THE NETHERLANDS
Research
The University of Maastricht, which was founded in 1976, is a rapidly growing university with about 2,000 staff and 9,000 students whose problem-based learning approach offers a unique kind of learning experience in Europe. The Department of Economics and Business Administration
offers master’s programs in English in Social Protection Financing and Social Protection Policy. The Economics department’s research focuses on the design of social welfare systems and their sustainability under various economic and social conditions (for instance, intergenerational fairness in pension systems); determinants and dynamics of poverty and social inequality among households, and the link between social policy and the functioning of labor markets.
In September 2004, the University of Maastricht launched the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (MsoG). The first cohort of students will start in May 2005. The Graduate School’s areas of specialization are
> Social Policy and Labor
> Science and Technology
> Food and Health
> Economic Globalization, and
> Good Governance in Public Policy
The Graduate School will offer several master’s programs, including aM. Sc. in Public Policy and Human Development, a M. phil. in Public Policy and Social Protection, a Ph.D. in Economics/Sociology/Political Science and Social Protection, and specialized degree programs, such as a M. Sc. in Social Protection Financing, a M. Sc. in Social Protection Policy, and a M. Sc. in Public Health.
MSoG research specializes in
> Comparative welfare states,
> Public policy on inequality and poverty
> Vulnerability and household behavior
> Intergenerational fairness in old age provisions
> Informal labor and incomes, and
> Unemployment
(Source: Presentation on MSoG by Professor Chris de Neubourg at the Harvard Inequality Summer Institute, June 19, 2004).
Researchers at the University of Maastricht
Research areas: taxation for pensions and public goods; performance indicators of welfare states; new social policy experiments in Europe; informal labor market & income distribution in Uzbekistan
Research areas: economic theory; application of general equilibrium and cooperative game theory to financial markets; re-conceptualization pf theory of social situations; computational economics; time-inconsistent behavior
Research areas: political support for the welfare state, especially support for the idea of redistribution; welfare state and inequality; philosophy behind sociology, economics and moral philosophy
Research areas: labor economics and growth theory; comparative unemployment insurance; computers and wages; impact of health and education on economic growth
Research areas: vulnerability to poverty; role of the state in moving people out of poverty; asset utilization and choices in markets
Research areas: dynamics of female labor market participation, especially mothers with small children; psychological and sociological perspective of discrimination; effects of competition; happiness with income and labor inequality
Library access
Inequality Fellows will be enrolled as temporary visitors. This enrollment status gives them access to the library, databases and other facilities.
Research seminars
Inequality Fellows are more than welcome to participate in the department’s seminars.
Practical information
Céline Duijsens-Rondagh, Office Manager in the Department of Economics, provided extensive information on practical questions that Inequality Fellows may face when in Maastricht. The following information includes excerpts from the much more detailed information Céline compiled:
Accommodation
Céline Duijsens-Rondagh at c.duijsens@algc.unimaas.nl, phone: +31 43 3883821), Office Manager in the Department of Economics, is the key administrative contact for Inequality Fellows at the University of Maastricht.
Céline can arrange accommodation for Inequality Fellows at the Hostel Randwijck (see Maastricht photo tour) or the International Guesthouse. Rooms range from 350 to 550 euros per month.
Health insurance
The US State Department provides extensive information on health insurance for Americans traveling abroad.
Office space and computer access
If an Inequality Fellow stays in Maastricht for a longer period of time, the Department will try its best to arrange for office space. All students can of course make use of the university’s extensive computer facilities at various locations at the university and the library.
Timing
The university is in session from September through July.
Transportation
A very convenient way to get around in Maastricht is by bus or by card. A bus ticket for 22 trips, including transfers, costs about 20 euros. Netherlands Railways offers a discount card for about 50 euros, which provides a 40% discount on trips after 9 AM and during the weekend. For a list of low-cost airlines operating in Europe, visit http://www.discountairfares.com/lcosteur.htm. To print out a location on a map, go to http://www.mappy.com./
Visa information
US citizens staying in the Netherlands as tourists for less than 90 days do not need a visa to enter the country. However, they need to report to the police upon arrival. For the latest information on visas and residency permits, visit the websites of the US State Department, the Netherlands Consulate General in New York, and the website of the International Relations Office of the University of Maastricht.
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