In this episode of the SBE Podcast, we are happy to inviteInge Dijksman. Together, we discuss how it is to work as a self-employed HR coach as well as working in a global company. Also, we speak about how difficult it sometimes can be to find the right career path and what helps in overcoming this challenge.
How does the work-life in a global Dutch company look, andwhat is it like to travel the world because of the job? How does the decision of becoming self-employed change everything, and how does the life of an entrepreneur differ? How should someone deal with the feeling of not knowingwhat to do after graduating, while everyone seems to have a plan? And what are the actual opportunities for business students after finishing their degree?
These and many more questions are answered by Inge Dijksman, who graduated from Maastricht University and took an exciting career afterward. From having her first job at the University itself, to joining one of the largest Dutch companies, to actually starting her own business, Inge takes us through all the challenges and rewards that this journey holds for her. Her unique career also opens great insights into the worry many students face: „What should I do when I graduate? And what do I actually would like to do instead of „having“ to do?“ Because usually, the right path for each student is a different one.
In this podcast special of the SBE Podcast, we are happy to invite Cedric Pots. Together, we discuss the role of a student representative in the context of different stakeholders at Maastricht University, but also how extracurricular activities and broad curiosity can shape unique CV’s.
What is a student representative actually doing and how much influence does he have on the decisions the board of a university takes? What does it need to get this influential role and become the voice of the students of a faculty? Why are extracurricular activities still underrated, and how can they boost a CV? How do activities like this pay off in terms of career planning? And why can „non-linear“ career paths give advantages when it comes to preparing for a professional life?
These and many more questions are answered by Cedric Pots, who served as student representative for SBE from 2023 to 2025. Here, he represented the interests of students and influenced the decisions made by the SBE board. Apart from that, he’s about to finish his Master’s degrees in Econometrics & Operations Research and Corporate & Commercial Law. While simultaneously pursuing a Pre-Master’s degree in Philosophy at Tilburg University, Cedric, as a Maastricht native, shares his experience in being deeply involved in SBE, how his curiosity led him to study in many different fields, and why sports is an important reason he manages to balance between so many different activities.
Born in 1964 in Heerlen, David Jongen studied Public Administration at the University of Twente. His career began in public service, including as City Manager of The Hague (2000–2006) and Board Member of the UWV (Dutch Employee Insurance Agency).
In 2011, he became Chairman of the Board of Atrium Medical Center Parkstad in Heerlen. That same year, he took on the role of CEO of Zuyderland Care Group, a position he still holds today.In this episode, we explore what it takes to lead a major healthcare organization through crisis, recovery, and transformation.
From rebuilding trust and navigating mergers to tackling today’s most pressing healthcare challenges, David Jongen shares his vision for the future of regional healthcare in the Netherlands
In this podcast special of the SBE Podcast, we are happy to invite Prof. Dr. Dirk Brounen. Together, we discuss two main topics: housing and household finance.
What does it actually mean to study housing and household finance? What leads humans to sometimes irrational decisions when it comes to spending their money? Why ishousing in cities like Maastricht, especially for students, so difficult, and what are possible solutions to solve this problem? And does it still make sense to buy a house?
Questions like these are answered by Prof. Dr. Dirk Brounen, who holds the chair of Housing & Household Finance at the Financial Department of SBE andMaastricht University since 2024. Previously, Dirk Brounen worked as a professor at the Universities of Tilburg and Rotterdam, and pursued his PhD atthe University of Amsterdam. He’s one of the most renowned Dutch scientists in the areas of housing and real estate and advises pension funds, investors, ministries, and regulators. He’s also the author of the book "Nooit Meer Slapend Arm” and published several papers in globally relevant journals like the Journal of Urban Economics and the Journal of European Real Estate Research.
In this podcast special, our host, Dóra Gal, invites Dr. Michaella Vanore. Together, they talk about the impact of internationalisation.---Dr. Michaella Vanore is a research fellow at the United Nations University-MERIT and Maastricht University, where she has worked since 2009 as a researcher, lecturer, and policy analyst with a focus on migration and development, child-focused social protection, and mixed-methodology research and training. In the course of her work, Michaella has explored the many development impacts of diasporas on their countries of ancestral origin and residence, including relating to supporting trade and private sector development, and has advised governments on developing diaspora engagement policies and programmes. She has also examined social protection regimes and their consequences for children and families, including those children and families affected by migration. She teaches extensively on migration and citizenship-related topics and is passionate about helping researchers of all stages better understand the methodological choices they make. Since September 2023 she has also been the programme director of the BSc Global Studies, an interdisciplinary bachelor programme developed and taught by staff from all faculties of Maastricht University.---Follow us on Instagram: https://bit.ly/39BPTgt Follow us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2VkIgCq Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3fVdZUk
In this podcast special, our host Dóra Gal invites Dirk Schwendt from Accenture to share some insights on the ins and outs of being in the consultancy world, the fear of AI 'taking our jobs', and more. -- 00:00 Intro
03:55 How does the know-how transfer work?
