an end. I am not going to wish you farewell, because a farewell sounds so fi nal, as if we will never see each other again and will forget about each other. I say goodbye hoping, expecting, that you will come back one day and that you do not forget MSM!

Prof. Aad van Mourik, PhD Director EducationProfessor of Economics

From the Class Representatives MBA31

Dear all,Participating in the Maastricht MBA program at MSM has been an awesome experience that has caused a paradigm shift in our lives. We have been metamorphosed in our thinking and we are ready to contribute towards providing practical solutions to the world. The course off erings and sequencing at MSM are meticulously executed by world class professors who have a massive wealth of knowledge and skills. The learning environment at MSM is very stimulating and enabling so that co-creation and innovation are encouraged. The interaction with students from diverse cultures, backgrounds and experiences has also been a valuable and rare experience and to have been given the opportunity to lead this group has been an honor and a wonderful leadership experience. My approach to issues has been broadened. I have realized that everyone is so diff erent and yet the same in so many ways! Working with the MSM staff was very inspiring and it was incredible to receive latitude from them to organize events at a high level involving Maastricht University and the Mayor of Maastricht City. In retrospect, I would love to register my heartfelt thankfulness to my Lord and Savior- Jesus Christ (my God), family and friends, the MSM faculty and staff , the MBA31 group, Nuffi c, the Netherlands government and last but not least, the Zambian government for the love and support rendered. Yours Faithfully

Dear all,A year ago we all embarked on a journey that would change our lives, people from 22 countries came together in one place to start this new adventure together. The MBA program has been a unique and valuable experience where all of us have been transformed and our mindset has been changed. It has been quite a journey, one that I have enjoyed enormously; it has been exciting, cathartic, enlightening and at some points even a bit frustrating. It has been a time of personal discovery as well as very insightful with regards to not only business but the understanding of diff erent people. It has been a tough balancing act between all the assignments, presentations, case discussions and the fi nal thesis. However, I believe that now that I look back at everything, the challenge has been defi nitely worth it!I want to thank all of the MSM faculty, staff and everyone who has made this past year an even more enriching experience. Finally, to all my MBA31 friends I feel honored to have been given the possibility to represent my class for the last part of the program. Don’t ever forget that the most valuable thing that I am taking from this experience apart from the academic part, is the pleasure of having met each one of you and proudly calling you my family. I hope the MBA is only the starting point of our journey. MSM is really the place where the world meets! All the best!

Mutende Musonda ZambiaCorporate Strategy and Economic Policy

Olga Paez EcuadorCorporate Strategy and Economic Policy

Aarti KalpoeSuriname, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyStudying at MSM was an enriching experience. New ideas and concepts helped me to see beyond what I perceived to be limiting. Being part of an international class representing almost all continents was a true revelation. MSM is the cradle of some very important lessons learned in life such as “if you can dream it, you can do it” and “all creation is co-creation”… therefore I hope that after this MBA experience each one of us is inspired to create such an environment and succeed in living his or her dreams.“There is nothing like a dream to create the future” - Victor Hugo

Alejandra Salazar SantosColombia, International BusinessThis year was definitely special and unique for me. I had the opportunity to meet amazing people and discover the world in just one classroom. I had lecturers who inspired me to make a positive change in the world and friends who made me feel always at home. The multicultural environment along with a collaborative and friendly atmosphere, made this experience one of the best of my life!

Armina SerwendaTanzania, Accounting and FinanceI am grateful to NUFFIC and MSM for giving the opportunity to study a world class MBA, experience a wonderful multicultural environment and enjoy life in Europe. Studying at MSM has been one of the best parts of life. In the beginning, it seemed like a struggle, but at the end of the day, we can smell the wonderful fragrance of success in our study.

Ana PaezEcuador, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyFor me, the MBA is a milestone on my journey as I go after something greater for my life. This has been a journey of self-discovery where the pressure revealed my strengths and weaknesses which allowed me to reach new heights. I will never forget the year I spent in the Netherlands in which I found great friends and learned so much from people from all over the world.

Students MBA31

Anton TariganIndonesia, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyIt was a great experience to be part of the MBA31 class, meeting people from the other side of the world and trying to deal with different cultural backgrounds. It was not easy task to deal with all the “pressure cooking” process, loaded with all the assignments and exams, but overall it was a great experience to be a part of this program. The MBA program was challenging and demanding because it was completely different from regular MBA programs in my country. I did learn a lot in here, not just the academic part, but also self-management and communication skills. I believe all the things I studied here are very useful for the development of my future career.

Balasz KleebergHungary, Accounting and FinanceMaastricht is a unique place to live and meet with people from all around the world. Thanks to great professors and fellow students my knowledge in accounting and finance was broadened and my personal and management skills were further developed. I’m really happy that I had the chance to be a part of this international community and I hope that after our graduation we will stay in touch and meet frequently either in Europe or in any other continent.

Benjamin MusondaZambia, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyComing to do my MBA in Maastricht was a dream come true, and the time I spent in the Netherlands exceeded my expectations: the high quality of the program, the healthy lifestyle of biking, the warm Dutch people, the amazing MBA31 class, the supportive MSM staff and the world class professors, made me wiser and grow in a lot more other dimensions. I connected with Maastricht in many unique ways, and if I have to relive the choosing of where I would have loved to study, I would choose MSM all over again! Though staying away from my family was a big challenge at first, I quickly adapted and the experience made me grow closer. I thank God for making me go through these precious moments.

