STUDENT
Anna Vasylyeva
PROGRAMME
University College Maastricht, PEERS
RESEARCH
Intention of students to stay in Maastricht after the graduation
UCM PEERS is a semester long research program carrying 10 ECTS. PEERS is a form of RBL, Research-Based Learning. In RBL, learning is based on research that students do themselves, rather than being dependent on research done before and by others. Small groups of students will conduct research under the guidance of a senior researcher and Anna conduced her research under the Made2Measure programme. She investigated the question: What are the major factors that determine the desire of the Maastricht University (UM) students to stay in, or leave, Maastricht upon graduation?
Understanding of these factors can help the municipality to develop policies to retain highly educated graduates, who can boost the development of the city. This research also aims to analyze Maastricht’s prospective policy of developing creative and cultural industries (CCIs) in relation to graduates’ intention to stay. Through primarily quantitative survey of 612 current UM students, the paper arrives at the following conclusions. Faculty, nationality and career intentions play an important role in graduates’ choice. Specific aspects of Maastricht, such as job opportunities, international nature, connection of the respondents to Dutch culture, creative and cultural places, as well as knowledge of Limburgse are major factors that encourage some respondents to stay in the city upon graduation. The development of CCIs, especially entrepreneurship has a potential to increase the graduates retention rate. However, different groups of students are interested in different CCIs. The implications of this and other findings are analysed and formulated as recommendations to the municipality.
Anna’s full research report can be found here: REPORT
This project has been executed in collaboration with the UCM PEERS programme.