Universiteit Maastricht

Bridging the gap between technology and clinical practice Lee Bouwman, a vascular surgeon and endowed professor of Clinical Engineering, specialises in the implementation of groundbreaking healthcare technologies. The key to success, he says, lies in the collaboration between engineers and clinicians. This approach has already resulted in a range of innovations, from the use of robotics in aortic stenting and knee replacement surgery to the localisation of breast tumours using magnetic seeds and iron oxide. “Engineers and scientists speak a different language from healthcare professionals,” he explains. “They often seem to misunderstand one another. Product developers sometimes brush aside major clinical problems, and come up with brilliant solutions to problems that don’t exist. On the other hand, clinicians may resist standardised treatments and prefer to do things their own way.” Read more about Lee's research in this in-depth article: https://lnkd.in/ePzYg94J Photography: Philip Driessen Maastricht University - Faculty of Science and Engineering

Radboud University and Maastricht University fund research into crop biotechnology and engineering Developing sustainable and productive agriculture and horticulture is one of the great social challenges. The cooperating Radboud University and Maastricht University are getting down to work: a joint master's program is being worked on and the Radboud-Maastricht Graduate Program in Crop Biotechnology and Engineering will start this very day. Thanks to the cooperation, four young researchers can start research in crop biotechnology and engineering over the next four years. The researchers will start work at the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, halfway between the two universities and in the heart of an important agricultural and horticultural area in the Netherlands and Germany. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eyY3EgFv #biotechnology #sustainability #horticulture #brightlands #brightlandcampusgreenportvenlo #MaastrichtUniversity Wim Vriezen Charles Underwood

Synthetic data: a dangerous sense of certainty Synthetic data is information generated by algorithms trained on existing data sets obtained through real world data gathering. The generated data has similar statistical properties and can augment or diversify the original data sets. This is useful for validating mathematical models, technical prototyping, or training machine-learning models. While very promising, synthetic data comes with serious ethical and practical concerns. Dani Shanley and Joshi Hogenboom reflect on synthetic data, the pains and gains of interdisciplinarity, and why AI likely won’t release us from having to study the world we live in. Read the article on the UM website: https://lnkd.in/ecF9ZEYM #SyntheticData #AI #Research

The UM Green Office: Global Pioneer & Evolving UM Sustainability Catalyst The Maastricht University Green Office was the first one in the world and the movement spread out with now 101 Green Offices world wide. In this article, the UM Green Office reflects on how far it has come since its founding in 2010 and what it strives to accomplish in the future. With the recent launch of the UM Green Network framework, students and staff now have more opportunities than ever before to engage with impactful sustainability initiatives. We communicated with Felix Spira, one of these founding students, and Anselm Grahl, a key figure in the UM Green Office’s development, to learn about the original Green Office structure and how it influenced sustainability frameworks in fellow universities. Read the in-depth article here: https://lnkd.in/gfeJKmiQ #Sustainability #GreenOffice #MaastrichtUniversity

Maastricht Debate today! Today Studio Europa Maastricht and POLITICO organise the third edition of the Maastricht Debate in the run-up to the European Parliament elections (6-9 June). For those who were not able to secure a seat in the Theater aan het Vrijthof, or who want to be informed about the European elections in a light-hearted way, Studio Europa Maastricht is also organising a free debate watch party. At the Vrijthof, visitors can watch this important debate on a large screen. Don't miss out on this unique experience! Watch the EU Maastricht Debate through the live-stream (19:00): https://lnkd.in/e_QawdR6 There also is an inspiring programme before and after the debate: https://lnkd.in/ezmJCisp #MaastrichtDebate #WorkingonEurope

All polls are closed and the votes are cast. Thanks to everyone who voted for the UM elections this year! We have counted the votes; the public has spoken. Of course you want to know who has been elected! Check out the results 👉 https://lnkd.in/ekSqjyCC The elected candidates will undoubtedly ensure an even better future for our university. Congratulations and good luck to all of you! #UMElections2024 #MaastrichtUniversity

Nanne de Vries Professor's Fund: "It wasn't my idea" On April 10, 2024, the Professor's Fund was officially renamed the Nanne de Vries Professor's Fund. In an exclusive interview with the UFL, Nanne De Vries shares insights into the history, future, and his personal motivations regarding the fund that now bears his name. "In 2013, Piet Eichholtz and I started with a simple question to our colleagues: would you like to donate a portion of your compensation to the University Fund Limburg?" De Vries recalls how the motivating response from the UM community marked the beginning of the fund. Read Nanne's interview here, as well as more information about the Nanne de Vries Professor's Fund: https://lnkd.in/e2F2WiQH Universiteitsfonds Limburg

Serie verhalen internationalisering: Waarom Limburg internationale afgestudeerden nodig heeft De Universiteit Maastricht is de meest internationale universiteit van Nederland. Een gegeven waar we trots op zijn, dat ons veel brengt en veel biedt. Iets wat bovendien oneindig veel mooie en inspirerende voorbeelden oplevert. De internationale studentenpopulatie van de UM kan een oplossing bieden voor het groeiende tekort aan arbeidskrachten in Limburg. Tenminste, als studenten kunnen worden overgehaald om hier te blijven wonen en werken. Hoe kunnen we daarvoor zorgen? Volgens postdoctoraal onderzoeker Julia Reinold zijn internationale afgestudeerden van de UM gewilde werknemers, omdat ze al bekend zijn met de regio, een sociaal netwerk hebben opgebouwd en weten hoe dingen werken en wat ze kunnen verwachten – allemaal factoren die ervoor zorgen dat ze eerder bij een werkgever zullen blijven. Lees er meer over in een interview met experts Inge Hooijen en Julia Reinold. Ze vertellen over demografische trends, de integratie van het hoger onderwijs in de regionale economie en je welkom voelen: https://lnkd.in/eYHvwQ8z #VanDeEuregioVoorDeEuregio

A Picture Essay: The Maastricht Center for Robots Picture a robot capable of responding to your inquiries, delivering your meal at a restaurant, or providing companionship in elderly long-term care facility. Today, this is not merely a futuristic fantasy. While it may initially seem mundane with limited value, the convergence of a well-developed business case and enhanced user experience could profoundly influence society. View the complete picture essay on the UM website: https://lnkd.in/eM_-NHTU

Anna Wilbik’s goal is to exploit the real value of data to the max Various businesses and organisations collect more and more data to support their daily operations and strategic decision-making. However, do they squeeze out the whole potential of the data to the last drop? According to Anna Wilbik, data has much more value when shared and combined. On Friday 19 April, she explained how we can benefit from this during her inaugural lecture as Professor in Data Fusion and Intelligent Interaction at Maastricht University. Read her interview on the UM website here: https://lnkd.in/eHtmu-QP