Programme​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

UM 50 Alumni Homecoming | 23 May 2026

Main event programme

Date: 23 May 2026

14:00 - 15:00 | Walk-in and registration

15:00 - 15:10 | Opening by Jan-Tjitte Meindersma, Vice President Maastricht University

15:10 - 15:30 | To be announced

15:30 - 18:00 | Festive Reunion with food, drinks, music, entertainment and several fun activities:

• The UM 50 Alumni Quiz

• Traditional Dutch games like Sjoelen, Blik gooien and many more

• Live music and DJ's

• Meeting points for your faculty and years

• Group pictures with your old classmates

• A lot of other surprises ;)

18:00 - 18:55 | Closing Act

18:55 - 19:00 | Closing remarks

Before the general programme at the Tapijnkazerne we have faculty specific programmes prior to the main event.

Below you can find the programmes of the faculty specific events.

Please note that the programmes are subject to change. No rights may be derived from the published programmes.

Faculty programmes

Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

Date: 23 May 2026

Location: Universiteitssingel 40, Randwyck, Maastricht

13:00 - 13:30 | Walk-in with coffee, tea, vlaai

13:30 - 13:35 | Opening by André Aleman - Dean Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

13:35 - 14:15 | Lecture by Prof. Dr. Anita Jansen: New Science of Mental Disorders

14:15 - 14:45 | Shuttle bus to Tapijnkazerne 11

Time to be decided | Shuttle bus back to Universiteitssingel

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Anita Jansen: 'New Science of Mental Disorders'

Over the past 50 years, clinical psychology has grown rapidly—much like Maastricht University itself. Today, the science behind clinical psychology is thriving, and this has led to real improvements in mental health care. At the same time, major challenges remain. Long waiting lists, high costs, limited access to care, and the role of insurance companies continue to put pressure on the system.

Beyond these structural issues, there is another important question: how good are our treatments really? We now have so-called “evidence-based” treatments that perform better than many alternatives, but they are still far from perfect. Mental health treatments can—and should—be much better.

At the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, we are leading a national consortium of top researchers who have received substantial government funding to study new ways of diagnosing and treating mental health problems. Our goal is simple but (very) ambitious: to improve how we understand mental disorders and how we treat them.

In this lecture, we will take a closer look at the limitations of current diagnostic methods and treatments. We will also offer a behind-the-scenes look at our research on symptom networks—an innovative approach that we believe holds promise for developing more effective, personalized treatments in the future.

School of Business and Economics

Date: 23 May 2026

Location: Tongersestraat 53, Maastricht

13:00 - 14:30 | Free visitation hours to the building for a Trip down Memory Lane

14:30 - 14:45 | Walk to Tapijnkazerne 11

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Date: 23 May 2026

Location: Grote Gracht 90-92, Maastricht

12:30 - 14:15 | Free visitation hours to the building for a Trip down Memory Lane

13:30 - 14:00 | Session by alumnus Bart Zwegers: The history of UM in 50 objects

14:15 - 14:45 | Walk to Tapijnkazerne 11

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Date: 23 May 2026

Location: University College Maastricht, Zwingelput 4, Maastricht

11:45 - 12:15 | Walk-in

12:30 - 13:00 | Battle of the Studies Pub Quiz | Back to the Future Style

13:00 - 14:30 | Lunch with food trucks and social gatherings per study programme

14:30 - 15:00 | Walk to Tapijnkazerne 11

Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences

Date: 23 May 2026

Location: Universiteitssingel 40, Randwyck, Maastricht

50 Years Ahead in Health

10.00 - 10.30 | Walk-in

10.30 - 10.50 | Welcome and highlights of the past 50 years by Annemie Schols, Dean FHML

10.50 - 11.10 | Theme session Educational Renewal by Pim Teunissen, Vice-Dean Education FHML

11.10 - 11.30 | Theme session AI by TO BE ANNOUNCED

11.30 - 11.50 | Theme session Climate Health by Hafez Ismaïli M'hamdi, Scientific Coordinator Climate HEALTH-institute

11.50 - 12.50 | Lunch

12.50 - 13.00 | Selecting one of the research institutes listed below:

• CAPHRI

• CARIM

• GROW

• M4I

• MERLN

• MHENS

• NUTRIM/MRUM

• Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus

13.00 - 14.00 | Campus tour and guided tour of one of the research institutes: From Campus to Core

14.00 - 14.15 | To the meeting point for the shuttle bus

14.00 - 14.15 | Shuttle bus to Tapijnkazerne 11 for the main event programme

Faculty of Law

Date: 23 May 2026

Location: Bouillonstraat 3, Maastricht

 12:00 – 14:30 | Open House @ Faculty of Law – Welcome back to the Faculty of Law in Maastricht with coffee, Limburgse vlaai and time to reconnect. 

• Memory Lane: 45 Years of the Faculty of Law – A walk-through exhibition with photos, study materials and stories from the faculty’s past 

• Scavenger hunt: Explore the building at your own pace through a fun scavenger hunt with light challenges 

12:30 – 13:00 | Musical Surprise Performance 

13:00 – 13:30 | Plenary Lecture (max 30 min) – Professor Sjoerd Claessens reflects on legal thinking then and now at the Faculty of Law. 

14:30 | Transition: together to the central alumni event at Tapijn. 

Please note that the programmes are subject to change. No rights may be derived from the published programmes.

Optional weekend programmes

Would you like to make the most of the Pentecost weekend and stay a little longer in Maastricht after the Homecoming? We would love to help you turn it into a memorable weekend away. That is why we have put together a selection of optional activities for the evening of Saturday 23 May and Sunday 24 May.

Saturday evening

Stay a little longer in Maastricht after the Homecoming and enjoy a fun Saturday evening with fellow alumni. Choose from activities such as bowling, Prison Island or an evening of karaoke. The perfect way to reminisce and end the day together.

Sunday programme

Turn your visit into a full weekend and discover Maastricht in a different way on Sunday. From a relaxed breakfast and nature walk to a guided city tour, beer tasting or river cruise with lunch, there is something for everyone. There are also fun activities for children, making it an enjoyable day for the whole family.

Why you should attend?

A homecoming like this happens only once in a lifetime. This is your chance to reconnect with former classmates and rediscover the friendships you made in Maastricht.

Enjoy a festive day filled with great food and drinks, music, entertainment, and fun activities. No lectures, no obligations, just UM alumni coming together to celebrate, laugh, and relive the memories of their student days.

Join us on the 23rd of May and be part of an unforgettable UM reunion.