Wat betekent een verrechtsing van Europa voor de digitale ambities? iBestuur, 17 April 2024. My thoughts on the 2024 European elections and the potential push towards the right in the European Parliament. EU centre-right plots post-election alliances left and right. Euractiv, 6 March 2024. Quoted on possible cooperation between the centre-right and right-wing Eurosceptics after the 2024 European Parliament elections.
(De)internationalisation in the European Higher Education Area? eu!radio, 27 October 2023. In conversation with eu!radio for their weekly "Ideas on Europe" radio column.
Paesi Bassi: una svolta radicale? raduni, 14 May 2023. Interview on Italian college radio on the recent Dutch regional elections, the rise of farmers' party BBB and the consequences for senate renewal and the Dutch EU policy.
Broad international classroom offers added value. UMagazine, February 2023. Interview with Carla Haelermans and me on our international classroom research.
"Les critiques des eurosceptiques peuvent être bénéfiques pour avancer". eu!radio, 6 September 2022. A chat with Hugo Noirtault of eu!radio during the recent 52nd UACES Annual Conference In Lille.
COVID lessons for European Higher Education. eu!radio, 9 June 2022. In conversation with eu!radio for their weekly "Ideas on Europe" radio column.
Na zestien jaar Angela Merkel wil Duitsland vernieuwen: Vijftien miljoen elektrische auto's en legale cannabisteelt. De Limburger, 1 January 2022. Includes my reflections on how new German ambitions may be curbed by European realities.
Dutch and British students benefit the least from the international classroom. Observant, 6 October 2021. Interview on my research into the international classroom.
Students and teachers both suffer as higher education moves online. Euronews, 8 February 2021. Interview on the effects of online teaching and learning.
Teaching Europe in the Birth Place of the European Union: An Interview with Patrick Bijsmans. EuropeNow, 10 November 2020. Interview of teaching and learning European Studies in Maastricht.
The new challenge: Finding a routine in online education. Maastricht University Website, 30 March 2020. Interview on the challenges for teaching and learning following from the Covid-19 crisis.
Everyone’s a eurosceptic. Maastricht University Website, 6 June 2019. Interview on the 2019 European elections and Euroscepticism.
Euroscepticisme: “De EU is een voor- of tegendebat geworden.” GeenKwats, 20 May 2019. Interview on Dutch online platform on the 2019 European elections and Euroscepticism.
Battle for Brexit: What does Europe think? Roundtable, 30 January 2019.Appearance on TRT World's discussion programme to discuss Brexit.
Greater absenteeism during blocks leads to lower grades. Observant, 15 March 2018.Interview in university newspaper on the attendance research conducted by Arjan Schakel and me.
Voorbij de patriottische lente. De Limburger, 23 September 2017. Interview in regional newspaper on the German elections, Euroscepticism and the debate about the EU.
Live radio interview on regional broadcaster L1's 'De Stemming' on media bubbles and Europe, 11 June 2017.
Reequilibrio en la política europea. La Razón, 21 March 2017.Interview in Spanish newspaper on the 2017 Dutch elections and populism in Europe.
Patrick Bijsmans: «Un referendo sobre la UE no tiene suficiente apoyo en Holanda». La Voz de Galicia, 5 March 2017.Interview in Spanish newspaper on the 2017 Dutch elections. Live radio interview on regional broadcaster L1's 'De Stemming' on 25 years of Maastricht Treaty and Euroscepticism, 4 December 2016.
Made in Germany - Das Wirtschaftsmagazin, Deutsche Welle, 21 June 2016. Item on the Maastricht Treaty and European identity, including interviews with BA ES students.
Olanda, assedio di Wilders alla cittadella dell’euro. I populisti avanzano anche nella provincia di Maastricht, Il Sole 24 Ore, 16 April 2014. Commentary in Italian business newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore on the potential consequences of the expected victory of Eurosceptic parties in the 2014 EP elections. Whether these parties will really be able to form a group is uncertain, but a slowing down of the integration process is not unlikely.
'In driekwart van de gevallen is te voorspellen of student het gaat halen', Trouw, 17 March 2014. Short interview about Matching at Maastricht University.
Live interview on Dutch BNR Nieuwsradio about the application of Matching at Maastricht University, BNR Spitsuur, 4 July 2013.
«Η νέα κυβέρνηση της Ολλανδίας θα είναι φιλοευρωπαϊκή» λένε οι ειδικοί. Τρεις ολλανδοί ακαδημαϊκοί μιλάνε στο ΒΗΜΑ για το αποτέλεσμα των εκλογών,Τo Βhma, 10 September 2012. Commentary in leading Greek paper To Vima on the Dutch elections and the chances of a new, more eurosceptical government, following the rise in the polls of the left-wing SP party. Main point: Dutch politics always depends on coalitions and the SP’s most likely partners are more favourable towards the EU; the SP may even not be in government after. The chances of a ‘turn against the EU’ are therefore limited.
