Euregion magazine Niveau goes oblong | Mtricht.com
The skies were grey and threatening. Raindrops lazily started to break free from the clouds just when I reached my destination. After I parked my bicycle opposite Maastricht’s monumental City Hall, it was less than a minute on foot to where I would be attending the presentation of a renewed regional glossy magazine. Oh. Glossy? Some might want to shrug the shoulders or dismiss it as yet another one of those abundant and superfluous ‘things’ that do not require any attention. You might be right. It may not be required or needed, but deserving nonetheless! So, let me just start from the beginning…
Photographer Guy van Grinsven can’t possibly count the numerous stamps in his passport or keep record of the mileage his car has made over the years, travelling to far and distant places, exploring the previously unknown. For his accountant he probably has to do just that, keep record of his whereabouts by car and how many gallons of gasoline or diesel have been swallowed. As an illustration, however, we prefer to ignore the practicality of it all and rather focus on a perhaps romantic notion to be conceived if we think of photography as a glamorous and adventurous profession.
Because Guy’s work is often glamorous and adventurous indeed! Initially he earned a living as an aircraft engineer at Fokker, a well-known Dutch aircraft constructing company. Photography was merely a hobby then, although Guy was studying at the renowned Nederlandse Fotovakschool in Amsterdam next to his day job. At first his photography skills were used for his employer Fokker, but soon he started to work for a big advertising agency that was specialized in content for the aviation industry. He then took on assignments for travel brochures that brought him across the world, but he also gained expertise with studio work.
In the following years Guy van Grinsven broadened his horizon by accepting an invitation to work as a photojournalist for a privately owned equivalent of the ANP press agency. Those were the experiences that turned him into a skilled photographer, according to Guy himself.
The Netherlands country factbook
This in-depth profile of the Netherlands includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.
Background Netherlands
The Dutch United Provinces declared their independence from Spain in 1579; during the 17th century, they became a leading seafaring and commercial power, with settlements and colonies around the world. After a 20-year French occupation, a Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815. In 1830 Belgium seceded and formed a separate kingdom. The Netherlands remained neutral in World War I but suffered invasion and occupation by Germany in World War II. A modern, industrialized nation, the Netherlands is also a large exporter of agricultural products. The country was a founding member of NATO and the EEC (now the EU) and participated in the introduction of the euro in 1999.
National flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red (at the top), white and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg, which uses a lighter blue and is longer; the colours were those of William I, Prince of Orange, who led the Dutch Revolt against Spanish sovereignty in the latter half of the 16th century; originally the upper band was orange but, because it tended to fade to red over time, the red shade was eventually made the permanent colour; the banner is perhaps the oldest tricolour in continuous use.
Domein Bokrijk, halfway between Genk and Hasselt, Belgium
Bokrijk is the largest park in Belgium, situated between Genk and Hasselt. Domein Bokrijk covers 250 ha full of green plants with almost half full of woodlands, the perfect place for a walk.
The arboretum is a unique garden of more than 12 ha. Specialties include rhododendron, holly and bamboo. The scents and colors garden grows a beautiful array of plants and flowers set in the backdrop of ponds, sitting areas, pergolas and a pavilion. Free to view.
The Open Air Museum consists of three areas: a Kempen village, a Haspengouw village and the area East and West Flanders and each village offers a different experience. It is a living museum, actors are dressed up the way people used to live their lives, old trades are shown you can buy bread from the bakery, old fashioned sweets from the sweet shop, and run into the head teacher or the vicar.
via Domein Bokrijk, halfway between Genk and Hasselt, Belgium | Mtricht.com.
Play Park and Children’s Farm Pietersheim, Lanaken
Pietersheim children’s farm has been considered for years as one of the nicest day attractions in Limburg. It is part of a large estate and consists of an animal farm, playground and woodlands. During the week it is an ideal place for smaller children to run about and play while the others are at school. It is a popular place for school tours with many interactive activities on offer. The playground was renovated this year and now caters for those children with disabilities. New picnic tables and seating benches have been added.
There are many farm animals to be seen and children are allowed to help with feeding them. These include cows, goats, sheep, hens, geese, deer, rabbits and a Belgian farm pony. There is a new enclosed area for hens and rabbits.
