On Monday 31 August 2026, Maastricht University opened the 2026/27 academic year at Theater aan het Vrijthof. During this special celebration in our centenary year, one question took centre stage: what will the next 50 years bring for UM, and how can we shape that future together?
Looking 50 years ahead is not about predicting the future, but about daring to dream. That was the central message of President of the Executive Board Pamela Habibović’s opening speech. In 1976, UM’s founders could not have imagined where the university would be today. According to Habibović, the very qualities that have brought UM to where it is today – innovation, courage, flexibility and collaboration – will be essential to keeping the university relevant for the next 50 years.
→ Read more about the event→View a slideshow of photos of this day
Pamela Habibović,
President of the Executive Board
The future does not yet exist; we can only imagine it. Starting from this idea, Loes Damhof, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Futures Literacy, showed how exploring multiple possible futures can help us look at the present in new ways. Damhof invited the audience to let go of existing assumptions about the future of education and make room for imagination, uncertainty and new possibilities.
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Loes Damhof, Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair on Futures Literacy
World-renowned ballet dancer Igone de Jongh brought the theme to life in her own unique way. She began with The Dying Swan, an iconic classical solo about vulnerability, strength and letting go. Classical ballet then gave way to contemporary dance, shifting the focus from tradition towards the future.
The UM Choir also played a musical role in the celebration. The choir accompanied the academic procession as it entered and closed the programme with Ode to Joy.
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What will the partnership between Maastricht University and its regional partners look like 50 years from now? Moderated by journalist and UM alumna Marcia Luyten, Governor Emile Roemer, Mayor Wim Hillenaar and VISTA Board Chair Jeanette Oostijen explored how their relationships with UM could develop in the future.
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Watch the videos of the event here.
The 2026 Hustinx Prize for Science was awarded to Dr Niels van Best, Assistant Professor of Medical Microbiology. His research focuses on how microbes in our environment influence the gut microbiome and immune system during the first years of life, and what this could mean for preventing allergies and respiratory problems. The prize comes with €15,000 in funding to further develop his research.
The 2026 UM Student Prize was awarded to Anaïs Hublet, founder of Tauli. Working with local partners, Tauli is helping to provide cervical cancer screening in Malawi. The strength of the initiative lies in its local collaboration: nurses carry out the screenings themselves, while knowledge and materials remain locally available, allowing the project to continue sustainably.
Author: Bo Ummels
Photography: Philip Driessen