Holandia: antyimigrancki portal osłabił rząd, Rzeczpospolita, 22 March 2012. Commentary regarding the website that was set up by Geert Wilder's party to register complaints about Eastern Europeans: "The website has weakened the Dutch position in the EU. The Netherlands has lost the reputation of a tolerant country. The business community is afraid it will have a bad impact on exports and business with the new member states. It might also have a negative effect on Dutch efforts to lower the contribution to the EU budget."
Seeling, L. (2011) Wir Super-Europäer. In Maastricht studieren - das bedeutet jetzt: Sich von der Krise nicht beeindrucken lassen, Die Zeit, 8 Dezember 2011. Comments on the Bachelor European Studies and current events in the EU in an article written by BA ES alumnus Luisa Seeling.
Kluveld, A., Bijsmans, P. & De Wilde, R. (2011) Kritiek op Maastricht miskent Europese dimensie, De Volkskrant, 5 September 2011. Response to criticism on the fact that Maastricht University attracts lots of international students.
Live interview on Dutch national radio about the defeat of the social democratic parties during the 2009 European elections, Radio 1 Lunch!, 8 June 2009.
Commentary in item about the European elections in the Netherlands and the rise of Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom, Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE, 4 June 2009.
Bijsmans, P. (2007) Mijn Europa is zeker géén groot misverstand, NRC Handelsblad, 14 December 2007, p.6 (letter).
Bijsmans, P. (2007) Weinig interesse in het Europese spel, NRC Handelsblad, 28 March 2007, p.6 (letter).
Bijsmans, P. (2007) Debat over grondwet vergroot kennis over EU, NRC Handelsblad, 3/4 February 2007, p.16 (letter).
Debates and talks
Contributor to the University of Suffolk Learning and Teaching Webinar on 'the value of learning and teaching exchange', 12 July 2023. The recording is available here.
Panellist EUACADEMY launch event and workshop, session 'Teaching the European Union: Perspectives from across the European Union and Beyond'. Title contribution: Why - and How - Study the European Union: Reflections from the Perspective of an International Dutch University. Online event, Dublin City University, 12-13 December 2022 (by invitation).
Participation in an expert meeting on the international classroom, organised by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Netherlands School of Public Administration on 31 October 2022 (by invitation).
Keynote speech at the conference ‘Democratisation of the EU | Enfranchising EU Citizens’, organised by D66 Delft, 10 December 2021. Watch the recording of the full conference here.
Speaker during 'Europe Day' at Bernardinuscollege secondary school, 6 March 2020, Heerlen, the Netherlands.
Panellist debate on the future of European integration research at the University of Amsterdam, organised as part of the MA course 'Perspectives on European Integration' (lead by Dr Jamal Shahin and Dr Claske Vos), 26 November 2019, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Contribution to the event 'LET’S TALK about Your Future in Europe', organised by Studium Generale in collaboration with Working on Europe and Kaleido Maastricht, 15 May 2019, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Panellist during the Debate Café 'Brexit, the UK and the EU: What’s Next?', organised by Studium Generale in collaboration with ELSA, 7 May 2019, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Guest speaker InScience film festival, screening of Freedom For The Wolf, organised by Studium Generale in collaboration with InScience Nijmegen and Lumière, 8 November 2018, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Workshop convener 'Tutors in problem-based learning: From distant facilitator to approachable coach', 9 October 2018, Bolzano, Italy.
Panellist during the Re:Thinking Europe lecture with Larry Siedentop, organised by Maastricht University's Ambassador Lecture Series and De Balie, 14 November 2017, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Moderator workshop 'Against populism, participation helps' during the conference Thinking Europe Forward, organised by the Centre for European Research in Maastricht, Maastricht University and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 28 September 2017, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Guest lecture 'A united Europe - between Maastricht and Brussels' for Uniworld Cruises on board of the River Ambassador, 20 April 2017, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
EU expert for event by the organisation No Nexit at Summa College, 9 March 2017, Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Archived livestream available on Facebook.
Panellist debate 'Post-truth: What counts for people, expertise or populist opinion?', organised by Studium Generale Maastricht and SCOPE | Economics, 20 February 2017, Maastricht, the Netherlands. University newspaper Observant wrote about the debate.
Panellist debate 'Brexit: the potential exit of the UK from the EU', organised by Studium Generale Maastricht and SCOPE | Economics, 17 May 2016, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Panellist debate 'Beeldvorming over Europa in Nederland', organised by the European Affairs committees of the main Dutch political parties, 16 November 2015, The Hague, the Netherlands.
Moderator debate 'Euroscepticism and the 2014 European Parliament Elections', organised by Studium Generale in cooperation with E.S.A. Concordantia and the UM Bachelor in European Studies, 12 May 2014, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Panellist debate ‘Life after WikiLeaks - a New Era of Journalism?’, organised by Studium Generale Science Café with Universalis & NovUM, 12 April 2011, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Panellist debate ‘The European Elections 2009’, organised by Studium Generale Science Café with Universalis, 12 May 2009, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Panellist Europe-debate at the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Dutch Government’s Civil Servants Trainee Programme, 19 June 2008, The Hague, the Netherlands.
‘Het Europa van de Burger?’ (‘A Citizens’ Europe?’), presentation at a party programme discussion of the Dutch green party GroenLinks, 26 april 2008, Utrecht, the Netherlands.