Brighton MavhusaZimbabwe, Accounting & FinanceNew experiences always come along with equal measures of anticipation and trepidation. The best way to make the most of, and enjoy these experiences, is to immerse into them. I would like to think this is what I, along with my MBA31 fellow students did during our time in Maastricht, from cycling almost everywhere, to making “frietjes” my staple (although without the mayonnaise). While indeed the reason we all made it to Maastricht was to further our education in our own individual quests, as the time of our departure draws close, we will leave with a wealth of memories, relationships and definite life-long friendships.

Diego RazzetoPeru, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyDuring this year in Maastricht I have had great experiences and met wonderful people.

Eleftheria SitaraGreece, International BusinessThere is a quote saying that “time is not measured by the passing of years, but by what one does, what one feels and what one achieves”. If it is so, my past year in MSM was equal to a decade full of experiences. Thinking of what I did, I would recall the various courses, exams and projects, which sharpened my business skills and knowledge. Thinking of what I felt, I would focus on the inspiring sessions of multicultural teamwork, the friendships I developed and the wisdom born by fellows totally different with each other. Therefore, thinking of what I achieved, my progress both as a person and as a professional is what will finally define my path in the years to come. All the best!

Emmanuel BaleleTanzania, Accounting & FinanceSuccess has always been a main goal in my life and in order to fulfill this goal I knew it was essential for me to not only enter a field that I am passionate for, but to further my skills and knowledge in the area of Financial Management and Control .MSM became the perfect place to fulfill my dream as the program went beyond my expectations in every way. Everything is so well packaged-the content, the faculty, facilities and support. It was a nice experience, one that transformed my way of thinking working with a diverse classroom. The professors are overwhelmingly good and passionate about what they do. People came from a wide range of industries, from all over the world. I hadn’t expected how important the other participants would be to the overall experience. The caliber of the group really impressed me. They were all brilliant thinkers who approached the cases from different angles. This has made my stay at MSM among the most memorable times of my life.

Gustavo Neves Brazil, International BusinessI am a more confident business leader, a trainer, and a coach because of my MBA at MSM.

James BamweteUganda, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyStudying in Europe is an opportunity to see the developed world if you come from an underdeveloped country like Uganda. Above all the Netherlands is a peculiar place with nice people ever willing to help. I experienced the European Union thanks to a “ticket” that enabled me to move around Europe freely without any border checks, all of this facilitated by the Netherlands Government. This is anchored in the high technology in communication and security. Africa could emulate this as a stepping stone to development.MSM is at the center of my stay in Europe with its “pressure cooker” that made me believe that a book of 600 pages can be read and thoroughly understood in one week to pass the examinations. This instills a spirit of hard work with a feeling that nothing is impossible; All that is required is strategy and diving deeper into issues.At the top is the cultural diversity at MSM which allows to learn how to live with people. There is a saying in many corners of the world: “Never trust anyone”, but in Europe trust is postulated in many things, especially the culture of not lying, and this keeps the systems together.

Leki TsheringBhutan, Accounting and FinanceDear Nuffic/MSM/Professors, I can’t believe I am graduating! I’m so excited and wanted to stop and tell you how I much appreciate your help throughout the year. You were patient, inspirational, actually made my time fun, although the study days were so stressful, yet very rewarding. Thanking you.

Mahendra Subedi India, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyMSM is a perfect place for quality education, diverse cultural exposure and global connections. Being with students from many countries and working in intercultural groups is very enriching. Apart from the business subjects, MSM also teaches to manage time and self-discipline indirectly through its tight schedules, vast curriculum and workshops. The skills developed, knowledge acquired, and the network built at MSM will certainly help me contribute positively in the fields of development and human rights in my future career. Together with renowned faculty members, the well trained, friendly and caring staff make the year spent at MSM definitely the most memorable time of my life.

Michael Topf Scaramone Peru, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyI made extraordinary friends, got involved in magnificent projects and learned invaluable lessons. Amazing personal, social and academic experience!

Mohamad ZaarourLebanon, International BusinessI’d rather say little about my MBA experience or maybe better to leave this space blank as no words can express the ‘out of the box’ journey!

Mutende MusondaZambia, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyStudying at MSM has been an enriching experience academically, professionally and socially. I have seen that paying attention, having the right attitude and being pragmatic are probably the three most important factors in the process of learning and staying on course in the MBA program. I have learned to work productively even under pressure and I have become more adept at handling increasing levels of responsibility. I have also learned to be more flexible, tolerant and to be a better team player within diverse groups. The case studies, exposure to industry, the thesis research process, the unique Dutch culture, the temperate climate, traveling within the EU, making new friends and being able to participate in various activities and share my experiences have formed the climax of my experiences at MSM.

Nomindari BatkhuyagMongolia, Accounting and FinanceI was extremely excited to come to MSM and the experience has been interesting. I have grown both academically and socially during this short period of time. In the process I struggled to continue the program, but I survived thanks to my colleagues of the MBA31 group. I learned from them, laughed with them and shared my life with them. I am very grateful for MSM for allowing me to meet these amazing people.

