“My PREMIUM project focused on the renovation of Maastricht University’s Inner City Library and, more specifically, on how its ground floor could better support students’ safety, well-being, and sense of inclusion. At first, my team and I expected the project to be relatively straightforward, but after meeting with our clients, we quickly realised how many different factors had to be considered. To better understand students’ needs, we conducted interviews; gathered student responses through a survey; spoke with library staff; explored relevant research; and visited the Erasmus University Library in Rotterdam for inspiration. We then translated these insights into practical design recommendations for the renovated space. A lot of effort went into the process, and although it was not always easy, the experience remained rewarding rather than overwhelming. We could see our research gradually develop into recommendations that could genuinely improve the student experience. Furthermore, being part of an interdisciplinary team showed me how differently people can approach the same challenge and it taught me to value each person’s strengths, communicate more openly, and adapt my own working style. Looking back, I am proud not only of what we achieved for the library, but also of how much I developed throughout the process. I gained greater confidence, valuable practical experience, and a much stronger understanding of what effective teamwork really requires.”

"My time in PREMIUM was genuinely transformative. Working on an interdisciplinary team researching AI in education taught me to navigate real, challenging questions alongside people from different backgrounds. The diversity of perspectives and experiences my teammates brought was genuinely motivating, and I found myself learning just as much from observing how they organized their time and approached challenges as from the project itself. The workshops gave me space to reflect on my own skills, while getting to know other PREMIUM students along the way. As for the project in itself, it gave me the opportunity to try something completely new to me. With my team, we went to schools to do in person interviews to gain understanding of student and teacher perspectives of AI and education. Together with the information from literature reviews and interviews, we developed a workshop and manual to be used inside and outside the classroom. Altogether, it pushed me further than I expected, professionally and personally."

"I worked on PREMIUM through the MUMC+ Prevention and Vitality project. Before PREMIUM, I had academic experience, but I had never had the chance to work with a real client. Joining the programme was the moment I finally got to translate academic knowledge into real-world impact. As part of our project, we conducted interviews with patients, and those conversations made it clear how directly our work touched real people's lives. Working with international teammates from different backgrounds also pushed me to grow, exposing me to different perspectives. By the end, I felt changed not just professionally, but in how confidently I could navigate unfamiliar situations. I am simply not the same person I was before I applied to PREMIUM."

"Coming from a research-heavy background in Biomedical Sciences, joining PREMIUM was the perfect step out of my academic comfort zone. My main focus at university is usually on performing scientific research in the field of Nutrition, Metabolism and Physical Activity. Taking part in PREMIUM allowed me to try something completely different. I joined the Natuur en Milieufederatie (NMF) project, which focused on finding synergies to (partially) solve the complex spatial puzzle facing the province of Limburg. Since I live on a farm in Limburg myself, I really enjoyed this project because it felt very relevant to my everyday surroundings and personal life. One of the most rewarding aspects for me was working within a multidisciplinary team. Partnering with Master’s students from completely different faculties opened my eyes to new approaches to problem-solving. Everyone brought a unique mindset from their own field, and I learned just as much from my teammates as I did from the project itself."

"During PREMIUM project I worked in a team of five on consulting for Harvest Hub, a restaurant and catering business that's looking to expand, but was unsure on what to prioritise and in which direction to grow its business. During the five months, we developed 3-4 expansion strategies based surveys at faculties, academic research, location scouting, and networking with potential partners for Harvest Hub. We collected our insights and created practical recommendations for each expansion path, and actually saw some recommendations being already implemented during the project, which was amazing to see. During the programme, we approached challenges by being creative, being able to adapt, staying open-minded, and working as a team."

"My project involved conducting a market, sustainability, and regulatory analysis for Welcony as they prepared to launch a new neuro-monitoring device. Since I was completely unfamiliar with the product (a HD-EEG device) and the medical technology field, the project initially felt a little daunting. However, I quickly realised that every project can benefit from the perspectives of different disciplines, while each team member also has so much to learn from the others. The project struck a really nice balance between sharing knowledge and learning from one another. I think this is exactly what makes PREMIUM so unique: bringing together people from such diverse academic and professional backgrounds and having them work together towards one common goal. It was a great opportunity to see how different perspectives can complement each other and ultimately contribute to a stronger outcome."

"Having a coach throughout PREMIUM was completely new to me, and at first I was not sure what to expect. Since I can be quite shy in unfamiliar situations, I worried that I would feel awkward or simply not know what to talk about. However, from our very first session, it was clear that my coach was genuinely interested in my thoughts and created a space where I felt comfortable being honest. Our conversations went far beyond the project itself: we discussed team dynamics; challenges at university; my professional development; and the goals I wanted to work towards. I especially valued having someone who could offer an outside perspective, ask (the right) questions, and help me look at situations differently rather than simply telling me what to do. For me, coaching became a moment to pause, reflect, and make sure that I was not only contributing to the project, but also growing through it."

"The coaching with PREMIUM was incredibly helpful. With my coach, I was able to ask myself important questions to help guide and shape my personal and professional development. At a team level, the coaching was very useful in understanding what our team dynamic was, our goals, motivations, what our weaknesses were, and how we could work together to strengthen these areas as a group."

"In the individual coaching sessions offered by the PREMIUM program, I focused on understanding my role within the team and identifying areas for improvement. In the team coaching sessions, we openly addressed group dynamics, which allowed us to work better as a team. What made the coaching special for me was that instead of giving general advice, the coach focused on my individual development and guided me throughout my PREMIUM journey. I benefited greatly from these sessions."

"The coaching was very meaningful for my personal development. Having dedicated coaching sessions meant having someone I could genuinely talk to whenever I felt overwhelmed by project deadlines, study load, or personal goals.The coaching also really helped when it came to giving honest feedback to my teammates during our team-building and feedback moments. It gave us a safe space to talk openly about our working dynamics. In the end, it wasn't just great for making our team stronger, it was a really good way to get to know myself, my work style and my personal strengths even better."

"As a participant of the PREMIUM programme, you also get personal and professional coaching. I used our sessions mostly to talk about the future, evaluate career options and make plans for the next years ahead. This really helped me get much more clarity on what I want to be doing after graduation."

"The coaching in PREMIUM consists of both individual and group coaching, ensuring that you feel supported not only as an individual, but also as part of a team throughout the entire journey. I found the coaching sessions particularly valuable because they were tailored to your personal goals, needs, and challenges, so everyone's coaching experience is unique. What I appreciated most was that the coaching went beyond simply helping us perform well in our projects. It encouraged us to think about how we work, communicate, and develop as individuals and as a team. This made the coaching an important part of not only my PREMIUM experience, but also my future career development."