We are very sad to announce the death of our European Studies alumnus André Feldhof. André graduated from the BA European Studies Programme in 2010. He had a great passion for European political science and applied what he learnt during his studies while working for a lobby group in Brussels. International understanding and communication laid at the heart of his work and lifestyle. He spoke Mandarin and ‘went places’.
André was an active blogger and described himself as ‘a European blogger with a passion for languages, EU affairs, China, sustainable development, international economics and the media’. He lived in Belgium after having spent time stays in the Netherlands, the US, France, Germany, Italy and China.
We remember him as a very enthusiastic and optimistic person, with great empathy for others. We lost a true European, caring and always helpful companion.
If you would like to get an impression of his thinking and activism, you can check his blog MountEUlympus where you also find a link to his bachelor’s thesis which he wrote at Maastricht University. It examines how the EU contributes to sustainable development in China through the EU-China partnership. An abbreviated version of his paper won the 2010 ESST European Award for Aspiring Undergraduates in Science, Technology and Society (STS).
André left us and this world far too early. If he had lived, his ideas and ideals, his passion, intelligence and kindness would have called Europe to live up to those ideals and actively contributed to achieving them.