Olanike OjoNigeria, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyMy study at MSM was challenging, interesting and rewarding. Learning in a class of people from different nationalities and culture, times of sleepless night trying to meet deadlines, group study sessions with my classmates who have been a wonderful family, the weather, are experiences that will forever be cherished in my heart. I have learned about strategies of being a good policy maker and to think outside of the box which is a requirement to excel in the changing global business environment. I give all the glory to God Almighty for it is by his grace that I am victorious. With God, determination and hard work, the sky is the starting point.

Olga PaezEcuador, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyThe MBA at MSM has been a life-changing experience in which all my assumptions about life, business, family but most importantly about myself have changed, I discovered my strengths, celebrated my limitations and rose to the challenge. It has been a whirlwind of a learning experience in which I fostered friendships that will last a life time and learned about cultures from all over the world. I feel so fortunate to have been able to spend time with such a lovely and diverse group of people. Thank you all for making this year unforgettable.

Oluwabunmi FolowoseleNigeria, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicyI give God the glory for seeing me through this program and making my dream come true. I would like to thank Nuffic and MSM for being nice, creative and for granting me the opportunity to experience the world of diversity throughout the academic year. It has really been a year full of excitements, encouragement, taking all things into account and diving deep in our intellectual paradigm.

Rebecca Freda NamaggaUganda, Accounting and FinanceWhile at MSM I loved everything I saw, the people, lectures, the diversity in class and the Maastricht community. In particular, the diversity changed my way of thinking and the way I operate. Having studied and networked with high flyers of today’s business environment from all over the world, I am now ready for the next chapter.

Sibongile ChaipaZimbabwe, Accounting and FinanceMSM equipped me with various life experiences not only from an academic but also from a professional and social perspective. It enriched me with various skills including time management, stress management and how to prioritize things. However the program was very challenging, full of pressure, sleepless nights and demanded every minute of the year`s time. I appreciate the good work from the MSM staff, who created an enabling learning environment. I feel honored to have such people around me. Besides coming from various cultural backgrounds, MBA31 students were like one family. I thank them for their support.

Wassim Abdel NourSyria, Corporate Strategy and Economic PolicySeven billion people in more than 200 countries and I had the privilege of meeting you. Each one of you was a window to a diff erent world. Proud to have all of you MBA31 students.

Yosief IyassuEritrea, Accounting and FinanceStudying at MSM was a great learning experience for me. In addition to the lectures in the classroom, the exchange of ideas and experiences with lecturers and classmates enriches one’s perspective. Participating in the MBA program unlocked so much potential in me. It gave me the drive and confi dence to come this far and beyond. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the MSM community for the quality education and global experience, and I also wish to say thank you to all my MBA31 fellow classmates for the enriching experience of sharing, the friendship, the understanding, the community, the optimism and the unity. God bless you all.

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5

From the Academic Coordinator

Dear EMBA Graduates,Congratulations, two years of hard labor has borne its fruits! During these years, you probably had little time to refl ect, shuttling between work, Maastricht, Cologne and Shanghai, but now you can look back and hopefully you will realize how during your time at MSM you have grown and changed your points of view. You came in as strangers, and you have grown into a group, you are part of MSM and CBS now. Being part of these networks should help you profession-ally, so we hope you keep in touch with each other, with other alumni, and with us: so please do keep us informed about your further plans, growth and career. We wish you lots of success!

Vincent Feltkamp, PhDAcademic Coordinator EMBAAssistant Professor of Management Information SystemsManagement Information Systems

Adrian ArechigaUSATwo years of intense schedules, projects, courses and exams and now a new road lies ahead, one where you can apply all of the insights and leanings we all shared. Although it was challenging, it is very rewarding to look back at all that we have accomplished and all the new challenges we will now be able to tackle with greater confi dence and knowledge. We were fortunate enough to have a very diverse group of individuals in this cohort leading to very broad perspectives and gaining insights no text book can teach. I wish all my colleagues a bright and successful future!

Alexandra Niedenhoff GermanyFor me, the best thing about studying was to listen to the lectures. It felt like going to the movies from morning till night, as I was delighted by most subjects. Although I had been working in the fi eld of economy and business administration for years, some topics were new to me. I enjoyed it very much! The integrated view on sustainability aspects opened my eyes and showed me a world of business opportunities. Studies end like pregnancies: At last you‘re just so glad it‘s over! It took a lot of eff ort, but it will hopefully be worth every hour we put into it!

Daniel ThormannGermanyDoing an Executive MBA is challenging, but I never knew how much it can be to do it besides a full-time job and a family. Now I know and I don’t regret it. During the last two years I’ve learned a lot about management, leadership, sustainability, cultural diversity and much more, but also that regression analysis can be a pain. And I know which huge self-management capacities are inside me. Very important: It was amazing to study in such diverse class. I meet wonderful fellow students from all over the world and I hope we will stay in touch. First reunion: Moscow 2016?!! I’m looking forward...

Dimitri DanielsBelgiumStretching your limits, broadening your cultural horizon and having loads of fun summarize two years of EMBA study! It was a great experience and a lot of new friendships were created.

Students Executive MBA 2013-2015

Emil SadigovAzerbaijanAfter working in marketing for several years without any educational background in economics, management nor marketing, I decided to support my on-the-job learning experience with theory and relevant education. The MBA program significantly increased my understanding of business, broadened my vision on global trends and taught me additional skills in management. However, one of things I enjoyed the most was our extreme diverse group - with representatives from 11 countries from Chile to China who blended a lot of fun into the hard learning process.

