Maastricht University and the Kim Veltman Foundation invites contributions which explore the scientific merit of the lifetime work of former UM professor scholar Prof. Kim Henry Veltman. Additionally we invite contributions that can tell us more about the person himself.
Designed as a hybrid conference the main sessions will take place in the Aula with parallel sessions taking place entirely online. All tracks will be streamed live and will be made available on demand afterwards under a creative common license. The location of the conference is the Maastricht University Office in the heart of Maastricht - Minderbroedersberg 4 in 6211LK Maastricht.
In the years before his sudden death in April 2020, he has become increasingly interested in wowology and wonderology: on the incredible in its positive sense, the remarkable, the memorable, the unique and the unforgettable.
It is the science of making us aware of the exceptional, the remarkable, the inimitable, all that Mary Poppins would have described as Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It is in this spirit that many got to know him and for which the conference seeks contributions fitting the following tracks and formats.
There are two tracks and two formats for which you can submit your contributions. All contributors are contacted personally by the organiser to discuss their contributions. The selection is based on the quality and originality of the proposal and on how much it contributes to the goal of the conference.
Besides the two tracks contributors are asked for submission for two different formats:
Keynotes are typically 90 minutes duration with 45 minutes of presentations followed by a Q&A. Keynotes are held either online or on location in Maastricht and streamed live.
Oral presentations will typically be scheduled in thematic sessions of 90 minutes comprising three presentations, with 30 minutes (20min. for presentation + 10min. for discussion) allocated to each individual presentation.
Proposers of contributed papers (oral presentations) should submit an abstract (max. 300 words) and indicate under which track their contribution fits best. The proposal should include an overall description highlighting the content and objectives.
Maastricht is located in the southernmost part of the Netherlands, about 25 km from Liège (Belgium) and 30 km from Aachen (Germany). The Maastricht University Office’s Aula is located in the city centre at Minderbroedersstraat 4. The city of Maastricht has been transformed in recent years. The former ceramics industry has reduced considerably, and the city now hosts a lively creative arts industry. It is perhaps the oldest city in the Netherlands, dating back over 2000 years, and it became a major religious centre in the middle ages. The inner city is renowned for its former monasteries and convents remain, many of which now house faculties and institutes of the university.
Maastricht is easily accessible by plane, air or even bus. Here you will find more information about how to get to Maastricht.
Train
Maastricht is easily accessible by train from Amsterdam, Aachen (Germany) and Liège (Belgium). High-speed trains connect Liège and Aachen rapidly with Cologne, Brussels and Paris, among others.
Air
Participants arriving by air may choose to use Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Eindhoven Airport, or Brussels Zaventem Airport. All three airports have smooth transport links with Maastricht. Travel from Amsterdam Schiphol takes about 2½ hours, Eindhoven about 1½ hours, and Brussels Zaventem about 2 hours, depending on transport connections. Other nearby airports include Cologne-Bonn and Düsseldorf, although onward transport is more complex. Both Liège and Maastricht also have airports, but these are mainly used for holiday travel.
Bus/Flixbus
Long distance buses (Flixbus) connect Maastricht to some 90 destinations. The international bus terminal is on the far side (east) of the rail station (Meerssenerweg 378). More in formation about Flixbus can be found here. The city bus service (Arriva) runs regular services connecting all parts throughout the day and evening. One service (350) connects Maastricht with Aachen every 15 minutes. Note: Buses arrive at and leave from the same stop in front of Aachen station slightly to your left. Buses go first to Aachen Centrum (busstation/bushof) before returning to Maastricht via a different route. There are also Belgian services connecting Maastricht with Hasselt, Tongeren and Liège.
Maastricht has a wide range of hotels, hostels and B&B’s to suit a variety of budgets. There are several smaller hotels within easy reach of the conference venue at competitive prices. MECC Hotel Services is the official provider of hotel accommodation for the Conference. They have reserved options at a number of centrally located hotels and hostels.
Our mission is to build an archive of Kim's life and make it available for free online. So if you have images, recording of his talks, videos or text fragments, letters, notes or whatever it is you think should be shared for those interested in him please share it with us. Click on the link below to upload the files to our shared drive.