07:04 How do you measure success in this industry?
09:04 Designing the implementation.
10:36 How to retain train talent in the organization?
15:10 What are the biggest assets of a consultant at Accenture?
17:03 Is AI already taking some jobs away and how can we deal with it?
20:56 Overview of clients and training services at Accenture.
23:08 Typical bottlenecks in such projects.
25:50 The dream team.
28:32 What skills do YOU need to enter this field?
30.55 Die Lernkurve – a podcast by Dirk Schwendt
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In this episode, we welcomed Pomme Theunissen to discuss her research regarding women in entrepreneurship. Pomme is an Assistant Professor at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics. Her research interests lie mainly (yet not exclusively) in female entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial finance, crowdfunding, and gender. -- 00:00 Intro 04:25 The biggest challenges in setting up a business: 09:24 The idea or the team? 10:25 How does the gender of the entrepreneur influence the business? 21:31 Mompreneurship and returning to the workforce 26:38 Gender and financing 36:55 Menstrual cycles are affecting everyone 51:18 Outro --- Follow us on Instagram: https://bit.ly/39BPTgt Follow us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2VkIgCq Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3fVdZUk
In this episode, we welcomed Jonas Heller and together, we discussed Immersive Technologies like AR & VR as well as AI in Marketing and Services. Jonas is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management at Maastricht University School of Business and Economics.
(00:00) Background & experience
(3:50) What is happening in Afghanistan?
(7:33) What is UNU-Merit doing there?
(11:06) How does the cash transfer initiative work?
(21:38) Challenges in policy building
(25:20) Challenges of leaving your home behind
(30:40) How is the private sector participating?
(37:17) Investing for Impact
(41:15) What is it like to stay in Kabul?
(44:50) The compound economy
(49:40) Outro
Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this episode, our host Dóra Gál welcomes Prof. Dr. Gaby Odekerken Schröder. Together they talk about Service Robots in healthcare and other service environments. This talk features questions about how robots can cooperate with humans and how humans perceive that interaction. Furthermore, this episode gives a short peek into what is currently happening at The Maastricht Center for Robots. 🔗Maastricht Centre of Robots: https://um-sbe.com/47MOHRw
00:00 Intro
05:30 What are service robots and how are they used?
10:26 Where can service robots be leveraged and with what risks?
20:30 Mitigating risks and managing robots.
30:00 Robots for solving loneliness?
33:10 Are robots for or against developing social skills?
41:02 Forming an attachment to robots.
44:30 Conclusion and outro.
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Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this episode, our host Yunus Oberst welcomes Jan Scheele. Together they talk about Entrepreneurship, Public Speaking, TED Talks, and more. 00:00 Intro 01:05 Jan’s Background 2:00 Jan’s way to TED 6:50 What makes a great speaker 11:15 What’s Talk like TED 17:10 Challenges in Jan’s Job 18:50 Jan’s way to Maastricht 22:30 How to turn your passion into a Job 27:40 What does Jan do besides TED 32:15 How will we consume knowledge in the future? 37:00 Jan’s Future 40:00 Takeaways for life from Jan --- Follow us on Instagram: https://bit.ly/39BPTgt Follow us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2VkIgCq Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3fVdZUk
Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this episode, our host Yunus Oberst welcomes Stefan Flagner. Together they talk about passion, interdisciplinary work, and more.
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Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this episode, our host Louis Morgner welcomes Dominik Mahr. Together they talk about Robotics and how big of an impact it will have on our world.
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Interested in the topics discussed in this episode?
Ruggiero, A., Mahr, D., Odekerken-Schröder, G., Spena, T. R., & Mele, C. (2022). Companion robots for well-being: a review and relational framework. Research Handbook on Services Management, 309-330. https://www.elgaronline.com/view/book/9781800375659/book-part-9781800375659-33.xml
Becker, M., Mahr, D., & Odekerken-Schröder, G. (2022). Customer comfort during service robot interactions. Service Business, 1-29.