Haroon SadiqPakistanI can never forget the month of September of 2013 when I came to Maastricht to start the EMBA program. I came in with high hopes of learning new and exciting things. Being an engineer, I was never sure if I would be able to comprehend business studies and I actually had to study really hard in the beginning. Two years later and I can’t believe it is all over. It was a great learning experience and the studies really broadened my thinking and knowledge. I am excited to see what the future holds for me. I met some excellent people and made friends for life.

Mo LiuChinaI think it was the right decision for me to study this EMBA course after 11 years of working. It will be helpful to re-organize my future career. Meeting my EMBA classmates from 11 countries was an exciting experience in sharing different cultures and cooperating in an international climate.

Ramjee RanaNepalIt was a wonderful moment of my life to be part of a multinational and multicultural student body. Time moves so fast when you have a good experience such as spending time with a girlfriend or on a vacation in your favorite place. It was like yesterday, but now it is almost time to say “good bye”. It was my privilege to be part of MSM/CBS. Each module was packed with valuable experience and knowledge. The last module was by far the best, not only because of the topic on cultural diversity and leadership, but also to get to know your colleagues. Now, I have wonderful life long college ending memories. At last, thank you for all my colleagues, the CBS/MSM management team and the lecturers.

Ricardo Parra HuertaChiliIn doing an MBA we take a lot of things for granted, that we will somehow manage with the difficult balance of study, work and personal life; or that an MBA will help us in landing a better job, etc. The truth to me is that this MBA has been a very extenuating experience of self-discovery, to learn about my limitations and potential, and in this aspect I’m grateful for all the people I met along the way, and all the experiences we shared.

Roland LöweGermanyStudying with our very international EMBA group including more than 13 nationalities and a large variety of industry backgrounds was highly appreciated. I was pleased to have the opportunity to share experiences with professionals from different backgrounds. Next to the valuable academic update from our lectures I would like to highlight the insights we have received on sustainability in business life. Hopefully we will all manage to stay in contact and meet each other on a regular basis.

Serkan SezekGermany“The Village People”, this is how my friends called my EMBA group referring to the diversity of cultures and accents. Learning things about the culture of every fellow student and building up some lasting friendships was a lot of fun. Proceeding with the courses and getting insight into many different business areas was interesting. The courses were intense but I enjoyed developing my skills and mastering the courses with my fellow students. I’m looking forward to staying in touch with them. Village People, I wish you all the best for the future!

Stephan TimmGermanyTwo years have passed by now and I will leave MSM & CBS having met a lot of interesting people and having had awesome experiences during the program. Doing an Executive MBA was an enormous challenge for us all - pushing ourselves beyond limits. Sometimes we felt exhausted; sometimes we felt frustration and a lot of pressure to meet our own expectations in particular while preparing for the next exams or writing demanding course assignments. But in the very end, we all have made it! And we all can be proud of what we have achieved! I am very thankful that I was part of the program, for all what we have learned and for all the support coming from the lecturers, the supervisors, the supporting staff, but also from family, friends and colleagues!

Svetlana KontarchukRussiaI am a strong believer of the fact that one should study to improve oneself in every way. Most of my academic qualifications involve legal education and I know that I need to learn more if I hope to forge a path into business waters. It is my belief that EMBA provides an excellent start for an ambitious business career. It’s an immense opportunity to gain new experience and improve your intra-cultural communication skills while working in multicultural group. Knowledge gained in classes is an invaluable source when it comes to ascertaining and resolving business and corporate matters in the company where I work.

Hüseyin CavgaTurkey

Valentina WachterRomania

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5

From the Academic Coordinator

Dear Students,Following a two-year MSc program that combines engineering and management, and that is taught at academic institutions in two European countries has proven to be an exciting endeavor! Especially also when you are part of an international student group. After the engineering year at RWTH in Aachen, Germany, you continued the program with manage-ment courses at MSM in Maastricht in the second year. The schedule was tight, comprising three-week course blocs that ended on the last Friday with an exam, leaving only a few days for recovery and preparing for the new bloc. But the pressure enhanced study effi ciency and paid off . You all managed to pass the management courses. All lecturers liked working with you and praised your performance.

Most of you are still (June 2015) involved in an internship assignment with a German or Dutch enterprise before diving into the thesis research. We look forward to your fi nal project works. The world needs engineers who can bridge the technocratic and management worlds in response to the ever changing needs of global business and of society. We are proud of having had the opportunity to support you in further developing this global orientation.

All the best!

Jeroen van Wijk, PhDAcademic Coordinator MSc programsAssociate Professor in Business and Development

Amar Chikkappana KeshavamurthyIndiaI am grateful to RWTH Aachen and MSM for giving me the opportunity to study in MME1. Being the part of MME1 is a wonderful memory and it’s more like a family to me in my life. In the beginning, I was struggling with cultural diff erences and also from the hectic subjects but when I look back now, all I can see is wonderful memories, which made me successful in my career and also most importantly in being a better person.

Arjun MenonIndiaA time had come in life where I had to make a decision to pursue my higher studies in RWTH Aachen University and the Maastricht School of Management. Uncertain of the life I would have in Europe, I had set on my journey and now I believe this was the best path I took when I was at the crossroads. The education I received from the reputed universities of RWTH Aachen and MSM has brought a positive change and vibe in my life. Being a student, with insatiable desire for knowledge, Aachen and Maastricht are the right places to be in. The umpteen lifelong connections I have made with some amazing people in these cities are something that I will treasure for a lifetime. I am indeed grateful to all those involved in such an eff ective learning experience on various dimensions of life.

