The Muse Einstein Campus, situated at the location of the former post office on the Duboisdomein, was supposed to open last September, but that turned out to be 1 June due to all kinds of delays. A weight off UM’s mind, which can now bank on 506 extra beds, more than half of the 985 rooms needed for the new year. In addition, the Apart Hotel on the Endepolsdomein (previously owned by Maastricht School of Management, which was taken over by the School of Business and Economics two years ago) will be available after the summer. Added to this are a number of small-scale student facilities, as well as 180 extra beds in the Guesthouse.
CSC scholarship
The fact that the Guesthouse can take on more students, has nothing to do with an expansion, Maurice Evers, head of Maastricht Housing, recently stated in a University Council committee meeting. A number of single rooms have now been set up as double rooms and some fifty units have become ‘available’ which were previously reserved for PhD students from the China Scholarship Council (CSC). The ten young researchers who are coming to Maastricht in September, will be “the last cohort from the bilateral collaboration agreement with CSC”, rector Pamela Habibović said. The agreement expires in August. There are talks of a “possible renewal”, but there is no definite agreement yet. An important theme is increasing the scholarship, which is now below the IND standard; the Chinese scholarship students receive insufficient money to be able to live a ‘normal’ life in the Netherlands.
Belgium
Back to the theme of student housing. Evers mentions the extra homes, just across the border in Belgium. But the Belgian municipalities are not keen on it, was apparent from his story. The ‘neighbours to the south’ wonder what they gain from it. After all, students spend most of their time in Maastricht, go out there in the evening, buy their shopping there, become members of sports associations. Maybe the university should plan some activities on the other side of the border, was the Council’s response.
There is interest on Dutch soil, though. Maastricht, Heerlen and Sittard-Geleen recently signed the so-called Student Housing pact. This would provide an additional 3,500 extra student units (the greater part in Maastricht) in those cities in 2030. But Heerlen and Sittard-Geleen do not want to be “reserves”, said Evers. So UM will also have to ‘show’ its face in these cities with activities. What will they be? That is still unclear. Lastly, Vaals will contribute too: three hundred student rooms are planned for the period from 2025 until 2030. Evers: “Not ideal, but it’s better than nothing.”