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His Excellency James Lambert, Ambassador of Canada to the Netherlands, has called McMaster’s MSc in Global Health – a joint program with Maastricht University in the Netherlands – a “big story” in the context of Canadian-Dutch relations. The program represents more than a collaboration between two universities – it’s a union that binds our two countries through years of strong partnership.

 

So it is only fitting that the Global Health program and McMaster have been well represented during the Dutch higher education mission and state visit to Canada by Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, taking place this week from May 27-29.

 

2015 is an important year for Canadian-Dutch relations as it marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands, and the state visit will focus in part on the important role played by Canada. The visit takes place at the same time as an economic mission to Canada and the Dutch higher education mission, which aims to strengthen ties between Canadian and Dutch higher education institutions.

 

McMaster’s President, Dr. Patrick Deane, and Dr. Andrea Baumann, Associate V-P Global Health, were invited to attend the state visit in Waterloo on May 28, where the MSc Global Health was highlighted as a leading example of Dutch-Canadian higher education partnership.

 

Baumann and Dr. Anja Krumeich (Co-Directors of the Global Health program) presented the session, with an introduction from President Patrick Deane and Maastricht’s Rector Magnificus, Dr. Luc Soete.

 

Baumann said, “We are excited to be part of this important event. The MSc Global Health continues to be recognized as an innovative, collaborative program that is laying the foundation for a better future in the field of global health. Internationalization of higher education is defined by partnerships like this one.”

 

President Deane represented McMaster at the Waterloo event as part of the Canadian-Dutch matchmaking events, while Dr. Peter Mascher, Associate V-P International Affairs, participated in the matchmaking event at Wilfrid Laurier, where where he had numerous fruitful discussions with representatives of seven Dutch academic institutions, including the Universities of Groningen, Tilburg, and Amsterdam. Dr. Baumann, along with Mrs. Elizabeth Witmer (Global Health Advisory Board Chair), also attended a special concert in Ottawa on May 28.