More via Play Park and Children’s Farm Pietersheim, Lanaken | Mtricht.com.
Road World Championship 2012 in Limburg | Mtricht.com
The UCI Road World Championship will be held in the Dutch Province of Limburg in 2012.
The announcement was made this afternoon by UCI president Pat McQuaid. The president of the International Cycling Union made the news public at the end of the UCI conference in the Swiss city of Lugano in the presence of the Limburg delegation led by governor Léon Frissen and Provincial Executive Councillor for Sport, Odile Wolfs. Limburg came out on top against the other bidders, Italy (Genoa) and Belgium (Hooglede). Russia (Sochi) dropped out at an earlier stage.
Governor Frissen and councillor Wolfs are very happy with the award. “By capturing a major international event like the Road World Championships 2012, we have achieved an important objective. This is a very good thing for Limburg, good for the Netherlands and good for cycling,” said Limburg’s governor.
“It’s fantastic that we have succeeded in our plan. We’ve been working hard for this for a whole year. I’ve been very confident about our bid since my visit to last year’s world championships in Varese. Cycling is one of the main sports spearheading the province’s sport policy. Limburg has all the qualities needed to make the world championships in 2012 a spectacular and unforgettable event. It will undoubtedly be a fantastic celebration of cycling,” was Odile Wolfs’ enthusiastic response.
United World College Maastricht opens
The United World College Maastricht is holding its opening Ceremony on Wednesday October 21st 2009, at UWC Maastricht, Nijverheidsweg 25, 6227 AL Maastricht from 9-11 am.The ceremony will take place in the presence of Tim Toyne-Sewell, Chair of the International Board United World Colleges.
UWC is the only global educational movement that brings together students from all over the world – selected on personal merit, irrespective of race, religion, politics and the ability to pay – with the explicit aim of fostering peace and international understanding.
The new school is a merger of two existing schools, International School Maastricht, and the International Primary School Joppenhof. UWC Maastricht currently has 525 students which will increase to 950 by 2015. The majority will be students are day students, with 200 boarding students selected through the National Committee system. The school is the first UWC to exist within the context of a national education system –al l students will be partly funded by the Dutch government, receiving the same funding as other students in the Netherlands.
The Dutch Minster of Education expects UWC Maastricht to act as a role model for other Dutch schools by imparting its passion for and expertise in learning through community service to the Dutch education system as a whole.
Tim Toyne Sewell, Chair of UWC International says “We are very pleased to welcome Maastricht to the UWC family. Making this a reality is the result of a lot of hard work by the Dutch Ministry of Education, the Province of Limburg and the City of Maastricht, to our partners Stichting LVO, Stichting Mosa Lira and of course the UWC National Committee of the Netherlands and the UWC Maastricht Project Team. We are particularly excited and proud about the role that UWC Maastricht will play in bringing UWC values to a national education system and that, like at our schools in Swaziland at Singapore students of all ages will benefit from a UWC education.”Source: Meuse-Rhine Journal
Sophie Bouwens wins Rabobank Dissertation Award
‘Borders are also psychological in the mind’
Dr. Sophie Bouwens says she is ‘delighted’ to have won the 2009 Rabobank Dissertation Award with her doctoral thesis Over de streep.
Grensarbeid vanuit Zuid-Limburg naar Duitsland 1958 – 2001 (‘Crossing the line. Commuting from the Dutch Province of South Limburg to Germany 1958 – 2001’). ‘Just being nominated is already quite an honour. Only a few doctoral theses are selected from the total. The jury report expressly stated that my research was not just scientifically valuable, but also socially significant. That was good to hear, because I believe that to be an important aspect of scientific research. I also think that the regional aspect was to my advantage.’
via Sophie Bouwens wins Rabobank Dissertation Award | Mtricht.com.
Karin Luttikhuis appointed professor of Comparative Insolvency and Restructuring
As of 1 September 2009, the Executive Board has appointed Karin Luttikhuis as professor of Comparative Insolvency and Restructuring. Her appointment is for one day per week. She is also involved as a senior fellow in the Institute for Corporate Law, Governance and Innovation Policies, which is currently being established.
