Barbara Timmermans

2 April 2026 How can you ensure that pupils improve their Dutch language skills not only in Dutch lessons, but across all subjects? That question emerged at the Bernardinuscollege in Heerlen, where teachers noticed that students struggled with, among other things, understanding complex texts and exam questions. What began as a search for better writing instruction, with support from the TaalLab, grew into a research project on language-oriented teaching across all subjects.

12 March 2026 How can global capital be used to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems and the communities that depend on them? This question stood at the centre of a recent course project in the MSc Climate Finance & Investments course at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics (SBE).

10 March 2026 Despite strong EU-level efforts to foster circularity, the European furniture sector continues to face persistent barriers to its transition. Downstream market challenges, including high costs for repair and storage, limited trust in second-hand furniture, and a lack of transparency, continue to constrain the uptake of circular practices and therefore favour linear and fast furniture models.