UM Star Lecturer in the spotlight: Esther Versluis
Reaching a joint solution isn't always easy – especially when no fewer than 28 parties are involved! For the member states of the European Union, however, this is the day-to-day reality. How do they develop and implement policies? And could it be done differently? Professor Esther Versluis will be speaking about this during the UM Star Lectures. She explains why you really shouldn't miss the event.
'At parties, I can hardly bring myself to mention my field. Before I know it, I will spend the whole evening listening to everything that is ''wrong'' with the European Union, or I end up clearing up misunderstandings about stories in the media. In brief, it feels like I'm still at work!' So says Esther Versluis, who is carrying out research into the EU and in particular how it develops policies. Whether it is the European policy on Brexit, the refugee crisis or swine fever, everyone has an opinion. Esther: 'This has advantages and disadvantages. In any case, I expect my presentation at the UM Star Lectures to appeal to a wide audience!'
One Europe, one policy?
By means of her lecture, Esther wishes to give the audience greater insights into what is going on in the EU, both now and in the future. She will mainly be discussing 'European variation'. What exactly does she mean by this? Esther explains: 'The EU member states generally respond to a problem or crisis with a joint policy, but this often means that their reaction is late or inadequate. After all, they need to get all 28 member states (soon to be 27 because of Brexit) to agree. For this reason, more and more people are arguing in favour of differentiated integration. Under this system, member states wouldn't all respond in the same way, but could respond at different speeds. But is this actually the all-encompassing solution to achieve solid policies quickly?'
Back to the Amorsplein
During the UM Star Lectures, Maastricht will naturally also be a topic of discussion. Esther has close ties with the city. 'My favourite place is the Amorsplein. It's a lively square where I can have something to eat and drink with my children.' During her student days, she mainly enjoyed celebrating carnival there. 'I was born in Den Helder, but I wanted to study as far away from home as possible. That's how I ended up at Maastricht University. The great thing is that after I obtained my PhD from Utrecht University in 2001, I also started working there: first as a lecturer and then as a professor with FASoS – the faculty which I graduated from myself!'
Back to being a student
Esther has great memories of her student days. In her opinion, the UM Star Lectures for alumni are a great success. 'At the lectures, you can see old friends again and perhaps get to meet some new people too. You can immerse yourself in a new subject and reminisce about Maastricht. In brief, for one evening it's rather like being a student again, but this time you don't have to go to a lecture because you ''have to'', like in the old days. That makes this lecture even more enjoyable for me as a speaker!'
Esther will give her presentation in The Hague at 19.30 on 7 February 2019. Click here for more information and to register.
Professor Esther Versluis is professor of European Regulatory Governance at Maastricht University. She lectures on EU policy development, a topic for which she wrote the manual 'Analyzing the European Union policy process'. Esther has published numerous articles about the implementation of EU legislation at the national level. Her second main line of research focuses on the way in which risks are regulated in the EU. Her research has been published in the Journal of Common Market Studies, the Journal of European Public Policy and the European Journal of Risk Regulation, among others.