Ivy Yu-Wen ChenTaiwanStudying in Europe used to be an unimaginable and rare matter for me. I appreciate that having come to Germany and Netherlands for my master degree. Not only have I strengthened my professional abilities, but I also have gained much international soft skills. The program fi tted my expectations which laid the combination of management and engineering. With my former background of mechanical engineering, the management skills and knowledge I obtained can help me have more possibilities in my further career plan. I believe with no doubt that the experience of studying in RWTH and Maastricht will always remain an unforgettable and irreplaceable part in my life.

Jay DoshiIndiaTo picture myself with a Master’s degree in Management and Engineering (MSc) gives me great pleasure. I would surely have been missing something important in life, had it not been for the unique study experience at RWTH Aachen University and Maastricht School of Management! Not only was the Master’s program challenging and fun, the experience of studying at Aachen and Maastricht was marvelous. Being involved in future technology and innovation, living in a culturally diverse community, learning to be innovative and manage sustainably and so on. I learned ‘lessons for life’ and made ‘friends for eternity’!

Students MME1

José de Jesús Magaña IxtaMexicoStudying at RWTH University and Maastricht School of Management has been the best experience I have ever had. During all this time I have not just learned about academic topics, quite the opposite. I believe that the most valuable aspects are all the life experiences that we had together as the MME family. It is really nice to see that there are no boundaries between nationalities and I am sure that the friendships that we developed will last forever. Thank you to both Universities for changing my mind and stimulate my team spirit, leadership and managerial skills. I wish all my colleagues all the best in their professional and personal life. Thank you my friends!!!

Miguel Alavez ZepedaMexicoIt has been an honor, a privilege and a pleasure to be part of the MME1 program, not only because of the high-end institutions that the RWTH Aachen and MSM are, but because of the high-quality people, classmates, future colleagues, and friends who undertook this ineffable journey with me. It was a great multicultural learning experience, and although there were some stumbles and setbacks, we always moved forward, not as individuals but as a team. I am proud to say that I take with me the bad, the good and the best of each experience and of the 20 hearts and minds who interchanged opinions, knowledge and experiences with me during these two years, who made me grow, both personally and professionally. Although this journey has ended, a new one starts and now I am even more prepared to embark on it thanks to all the skills, knowledge and tools that I gained here. Thank you all! I wish you the best and stay in touch!

Mohamed El DanafEgyptIt was an exciting time with lots of unforgettable experiences, not only at professional level but also at personal level. This was a result of the good collaboration between RWTH and MSM that gave wider exposure to different cultural approaches as well as personal experiences. Thanks to MSM, RWTH and my classmates.

Mohit BhavnagariIndiaIt will be difficult for me to find the right words to express my feelings about the wonderful experience at MSM and RWTH University. I consider myself fortunate to be part of the MME program, which gave me a diverse experience of two different universities and countries. It was a different experience and exposure that I can get only once in the lifetime. I strongly believe that I have enhanced my managerial skills, knowledge, team work and leadership skills. Besides the knowledge and skills that I obtained, I have made contacts and friends for life. I want to thank all the people who made this journey memorable.

Narendra KulkarniIndiaBeing a mechanical engineer and having worked in a manufacturing company before coming for the master’s course, I was much more familiar with technical subjects. But MSM gave me a different view of looking towards management modules. My interests in management courses started developing and gave rise to a manager within an engineer. The combination between RWTH INTAC and MSM was very special in that it maintained the balance of technical education and management education. This combination was strongly upheld by the industry as it demands engineers who are good managers. I wholeheartedly thank RWTH INTAC and MSM think tanks who created such a combination of modules under the course ‘Management and Engineering in Production systems.’ I wish both organizations the very best for their future. I feel overwhelmed and proud to be a part of both institutes.

Naveen Bangalore PrakashIndiaHurrah! We made it! Yes we did survive the 18 week ‘Pressure Cooker’! Six subjects with an exam and assignment every three weeks, presentations and in class assignments almost every day! And the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction at the end of it was truly great. For a lazy person like me, it was a great opportunity to discover my own learning capability; the number of new things we learned in just one semester is truly incredible and this knowledge will go a long way in building our careers. It was really a great experience indeed. Thanks to MSM and RWTH INTAC.

Preetish Rukkoji RaoIndiaThe three past semesters were a fulfilling experience in ways one too many. It was amazing to be a part of the first MME batch, and I must say that I have made some friends for life. I learned a lot through the coursework and from my interactions with the faculty and my classmates. As Aachen was home for most of us, I think we missed out spending more time in Maastricht, which is one thing I wish to have done differently. Thank you to everyone at RWTH INTAC and MSM for making this a wonderful experience.

Priyamvada GarimellaIndiaI have had so many wonderful experiences, met people from different countries and cultural backgrounds these two years of my life. The MME program has been a complete learning experience which has also widened my perspective of the world. As the first batch of students in this new program, we had a lot of suggestions with the management of both RWTH and MSM who were always open for discussions. I would like to thank the RWTH and MSM management for all their support and my batch-mates for all the wonderful memories. I wish everyone the best of luck in all their future endeavors and hope we have a reunion every year to relive all the old memories!

