VENUE

Maastricht ,birthplace of the European Union in 1992 and  the capital of the most southern province of Limburg,  has over 122,000 inhabitants and is the oldest city of the Netherlands. Mosae Trajectum, crossing place on the river Maas, was the name given by the Romans to the fortified settlement. Despite its position at the most southern point of the country, Maastricht has never been isolated. The city has always been open to the surrounding regions, a circumstance that explains its international orientation. The nearby borders were never a hindrance to the exchange of goods, ideas, culture and knowledge. Maastricht is not only the oldest city; it is also the oldest industrial city in the Netherlands. The ceramic industry that grew up in the early years of the nineteenth century, together with the paper industry that came later, are still important bulwarks of the local economy. Through the years Maastricht’s industry modernized itself to a large degree, above all in the technical field and became more internationally orientated. As well as being an industrial city, Maastricht is also a scientific center, the home of an increasing number of European institutions, a considerable tourist attraction, a center of culture, an international shopping city, an attractive place to live with its quiet surrounding region, and an important location for companies to settle and a city with higher education. This all makes Maastricht the perfect place for a globally-focused business school as the Maastricht School of Management (MSM).  More information about Maastricht or the Netherlands might be found on the following websites:  www.vvvmaastricht.nl or www.visitholland.nl