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Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this episode, our host Louis Morgner welcomes Roberta Di Palma. Together they talk about Virtual Reality and how we can use it to shape the future of education.00:00 Intro
00:00 Intro
01:20 Roberta's Background
04:00 What is Virtual Reality
06:25 What can we do with VR
07:50 What is DEXLAB
10:55 How can we implement VR in education
14:45 What is the impact already? How has VR already impacted education
17:00 Pro's and Con's of VR
19:55 What is the risk of implementing VR
21:50 Other applications for VR
24:00 Takeaways
Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this episode, our host Louis Morgner welcomes Jermain Kaminski. Together they talk about entrepreneurship, Silicon Valley, Machine Learning, and more.
00:00 Intro
01:15 Jermain’s background
02:30 Career in Maastricht
3:30 Jermain’s thoughts on entrepreneurship
6:40 Silicon Valley and tech hubs in Europe
8:35 How can we mimic Silicon Valley in Europe
10:25 Causal data science meeting
12:45 Where to start as an entrepreneur during your studies
20:40 How to decide if a problem is worth solving
26:08 The importance of funding for start- ups
28:10 Different ways for a start-up to get funded
31:40 Jermain’s research
36:05 What is Machine Learning today and where is it heading?
40:30 Will AI take over human work?
43:40 Takeaways
Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this episode, our host Louis Morgner welcomes Carla Haelermans. Together they talk about education, the Dutch education system's effect on children, how technology is (and should be) used in education, and more.
00:00 Intro
01:15 Carla's background
05:35 Career in Maastricht
08:04 What is Education?
09:51 How the Early Tracking system affects children
13:54 What is good Education?
16:27 Problem Based Learning
19:20 The disruption of Education due to COVID
25:13 Is Technology Enhanced Learning a good thing?
27:53 Personalized Education
32:48 To make the future of Education a success we have to...
34:09 Carla's vision of the future
Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this third episode, our host Louis Morgner welcomes Professor Didier Fouarge. Together, they discuss the research done at the Centre for Education and the Labour Market. They also talk about the future of the labour market, how student can prepare for their first jobs and whether or not university degrees are even still relevant.
00:00 Didier’s career path
08:57 What is the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA)?
11:13 How can you win in the job market? 20:10 How can we predict the future of the labour market?
29:30 What can students do to prepare for the labour market?
36:00 Are university degrees still relevant?
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Interested in the topics discussed during the episode?
Salamanca Acosta, N., de Grip, A., Fouarge, D., & Montizaan, R. (2016). Locus of control and investment in risky assets. IZA. IZA Discussion Paper Series No. 10407 http://ftp.iza.org/dp10407.pdf
de Grip, A., Fouarge, D., & Montizaan, R. (2020). Redistribution of individual pension wealth to survivor pensions: Evidence from a stated preferences analysis. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 173, 402-421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2019.0..
de Grip, A., Fouarge, D., Montizaan, R., & Schreurs, B. (2020). Train to retain: Training opportunities, positive reciprocity, and expected retirement age. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 117, 1-15. [103332]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.10...
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As society becomes increasingly complex, so does the practice of being an effective leader. Although it’s no longer possible to know everything or keep operations under control, we somehow still believe this is what’s needed. In the latest episode of the SBE podcast, Prof. Dr. Marielle Heiltjes, Executive Director of UMIO, debunks this myth with an insightful and empowering perspective.
Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this fifth episode, our host Louis Morgner welcomes Professor Piet Eichholtz to chat about lessons learned in his exciting career.
Piet Eichholtz is a Professor of Real Estate Finance and has founded multiple successful businesses throughout his career. In this episode, Louis and Piet discuss his most important lessons learned throughout his career and some timeless advicefor young professionals that want to make the jump from idea to execution.
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Piet’s career path
7:30 Identifying opportunities in today’s world
10:35 Piet’s entrepreneurial journey
16:08 From idea to execution
21:20 How Piet works
26:25 Book recommendation
29:31 How to deal with failure
33:07 How to avoid sunk cost fallacy
34:44 Advice for your younger self
Welcome to the SBE Podcast: The place where we share interesting stories of interesting people. In this fourth episode, our host Louis Morgner welcomes Professor Melissa Siegel.
Melissa Siegel is a Professor of Migration Studies at SBE and Head of Migration Studies at Maastricht Graduate School of Governance and UNU-MERIT. Together, they explore how research can impact policy around migration. They also discuss and demystify myths about migration.
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Melissa's career path
05:52 How research can impact policy
15:35 Demystifying myths about migration
34:21 Education, migration and globalisation