Ravali DantalapalliIndiaTwo years back... The day I received my admission letter from RWTH Aachen University for the MME Program I was overwhelmingly happy for it. I was given a well-arranged schedule for my upcoming two years which included a management semester at the prestigious Maastricht School of Management where I got an opportunity to see the world from a complete different perspective, a manager’s perspective. As an engineer by profession, it took me some time to cope with the content of the subjects. Luckily I was guided by Prof. Jeroen van Wijk who helped me to understand the subject and encouraged me when I was down. Six months at MSM taught me both qualitative and quantitative lessons which will be useful for my career. I can never forget the way our course mentors and faculty supported us in every situation to make us who we are today.

Shreyas SatishIndiaStudying at MSM has been a great and enriching experience. I was able to develop a new perspective towards operations and people management in an enterprise. The course work was thorough and the assignments encouraged us to push our analytical and decision making abilities. Maastricht was a welcome change to my German way of life. The staff and profes-sors were very supportive and I would like to thank everyone at MSM for the wonderful organization of the MME program.

Sumeet AiholliIndiaNamaste! It is true that nobody can stop time as I am on the verge of finishing my MSc and here I am sharing my memorable experience at RWTH and MSM. I would like to begin by saying that I was blessed to get an opportunity to study in a unique way i.e., in two different countries with different cultures, different languages and both universities being highly ranked. My two-year experience at two universities has been full of fun and hard work. My learning experience at RWTH Aachen University was really good as I got to acquire in depth knowledge in engineering/management subjects and I also got to learn the importance of planning and time management. My social life in Germany was a really memorable one. I got to make new friends and we shared many good moments together whether going to party, hiking, cycling etc. If we had any problem whether complicated or simple, the staff of RWTH International Academy was always there to help us. Many thanks to them for making my journey so smooth that I could concentrate on my studies. Now my sweet and very short experience at MSM has taught me a completely new learning experience which we engineers are deprived of while studying, namely “NTPL” i.e., Networking, Teamwork Perfection and Leadership. All the teaching and non-teaching staff at MSM were really friendly and were always there to answer our questions. Many thanks to one and all. My social life at Maastricht is growing as I will be shifting to Maastricht from Aachen in couple of days. I will be doing my internship here and hope to make new friends and make my living a memorable one. In the end, my journey till now (with ups and downs) has been a lifetime experience that helped me to discover myself and I will always cherish these moments in years to come.

Suproteek ChowduryIndiaThe experience of the semester at MSM was a wonderful one. The around ten bus trips per month from Aachen to Maastricht for our small batch of 20 people (5 students in one car) made it a very different experience from a normal semester, where we crossed over to another country for every class and could compare and see the marked distinctions and similarities between the Dutch and German cultures, societies and cities. The management lessons I learned were among my best in the MME master’s degree program and they will help me throughout my professional life. The course helped us develop a lot of confidence and group work skills and presentations which are necessary skills for a management student. Some of the professors are among the best I have learned from ever. Especially Prof. Heling and Prof. Van Mourik will remain my personal favorites! I thank and congratulate all our course coordination teams at both RWTH and MSM especially Silke Jenssen and Prof. Van Wijk, for this wonderful experience.

Vibhav JoshiIndiaBeing part of the first MME program at RWTH Aachen and MSM was a great experience and a learning curve. Through the fun times and the struggles, the memories created are irreplaceable. Besides education, the experience of living alone in a foreign country was a big draw; and it did not disappoint. From searching for a house, through buying my own groceries to considering friends as family, what I learned will remain with me forever. I would like to express my gratitude to the academic and non-academic staff at RWTH Aachen and MSM for their efforts.

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From the Academic Coordinator Executive Programs

On behalf of the EP-team I would like to thank all participants in the Executive Programs for their enthusiasm and commitment shown in our programs. It was a great pleasure working with all of you.

The format of Executive Programs allows MSM to off er short, state-of-the-art training programs and thereby informing on new themes, issues and developments. I hope you learned a lot from our programs and enjoyed being in Maastricht with your fellow-participants.

We will keep you informed on new programs and hope to meet again.

Wishing you all the best!

Dr. Rita van Deuren Academic Coordinator Executive Programs

Research Methods and Skills (RMS) 2014

Hosting the RMS course is always an enriching occasion for us at MSM’s research department. The RMS course 2014 was no exception in this regard. The course kicked off in high spirits with 21 participants from 16 diff erent countries. This notably high degree of diversity in the group gave participants the opportunity to share their unique experiences and thus positively contributed to the group dynamics and total learning experience. At the beginning of the course, participants were introduced to research metho-dology with a special focus on three main research areas, namely how to move from a research idea to a research question, how to do a meaningful literature review and how to operationalize the variables of your study. At the end of the course, participants were asked to submit their fi nal research proposals and to defend them convincingly before a team of experts from the relevant research tracks. This was the real “eye opener” or “moment of truth” as most participants realized that they had achieved so much within a relatively short time. The course lasted for only three months but it felt like six months for most participants because of its demanding nature. However, looking backing to where it all began, many participants feel that they made signifi cant progress judging from the quality of the presentations at the defense stage and the evaluation forms that were fi lled in. We would like to congratulate each one of you upon having successfully completed the course despite the “high pressure” you were exposed to. We hope that your expectations were met and that you will be able to employ at least a part of the knowledge that you gained in executing your job in your home country more effi ciently or in furthering your research career. For whichever future career path you decide to take on, we wish you a lot of success with it.

