Maastricht University - Center for European Studies

This course covers the scale and speed at which innovative business models are transforming industry landscapes, which is unprecedented. Students are enabled to understand and methodically address the challenge of business model innovation. Ultimately, business model innovation is about creating value, for companies, customers, and society. It is about replacing outdated models. The course discusses ways in which powerful new business models can be systematically invented, designed, and implemented. The course is guided by Alexander Osterwalder’s book Business Model Generation. It is an interactive course in which there isn’t one right answer. However, this course gives students tools for how to rewrite business models by breaking down patterns and routines. To do so the course also takes a look at some trends, especially the rise of Corporate Social Responsibility or Social Entrepreneurship. What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and what are the implications for companies that want to implement it? In particular: Does CSR affect business results? How can CSR help businesses to create, deliver and capture value?

Tropical forests are amongst the most species-rich biomes in the world. Yet, our understanding of their evolution, functioning, and development is far from complete. There are three main tropical rainforest areas, the Neotropics (Central and South America), Africa, and Asia, but this course mainly focuses on the Neotropics. The course examines what defines the tropical region, the differences, and similarities between the three large blocks of rainforest, and investigates the structure and biodiversity of tropical rainforests. The development of tropical forests, how biodiversity changes over time (ecologically and evolutionarily), and how trophic levels work within these forests are also reviewed. Furthermore, the role of tropical forests in relation to climate change and global carbon cycling is investigated, and a link between tropical savannas and dry tropical forests is made. Finally, the IUCN red list is investigated as well as the different dimensions (e.g., biological, cultural, and political) of nature conservation in tropical areas.

The course discusses the key economic policy areas of the European Union and offers an analysis of the different approaches to regional economic integration throughout the history of the European Union. The course analyzes the economic bases for the rise of the European Union from its origins in the post-World War II recovery to its historic enlargements in 2004 and 2007. The accession of the new Central and Eastern European Member-States (most recently Croatia in 2013) poses new challenges for the EU. Since Europe accounts for one-quarter of the global economy, half of the global trade, and a substantial part of world's capital markets, this course also looks at the impact of the European Union on other trading blocs like NAFTA. Competitiveness is the key word for globalization and the course focuses on different forms of market integration used inside the EU and discusses consequences for both competition policy and industrial policy. The theory of the economic integration process is applied to a business setting, with a series of business cases illustrating how a variety of firms are responding strategically to the establishment of the Economic and Monetary Union, Brexit, and the accession of new Member-States. Students are given advice and guidance on using case studies and how to evaluate the strategies and choices made by firms. Special attention is given to the present problems of the Euro crisis and corresponding consequences for national tax policies within the EU. The course may include a field trip.

This course elaborates on the biological, psychological, and societal determinants of sexuality (in general) and sexual disorders (in specific). There are 4 lectures and 4 educational meetings in which a theme or group of complaints are discussed. These themes are (biological and psychological) theories on sexuality, sexual diversity, sexual dysfunctions in men and women, the impact of physical/psychological health and disease on sexual behavior and well-being, and the role of attachment and relationships (context and history) on sexuality. The theory is supplemented with practical clinical training in which students reflect on their own sexual development and learn to administer a sexual anamnesis.  The course also includes one theoretical practicum in which students discuss a specific research question and brainstorm possible research designs.

This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine various Gross Human Right Violations (GHRV). Students are introduced to a different GHRV each with its own psychological theories, mechanisms, and underpinnings. In addition to a theoretical understanding, students apply their knowledge to specific case studies by analyzing them through four parts. First, a historical incident where Human Rights were violated is introduced followed by a documentary on the specific situation. Second, students examine now declassified governmental cables, reports, and other sources thus reading influential documents in their original version without being dependent on anyone else’s interpretation. Third, a Perspective Challenge in the form of a scientific paper that has been controversially discussed is used to adopt a different perspective. Fourth, students analyze a currently ongoing or a recent violation of Human Rights to test if they are able to explain the psychological mechanisms at play.

This course focuses on brain-behavior relationships and aims at increasing one's understanding of how healthy humans (or brains) function and how brain disease, brain injury disorders, such as, traumatic brain injuries, stroke and dementia, express themselves and interfere with the demands of daily life. Relevant topics in this context are behavior, higher cognitive functions (e.g., memory, attention, executive functioning, language), emotion, and adaptation. During the course, students collect knowledge on: (1) the clinical phenomenology of the most important cognitive and behavioral disorders seen in humans; (2) the underlying brain-behavior relationships in these disorders; (3) the interrelationships between various cognitive dysfunctions, emotional-, and behavioral problems; and (4) assessment methods, diagnosis and treatment. Students also gain experience in the selection, administration, and interpretation of commonly used tests, measuring the above-mentioned domains of higher cortical functions, affective functions, and behavior.

This course discusses, at a detailed molecular level, different cellular and genetic processes that are the basis of life as we know it. The course aims to familiarize students with further knowledge in the field of cell biology, which enables them to better understand and appreciate the newest developments in this research area. Discussions revolve around general cell biological topics such as the role of membranes, membrane transport of small molecules, the nuclear architecture, the organization of the genome, regulation of transcription and translation, protein trafficking, the cell cycle and maintenance of genomic integrity, programmed cell death, and senescence. The last task, dealing with cancer, serves as an integration task; knowledge of the previous topics is required to appreciate what the consequences can be when a cell goes astray, and the defense mechanisms of the body fail. Prerequisites: Introduction to Biology.

Current theories of psychiatric and neurological disorders are largely derived from what is known about drugs that can mimic the symptoms or that are used for treating these disorders. Basic knowledge of the effects of drugs and their underlying neurobiological mechanisms will therefore help to understand these theories better. This course facilitates the understanding of therapeutic and side effects of psychoactive drugs. The course presents major classes of CNS drugs and their use in prominent disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, and presents the mechanisms and effects of a number of recreational drugs such as cocaine, LSD, and ketamine. The course recommends a basic understanding of neuroanatomy and neurotransmission as a prerequisite.

This course focuses on the psychology behind athletic performance, as well as on physical (in)activity levels in the general population. Sport and exercise are often considered a largely physical endeavor (strength, speed, stamina, flexibility etc.). However, it is widely acknowledged that sport performances and physical activity behavior are also influenced by psychological factors. Therefore, the course attends to the biology of sport performances and physical exercise, primarily on their behavioral determinants, motivations, pressure and stress, and ultimately looks at possible venues for behavior change.

The course is about Dutch art – with an emphasis on painting. Since the Middle Ages, the Netherlands has played a pivotal role in the history of European art and culture. Dutch and Flemish artists were the first to use oil paints, the first to visually document the lives and cultures of ordinary people, and the first to produce art for a free market. Painters such as Van Eyck, Brueghel, Bosch, Rubens, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Mondrian are counted among the great masters of history. Their art embodies qualities that are believed to be typical for the country, such as a devotion to truthfulness, attention to detail, and a love of textures. But there were many more artists whose works are still considered among the most important in history – if only because they were the first to notice the mundane things nobody else had paid attention to, such as the beauty of a still-life or the wonders of a cloudy sky. From the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance and the Baroque to the modern era, Dutch artists have tried to come to terms with ever-changing principles and conceptions regarding the world around them and have been constantly improving techniques to visualize it. The results of their efforts are the subject of this course. The course mostly follows a chronological order. In the first lecture, the (religious) significance of art in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque is introduced. In the following lectures, students are given an overview of the development of Dutch art from the Middle Ages to the modern era. The course includes tours to various museums in Mauritshuis and the Hague.