During the Pleasure, Art & Science Festival (PAS), Maastricht University opens its doors to everyone with a curious mind who wants to find out what kind of research is happening at the university.
Over the space of two evenings, more than 80 activities take place each evening. Scientists from the university present their research through lectures, conversations, (interactive) demos, etc. There are also cultural activities, such as theatre and dance performances, concerts, exhibitions etc.
The PAS Festival is freely accessible. It connects the university with the city, art with science, researchers with society, and students with other Maastricht citizens.
In this edition, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the university (UM50), feature the Health Fest, Passion for Health—where we explore what you can do to improve your health and lifestyle—and on Saturday afternoon, there’s a children’s program (in Dutch).
Studium Generale
The PAS Festival is an initiative of Studium Generale Maastricht. Studium Generale is part of Maastricht University and organises activities in the field of broad academic, social and cultural education. The programme consists of lectures, debates, lecture series, film & talk evenings and other events.
Studium Generale has been organising the PAS Festival since 2014. It takes place at the start of the academic year. PAS has become a biennial festival since 2022.
Funding Bodies & Sponsors
The PAS Festival is made possible by:
Funding bodies: Maastricht University, the Studium Generale Foundation, the Elisabeth Strouven Foundation and the Edmond Hustinx.
Foundation Partners: Maastricht Natural History Museum, Kaleido, the Edmond Hustinx Foundation, Via Zuid, Nightscapes Productions, KEC, Intro in Situ*, Studio Europa Maastricht, Experileer, Café De Tribunal, Bello & Buono, iARTS MSTRCHT.
Edmond Hustinx Foundation
Edmond Hustinx (1898 - 1984) was a chemist, inventor, and industrialist. From his soap factory in Maastricht he actively tried to create a better future. With his astonishing creativity Edmond patented nearly 1,200 inventions that, besides soap, also related to transportation, paint composition, and ingenious production methods.
Hustinx was not just a scientist. He was also a talented amateur painter and had a great interest in radio, film, and music. In 1961 he established the Hustinx Foundation with the aim of promoting the arts and sciences in Maastricht. He believed that these two domains were precisely the driving force behind culture and progress. In order to make a lasting contribution, he supported young talent actively and financially.
After 65 years the Hustinx Foundation implements this vision in various ways, including grants and the Hustinx Science Award that is handed out at the start of the Academic Year.
In past editions of the PAS Festival the Hustinx Foundation teamed up with Studium Generale to put together a programme where art and science meet.
Curious to see what happens when artists and scientists come together? To mark the 50th anniversary of Maastricht University and the 65th anniversary of the Hustinx Foundation, two artists have been selected for a special residency. Sanne Vaassen and Alessio Faustini linked their artistic practice to the research taking place at Maastricht University. They will present the results of this collaboration during the PAS Festival.