The Research Team

Tugrakhanim Musayeva AzerbaijanTshering Lhamo BhutanFrancois Ameguide Oloumou CameroonZhiqiang Zhuang ChinaMoiz Mohammed IndiaAdha Sakti IndonesiaArien Arianti Gunawan IndonesiaCarla Hapsari IndonesiaDedi Muhammad Siddiq IndonesiaRika Susanthi Erisman IndonesiaAmir Ghassem Shademan IrelandKholod Saleh Abdulnabi Aldosiry IraqJoy Naumwo Matwale KenyaEveline Wouterina Maria Hinfelaar NetherlandsRazaque Kayode Ogundeji NigeriaWilliam Molefe Boikhutso South AfricaWoranarin Imthap ThailandTonny Odokonyero UgandaHoai Anh Le Thi VietnamLuong Hanh La VietnamLenganji Sikaona Zambia

It might become old but again, this year’s 2014 PDM group was remarkable! As we embarked on this year’s program, there were familiar elements in the curriculum: the distance education component that made you come prepared to the Netherlands with your own problem tree and logical framework, the combination of PCM methodology and skills workshops. But there were also some new elements in the program, as MSM is dedicated to bringing in the latest developments on the ground projects. Furthermore, you as a group of unique individuals, brought your wonderful selves and with this, your own projects. These projects, which were developed throughout the so-called “PDM integration assignment” were very diverse this year: from the potato seed project in Egypt, to the clean stove project in Ghana. From vulnerable communities in Nigeria, to educating girls in Pakistan. And these are just four examples!

We as MSM trainers enjoyed working with you throughout the three weeks of the program, and with many of you we still have contacts and receive direct feedback on how your projects and course learning were implemented at home. An example is the story of Michael, who shared his experiences on the MSM website: www.msm.nl/clean-energy-for-education-and-health-msms-executive-education-in-pdm-makes-an-impact/ and continues to impress us with his ongoing effort to make the world a better place! The intense discussions in class (remember the gender session?), the group work,

the exciting and buzzing “poster presentation” session on the last course day and the closing ceremony with music from all over the world (followed by some dancing) all attested to the unique 2014 PDM group spirit!

I wish you all the best of luck in your future, both personally and professionally, and hope you keep building your skills in this field, continue to share your experiences with each other and MSM and in this way, contribute to a wonderful community of development professionals who can indeed, make this world a better place. Keep in touch!

Mieke van Riet, MSc, MMgtProgram Manager

Samiullah Danish AfghanistanIrine Elisabedashvili GeorgiaKrisha Shrestha NepalSandeep Upreati NepalNdudi Bowei NigeriaUzma Umar PakistanMahtab Zafar PakistanMilagros Autencio PhilippinesLeonie Sampson South AfricaEllen Boamah GhanaEditruda Daulinge TanzaniaWaryoba Nyakuwa TanzaniaFahima Rahal AlgeriaMona EL Kasier EgyptOlimjon Bobokalonov TajikistanMichael Waiyaki Nganga Kenya

Project Identification, Development and Management: towards an Effective Project Cycle (PDM) 2014

Project Management (PM) 2014

Dear EP Project Management graduates,After three months of intensive work, you worked your way through a case study for UWC, and applied your gained knowledge during the trainings and workshops in writing your Back Home Action Plan. Congratulations!During these three months, you may have been too busy with courses, assignments, UWC and BHAP plans, work (and social) visits, to reflect but looking back now, hopefully you have realized how much you have grown and changed your points of view during your time at MSM. You came in as strangers from many countries, and you have grown into a group, you are part of MSM now.

Being part of the MSM network should help you professionally, so we hope you keep in touch with each other, with other alumni of MSM, and with MSM itself: so please do keep us informed about your further plans, implementations of BHAPs, and your career.

Vincent Feltkamp, PhD Program Manager

Mr. Emmanuel Chileshe ZambiaAdegbenga Adedayo NigeriaTemitope Ilori NigeriaLilian Ishengoma TanzaniaIda Kafando Burkina FasoMd Mazid BangladeshMichael Osei Nkrumah GhanaPenjor Penjor BhutanTamar Skhirtladze GeorgiaAleksandar Stankovski MacedoniaAugusta Umutoni RwandaAbrahim Al Basser LibyaAbulkasem Dububa LibyaZiad Ettaib LibyaJamal Bouhulia Libya

Dear participants,Because of your motivation and eagerness to learn, it was such a pleasure to have you in my class. What a wonderful time we’ve had during WEP 2014! It was truly inspiring to share practices and experiences from different regions and parts of the world and watch you create and develop powerful project and business ideas. I’m sure that this has not only impacted on your own lives, but has created opportunities for many other women entrepreneurs. Your commitment to the economic empowerment of women and to contributing to the development of your country is to be respected. I wish you good luck in all your efforts and remember: keep in touch!

