Netherlands’ university signs AUT partnership

8 February 2006

Netherlands’ leading university signs AUT partnership

A leading Netherlands’ economics and business faculty has signed an agreement to pursue joint research with business researchers at AUT University.

Maastricht University’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and AUT’s Faculty of Business will exchange academic staff and doctoral students in the Visiting Research Fellowship Scheme, starting this year.

The Netherlands’ faculty is recognised as one of the leading research faculties in Europe. The fellowship scheme adds to AUT’s growing international partnerships and similar agreements with Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) in Sweden and Nanjing Business School in China.

Maastricht University Dean of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Professor Jos Lemmink says forging these relationships is a fundamental driver in global research.

"The face-to-face dimension of cooperation should not be underestimated, especially not in business education,” he says.

AUT’s Associate Dean for research at the Faculty of Business Professor Thomas Lange has been the driving force behind the partnership. He says this agreement is one of many international research links for AUT’s Faculty of Business.

“Maastricht’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration is internationally renowned. Its research reputation transcends national boundaries and is evidenced by publications in some of the best research journals in the world.

“Our students will gain, our researchers will benefit and our increasingly global research network welcomes an exceptionally exciting new member.”

The Dean of AUT’s Faculty of Business, Professor Des Graydon says any reputable business faculty is known not only for its own research but also for its national and international partners.

“You are known for the company you keep,” he says. “With Maastricht’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, we are proud to welcome a partner of such international significance.”

The agreement will see an academic and a PhD candidate per year from each institution conduct research at the partner university for up to 12 weeks.

Maastricht University Associate Dean of Research Professor Peter Schotman cites the excellent joint work on business ethics, corporate governance impact and risk management produced by academics from both institutions as an indicator of research to come.

"I expect this exchange agreement will greatly facilitate further the research cooperation between AUT and Maastricht," he says.

AUT finance academic and co-director of GARP’s New Zealand chapter, Professor Alireza Tourani-Rad was Associate Professor of Finance at Maastricht from 1987-2000 and Senior Research Fellow.

He maintains strong links with the university in ongoing projects with Professor Rob Bauer and Dr Otten from the Finance department. The trio have produced several joint publications in principal finance journals.

Maastricht’s graduate research school METEOR (Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organisations) was established in 1994 and is accredited by the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences. It hosts a number of leading research centres and institutes.

Maastricht is a high-ranking faculty in Europe in research and education. Recent highlights include accreditations by AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) and a €1M grant for pension research awarded to Peter Schotman, researcher at Maastricht’s department of finance.

ENDS

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