Maastricht University

Maastricht University functions as a major public research university which operates from its base in the historical city of Maastricht in the Netherlands. The university holds the status of being the most international educational institution in the country because it uses its unique teaching system which employs "Problem-Based Learning" (PBL) to promote student learning through small group interactions and shared problem-solving activities instead of using standard teaching methods. The university establishes a deep connection with the city through its multiple educational sites that extend from the beautiful city center to the contemporary Brightlands campuses, which create an active international academic community that exists in the central part of Europe.

The university opened its doors in 1976 under the name Rijksuniversiteit Limburg to meet the demand for a medical training facility which would help restore the region's economy after the coal mining industry had collapsed. The school became the eighth medical institution in the Netherlands which established a strong reputation for its educational practices after it became the first school in the country to implement the complete PBL teaching method. The institution expanded its academic programs over multiple decades until it officially adopted the Maastricht University name in 1996 to show its wider range of academic fields and its increasing worldwide recognition.