Saskia Vossenberg, MA Program Manager

Abiola Olanike Crown NigeriaAderonke Funmi Abokede NigeriaArinola Titilayo Moshood NigeriaDoaa Althalathini Palestinian TerritoriesAmina Javaid PakistanNaseem Ara PakistanTshering Lhamo BhutanJeanne D’Arc Busingye RwandaNune Gabrielyan ArmeniaNisrine Rym Merouani AlgeriaAyesha Aslam PakistanValeria del Carmen Bellettini Cedeño Ecuador

Women Entrepreneurship Promotion (WEP) 2014

The first edition of MSM’s Monitoring and Evaluation for Development Projects (M&E4DEV) Executive Program took place in the nicest spring weather Maastricht has had in years. Even though the sun was shining outside the classroom, in the classroom the moods were sunny and bright when you as our first batch of M&E4DEV participants, worked on building a monitoring and evaluation system for a real project by applying the four pillars of an M&E system: the logic model, indicators, the information flow of the system and assumptions and risks. It was a wonderful week, in which you also socialized a lot outside of class and got to know Maastricht to a tee including the new and upcoming restaurants. Besides Rui Santos, lead trainer and initiator of the program, guest lecturers from different fields made a contribution, of which our own MSM MBA student Mahendra Subedi stood out the most in your eyes with his inspiring presentation on the midday meal project in India. After an intensive week it became clear that M&E in development projects remains a challenging and dynamic field but the current developments are promising: Efforts to collect more (and especially higher quality) data and making this data available to a variety of actors (besides the donor community) such as civil society, governments, beneficiaries and the media will replace the question “Does aid matter?” by “How can aid matter even more”? I wish you all the best in your future paths, wherever your next destination might be and again extend the invitation to join forces and experiences with each other via the various platforms. And don’t forget in the end: in the end, it’s all about biogas!

Mieke van Riet, MSc, MMgtProgram Manager

Rui SantosLead Trainer

Irene Lulu Mwoga TanzaniaFilipe Duarte PortugalTatiana dos Santos Diniz PortugalAndrew Achille NigeriaHilda Galt United KingdomChristina Traini ItalyGarance Legrand FranceMonther Farhan IraqRomane Theoleyre FranceMustafa Ali Hussein Iraq

Monitoring and Evaluation for Development Projects (M&E4DEV) 2015

Managing Sustainable Development (MSD) 2015

Being a program manager of the MSD 2015 course is a great experience, as always. The group of 12 enthusiastic, eager to learn, open minded and above everything passionate participants coming from different parts of the worlds was remarkable. During the three week stay in Maastricht, they were exploring the meaning of sustainable development - is it a phrase, a symbol, a concept, a motivation, an outcome or is there another interpretation? Lively discussions on various chapters of the 3P-s - environmental sustainability, quantification of sustainability, global value chains, corporate social responsibility and models of collaboration through partnerships, as well as stakeholder dialog concepts helped you to practice the integration of sustainability in the development of your own action plan. A number of very interesting and innovative plans have been presented, and we hope to hear more about their successful implementation very soon. It was great meeting you, I hope you will continue following your heart and intuition and have a great success in the future applying sustainable management practices.

Mirjana Stanisic, MA Program Manager

De’Norraliana Ali Gryan IndonesiaAdnan Abu Al-Haija JordanShireen Makarem LebanonAdel Yacoub LebanonBen Abdelkrim Ben Moussa TunesiaManar Alaoui Hassani Atlas MoroccoLeila Akhmisse MoroccoAsmae Basalah MoroccoAddisu Molla Beyene EthiopiaOmar Dadi Shajak TanzaniaSinghye Wangchuk BhutanNila Pandian India

Management of Change for Organizational Transition (CM) 2015

This year’s CM program welcomed 12 participants from Australia, the Far East, the Middle East, Africa and South America. This interesting variety of cultures gave the class a special energy and team spirit. In order to get an idea of your thoughts about the change process in your organization, we sent you an inquiry before the start of the program. The answers were very clear. You all had experienced some degree of frustration with the change process. Comments varied from “The management did not fully support the process”’ to “There was a lack of adequate information from H&R before the start of the process.” You described the lack of support from the top management as the biggest threat to failure because it triggered excuses such as: we tried that before…, we have different practices…, who do you think you are…, not my department…

This information was shared with the lecturers before the start of the program. This is the background against which you came to MSM, in the hope to learn how to avoid or deal with these roadblocks and achieve a successful change management process in your respective institute or organization. The program was a solid mix of theory and real life situations were ’soft’ and ‘hard’ issues of change were lively discussed.We paid a work visit to the European Head office of Sabic in Sittard where we were given an excellent presentation on how the company was managing change from a traditional to a paperless organization with the Flex4all concept. The key recommendation was “Do your homework before starting the process, communicate your plan and only then start”. As a result less than 1% of the 550 employees left the company. You all worked intensively and with enthusiasm on the integrating assign-ment. This resulted in an excellent presentation of change management proposals for four organizations. The lessons learned in the three-week course were well incorporated in the plans. Again, the bottom line is: Before you start the change process, do your homework, inform and communicate. H&R should play a crucial role in the process.I wish you success, luck and perseverance: do not give up. Remember that change is necessary but do not let it be forced upon you.

Dorus Evekink Program Manager

Mohamed Thoumi MoroccoSalah Abumregha LibyaMeiliani IndonesiaKatherina Patrisia IndonesiaDimas Aryo Wicaksono IndonesiaPeter Kalinda UgandaEdson Correia MozambiqueStephen Baffoe GhanaRachel Kabeta ZambiaPradeep Samantha Sri LankaJennifer Kelly AustraliaJosé Antonio Muñoz Quispe Peru

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