Back to Teaching in a Classroom!

About two years ago, we moved our International Business Law course fully online due to Covid. While I was apprehensive at first, teaching online actually opened up different possibilities for education and we managed to reach students in ways that were not previously possible. (I shared my rambling thoughts on the matter in a separate post back then). It was not an easy transition, but we figured out how to make sweet lemonade out of the very sour lemons that were thrown our way. (Although no one put any lemons on their pizzas during the 2021 IBL Pizza Challenge).

This week, our faculty went back to in-person teaching, which is turning out to be yet another difficult transition. In our desperate hopes to regain some sense of normalcy, we venture back into the classrooms with cautious optimism and masks carefully hiding our smiles. While I’m still not entirely sure if going back is the best idea - given that there is still much uncertainy and the Omicron variant running wild - we will keep doing what we do by staying resilient, adapting to the situation as they arise, and having fun while learning about the law.

Good luck and stay safe to all the students and staff who are back in the classrooms!

UM Blue Monday Web Event Hosted by Flourish Maastricht

It was 2017 when I first spoke out about the lack of institutional support offered by the UM for issues related to mental health and well-being. Back then, I was frustrated by what almost felt like indifference on behlaf of the University about how well their students and staff were doing, especially for those that did not speak Dutch and was unaware of how to find help within the Dutch healthcare system. Since then, I have met many wonderful people working hard to improve the quality and the quanitity of support available to our students and staff.

However, even today, I still hear similar concerns from time to time about the lack of support or that there is much confusion on how students and staff can find the right help, not to mention the lingering stigma that is seemingly attached to the hip when it comes to matters of mental health. In order to: 1) connect those seeking for support with those that are offering them; and 2) to solicit more ways to keep improving the support available to our people, Flourish Maastricht has organized a short web event to showcase the support network available to our Community. On Blue Monday (17 January 2022), we are inviting speakers from the Student Service Center and the SUMa team, the InnBetween, @ease Maastricht, and other local mental health professionals, where they will each give a short pitch on the kind of support they offer and how you can reach them.

This event - which will be conducted in English - is free for all UM students and staff, but we kindly ask you to register for the event here before 16 January 2022. Come join us and find the support that you need!

"Lifelong Development Workshop" at the 2021 Learning & Innovation Conference!

I’ll be running a workshop on “Lifelong Development” together with Prof. dr. Trudie Schils (SBE) during the upcoming Learning & Innovation Conference on 10 November. In-person registration is already full, but there is still a small room for joining online. So hit me up if you’re interested and come join us to learn about… learning!

Fathers be Good to Your Daughters

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It’s a complicated world out there. Not only for little girls with big dreams, but for their nervous fathers (who are fighting to smash the patriarchy in a quixotic attempt to protect their daughters from all the bullshit that is out there).

Yes, our little Amy Louise is only one month old, but I’ve already started worrying about the assortment of non-sense that she may have to deal with down the line. I remain hopeful and optimistic though, in part because of our delightful family, friends, and colleagues. I am extremely grateful that our little girl has come into this world surrounded by so much love and kindness.

So thank you all for your generosity and your beautiful words welcoming our baby girl. I don’t want to be a curling dad who just clears away all the obstacles from his daughter’s path, but I do want to surround her with as many wonderful people, who will support her, love her, and help her grow. Thanks to you all, I think we are well on our way!

"German Courts of the World" (aka My New UM Blog Post that No One Will Probably Read)

Reporting live from Aachen, Germany! Are the German courts making the world a better place or breaking it instead?! A few rambling thoughts for the UM blog covering Germany's (over-)reliance on universal jurisdiction to go after the bad guys.

Ok, sure. It's not my best writing, nor is it the most meticulously researched piece, but it still (hopefully) offers some food for thought. I don’t think it’s too bad, especially considering that I put it together with glue and duct tape during my "leave". So yeah, it's a side hussle. Would love your 2 cents on it, especially if you think I got something wrong here.

Expats x Migrants (Our Little D&I Project) Got Picked Up on De Limburger!

We wrapped up the photo shoot last month and we are now working out the kinks on our website, but more importantly, some of our project members will be presenting and discussing the project and other important issues related to migration during the MACIMIDE Annual Conference that kicks off today! Check out the conference, check out our project, and let’s work towards making Maastricht a more inclusive and diverse community!

How to Make Surfboards: A Checklist for Our Graduates

I got to pen a few pages for the book, Made in Maastricht, which has now been published. The book is a collection of advice from some of the law faculty’s staff to our graduates and alums as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary. If anyone wants a sneak peak for my little blurb, you can find the pre-published draft here ;)

Promotion of Incompetence? We Can Do Better!

I know I just quit being a columist for The Observant, but here I am contributing an opinion piece on good leadership and academic citizenship (or the lack thereof). One good thing about writing an opinion piece (relative to being a columnist) is that there are no deadlines. I just wrote it because I wanted to, and the reason why I wanted to is because so many of my colleagues here at the UM currently do not feel safe in their work environment. Or they feel overlooked and believe that their concerns are falling on deaf ears. I just wanted to write because I don’t want them to feel alone.

An Afternoon with a Game-Changer Mamokgethi Phakeng!

Looking forward to speaking with the University of Cape Town’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng, for the D&I Event: An afternoon with a Game-Changer! Come join us (online) for this engaging converation with Kgethi, Constance & Shula!

UM Opening of the 45th Academic Year & New Strategic Program!

5 years ago, Catalina Goanta and I had the chance to open the academic year and to present the University’s strategic program, “Community at the CORE” (as evidenced by the selfies above). Tomorrow, I have the opportunity - together with Judith Kamalski - to moderate the morning session of this year’s OAY and to present the new strategic program, “The European University of the Netherlands.” I was quite skeptical of the title at first and what it actually entailed, but after speaking with the people behind it and their vision, I have drank the Kool Aid and am very much looking forward to moderating the event with some of the VIPs from the UM community!