This scholarly edition is part of a broader project led by historian and researcher Bart Zwegers, who is currently working on a commemorative publication celebrating the 50-year anniversary of Maastricht University. As part of this initiative, a selection of objects from the university's history is being explored and documented in both written and digital form. This edition was created by Daisy Evers as part of her master’s in Media Studies: Digital Cultures (2024/2025) at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS), Maastricht University. The edition was developed during her internship, which focused on building digital narratives around institutional artifacts and their histories using the Voyager platform.
Bart Zwegers
As a relatively young institution, Maastricht University is firmly future-oriented. Yet its upcoming 50th anniversary offers a meaningful moment to look back and reflect on its history. As the university’s curator of academic heritage, I collect and document objects that help tell the story of this still-young but fascinating university. I am an alumnus of Maastricht University’s Arts and Culture program and hold a PhD in history and heritage studies.
I am passionate about exploring new ways to make academic heritage more accessible to a wider audience. This project highlighted the potential of 3D modeling as a powerful tool for engaging the public with academic heritage.
Daisy Evers
For this Voyager edition, I explored a small but significant artifact in the history of Maastricht University: a commemorative paperweight gifted to UM employees. During my internship, I had the opportunity to apply my 3D modeling skills to translate the physical object into a digital experience, using tools like Blender and Photoshop to reconstruct its form and intricate details. Before this master’s program, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in Maastricht, with a focus on 3D modeling and animation, providing me with the technical foundation to manually create the 3D model.
While I had the skills to build the model, working within a real-time environment like Voyager was a new challenge I had not encountered before this master’s program. This project allowed me to blend my technical 3D modeling experience with historical analysis and academic writing, combining both practical creation and theoretical research. It was a rewarding process that not only allowed me to reflect on the university’s identity but also contributed to a larger commemorative project for Maastricht University’s 50th anniversary.