It was at this special location that the king's grandmother, Queen Juliana, signed the document that made the establishment of Maastricht University possible during a special ceremony in 1976. What originally started as a medical faculty – which had de facto already started in 1974 with around fifty ‘students’ – has grown into a university with around 23,000 students from the Netherlands and abroad.
During the celebration, rector Pamela Habibović will give the anniversary speech, after which three honorary doctorates will be awarded and the annual Education Prize and Dissertation Prize, among others, will be announced. After the anniversary celebration program, King Willem-Alexander will meet with a smaller group of students and staff from the university to discuss topics such as international education and the impact of research on the region. Representatives of the municipality of Maastricht will also be present.
Earlier in the day, before attending the celebration in Maastricht, the king will first visit Heerlen and Kerkrade. He will go to Vista College and Boston Scientific, a medical technology company that collaborates with UM, among others.