Within the new institute’s research programme, Luttikhuis will continue her legal-economic research into the functioning of insolvency procedures, and at the same time provide it with a more international emphasis. An important part of her activities in education at the law faculty will be the expansion of the English-language curriculum, in which European and international insolvency law play a central role.
via Karin Luttikhuis appointed professor of Comparative Insolvency and Restructuring | Mtricht.com.
Trials and tribulations of a trilingual chick in learning Dutch
One of my goals when I arrived in Maastricht three years ago was to learn Dutch. Now let me tell you, I quickly learnt that this would be no easy feat. It is a language with some seriously unpronounceable letters for us English speakers! I mean the ‘g’ just does not sound like a ‘g’ at all, I think some other letter should have been invented for that sound.
Better yet, I think there should be some big fat manual which would somehow explain the sounds of this language. I always feel like I’m about to spit or strangle myself when trying to speak it, so I think I’ve been doing it wrong. Dutch speakers don’t seem to choke on their words in every other sentence, so I guess there must be a way. I just haven’t been able to find it yet!
Oh and by the way, no I do not speak Dutch. Unless ‘mag ik pinen’ [sic] counts? That’s about the only full sentence I can master these days. And to the sceptics out there, believe it or not, I have tried. To make matters worse, I’m not so bad at languages; I’m actually trilingual, speaking French, Creole and English. So you’d think that learning Dutch should technically not be so damn hard.
I took Dutch lessons at the university’s Language Centre when I first arrived. I even paid EUR 100 out of my monthly allowance, which ought to show how dedicated and determined I first was. I attended all my classes, learnt how to say “war come je vandaan?” [sic] and “hoe haat het” [sic]. By the way, why so many ‘h’s in one single three-word sentence?
I followed the entire course quite diligently next to all the work from University College Maastricht. And when I finished it after three months, I felt pretty proud of myself, I thought I had this down. All I had to do now was go out and speak Dutch at shopping malls, the market and all public places.
So you must be asking yourself by now, why the hell am I only able to say one sentence after three years? My answer is, Dutch people just don’t want you to learn their language.
via Trials and tribulations of a trilingual chick in learning Dutch | Mtricht.com.
Exhibition “Who can I trust?” by COC in AINSI Maastricht
National exhibition “Who can I trust?” to Limburg, Maastricht.
Several organisations present programs on homosexuals in Nazi Germany and occupied Netherlands.
COC Limburg is organising, from September 13 to October 29, 2009 the exhibition “Who can I trust?” in AINSI Maastricht.
The exhibition is dedicated to the resistance and persecution of gay men and lesbians under the Nazis and the German occupation. It is based on recent research and presents unique personal testimonies and chilling pictures. The exhibition was earlier at the Resistance Museum in Amsterdam and Leeuwarden and in Camp Vught.
via Exhibition “Who can I trust?” by COC in AINSI Maastricht | Mtricht.com.
Vacancies in Limburg and the International Maastricht Region
Search for vacancies in the International Maastricht Region.
Working in the Maastricht Region means a balanced life – a top job in a quiet setting, without the hassle of congested highways. There are hundreds of job vacancies in the region, which has a particularly strong bio-medical and biomaterials cluster. DSM, Sabic, Vodafone, other multinationals and educational institutions – like Maastricht University and Aachen’s RWTH University – offer interesting career prospects and major spin-offs in virtually every sector. Brussels, Düsseldorf, Eindhoven, Cologne and Venlo too are all within commuting distance.
Follow the link below to search for vacancies. Everyone of them is an excellent starting point for a successful career in Limburg.
- Vacaturerunner
- Limburgvac
- Banenrijklimburg.nl
- BaanbrekendLimburg
- JobLimburg.nl
- Vacatures-in-Limburg.ikwerk.nl
- NationaleVacaturebank.nl – Limburg
- Limburg-vacatures.nl
via Vacancies in Limburg and the International Maastricht Region | Mtricht.com.
Maastricht University: Darwin and Maastricht exhibition
In the Darwin & Maastricht exhibition, guest curator and FASoS academic staff member Ludo Hellemans shows the relationship between Maastricht, Maastricht University and evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. The new temporary exhibition is on display in Maastricht University’s administration building from 14 May to 20 November 2009.
via Maastricht University: Darwin and Maastricht exhibition | Mtricht.com.
