The Study Awards will be presented during the Opening Academic Year on 2 September 2024. The winners of the Study Awards and abstracts of the winning theses are:
Seven winners of University Study Prize 2024: waste algorithms, conspiracy theories and more
Seven present or former Radboud University students are the proud winners of the 2024 University Study Prize. They are awarded this prize for writing a thesis of exceptional quality during the past academic year.
Sümer Sen (FFTR)
Solutions to the problem of evil across Muslim and Christian occasionalists: A comparison of the theodicies of the Ash’arites and Malebranche
Imagine a world in which no human, animal or other worldly being can have any impact. A world in which you cannot even cause your own hand to move. According to a philosophy known as ‘occasionalism’, that is precisely the kind of world we live in. Occasionalism claims that nothing in reality can truly act causally. except God. Everything that happens, including the movement of your hand, is therefore nothing more or less than the result of God's actions.
But if God is indeed the cause of all that happens, then, according to occasionalism, he is also the cause of all the suffering and pain in the world. And in that case, can God still rightly be considered good, all-wise and just? In this thesis, Sümer tries to answer this question by elaborating on and comparing the solutions of Muslim Occasionalists, known as 'Ash'arites', and a Christian Occasionalist called Malebranche.
Maike Pijnappel (FDL)
The values and goals of performing arts institutions within the Dutch publicly funded sector
What is the value of culture, and how does this determine which cultural expressions are awarded funding? In her thesis, Maike examines the values and goals of Dutch performing arts institutions and how this affects their perspective on their relationship with their public funders. In the academic and policy debate on culture, the perspective of performing arts institutions has so far been largely underrepresented. Maike examined how their values are shaped and how they clash but also align with national and local governments, and how this affects the relationships between them.
Based on academic literature on cultural value, targets were formulated and presented to five performing arts institutions. This was done through interviews, whereby the business and artistic leaders of these institutions could exchange cards with one another to reveal which values mattered most to them. The main conclusion is that institutions mainly value (the development of) theatre makers and the functioning of the performing arts sector as a whole, while funding authorities mainly value audience-oriented and societal goals, which complicates the relationship between them.
Rohit Gokhale (FMW)
Determining Clonal Dynamics of Intestinal CD4+ T Cells in the Presence of Microbiota
The gut immune system selectively maintains tolerance against commensal microbes and food antigens, while generating protective immunity against pathogenic microorganisms. Intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs) are tissue-adapted T cells that play a role in this dynamic process. These cells patrol the single layer of epithelium separating the intestinal tissue from the lumen and are therefore constantly exposed to nutritional and bacterial antigens. A subset of IELs expresses CD4+ (CD4+ IELs) and is induced peripherally in the gut by conventional or regulatory CD4+ T cells in a microbiota-dependent manner. Although CD4+ IELs are known to play a tolerogenic role in the small intestine, this population of T cells has not yet been adequately characterised. The aim of this thesis project was to understand when CD4+ IELs first appear in the development of mice. The hypothesis was that this could happen during weaning, when mice switch from an exclusive milk diet to solid foods. At this stage, there is a sharp increase in microbial and nutrient diversity, which are potential sources of antigens for T lymphocytes.
In this research study, a genetically inducible mouse model was used to study the fate of antigen-primed T cells after they had migrated to the gut. Flow cytometry data showed that CD4+ T cells infiltrated the intestinal epithelium very early in life, but only started differentiating into CD4+ IELs after weaning. This observation showed how steady-state developmental changes, such as weaning, can induce a subset of T lymphocytes that contributes to intestinal tolerance.
As a first step towards identifying the ligands of CD4+ IELs, the question of whether the CD4+ T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in the gut changes during mouse development was the next subject of investigation. Single-cell TCR sequencing data showed that TCR diversity in the epithelium gradually decreased from weaning until adulthood. This suggests that the local involvement of conserved antigens on the epithelium around weaning age is responsible for driving the clonal expansion of CD4+ T cells in the gut. Whether these conserved antigens have a nutritional or a bacterial origin is currently being investigated.
Dominique Burggraaff (FSW)
The disadvantaged and unheard citizen? A study of the susceptibility of Dutch citizens to subversive conspiracy theories based on social and political positions
In recent years, the security services have noted a worrisome development in the Netherlands: the advent of anti-institutional extremism. A growing number of citizens are turning away from institutions and democratic processes, such as government, politics, the media and the legal system, for ideological reasons. Motivated by distrust, anger and feelings of injustice, they turn to subversive conspiracy theories propagating the ‘evil elite’ narrative. Supporters of this narrative claim that there is an ‘elite’ in power that oppresses citizens. This elite supposedly instils fear in citizens by inventing the Covid-19 pandemic, wars, and the nitrogen crisis. According to this group, citizens are being enslaved or even murdered. Such ideas pose serious risks to Dutch society and call for a policy response.
In an attempt to contribute to insights into combinations and/or accumulations of factors that explain receptivity to such subversive narratives, and to understand the factors that may cause a person to be open to such claims, Dominique's thesis explores how this process is influenced by social, political and media-related factors. Her thesis shows that individuals with a lower objective or subjective social status are more susceptible to subversive conspiracy theories. It also appears that this link is explained partly or otherwise by (i) the extent to which people see their political opinions represented in political discourse, (ii) how they assess their own political competences, and (iii) their political cynicism. With this finding, this thesis provides evidence that socio-psychological mechanisms can be useful in interpreting the role of social as well as political factors in susceptibility to conspiracy theories. A final finding is that people who are not cynical about politics are less receptive to subversive conspiracy theories when regularly exposed to political news through social media, while people who are cynical tend to be more receptive to these ideas when regularly exposed to political news.
The thesis provides several tools for policymakers. However, the question of what the right policy response to conspiracy theories that undermine the democratic rule of law could look like remains complex. The most effective approach seems to be a combination of interventions that focus on attempting to prevent discontent, thereby reducing undermining conspiracy theories.
Mickey Lukkien (FNWI)
Correlation Inflation: A Chemistry-Based Object Detection Algorithm for Plastic Sorting
Even though the vast majority of Dutch people separate their plastic waste, more than half of all plastic waste in the Netherlands is not recycled but instead ends up in the waste incinerator. A key reason for this is that recycled plastics need to be separated; a complex process that must be executed accurately but also quickly and economically viable.
In this research, Mickey looked at how we can improve the sorting of plastics using hyperspectral cameras. These cameras take photographs in a colour range so that different plastic types can be accurately distinguished. The cameras can be used very effectively on conveyor belts that transport waste in large quantities and at high speed. This generates a huge amount of data, as a result of which current algorithms take a long time to distinguish between plastic types. So long, in fact, that this slows down the sorting process.
Mickey's new algorithm first detects the plastic objects on the conveyor belt and can then determine the plastic type of each object based on a minimal amount of data. These digital algorithms speed up identification of the plastic type of each object enough to bring it in line with the industrial conveyor belts used in plastic recycling. This makes it possible to sort much more plastic waste into valuable material streams within the same time frame. With this research, Mickey hopes to contribute to improving plastic sorting, so that plastic can be recycled faster and better in the future.
Lore Londot (FDM)
Site-specific sound art as a means of creating a multidimensional sense of place: A case study of the Klankenbos (Sound Forest) in Pelt, Belgium
Our senses continuously process all kinds of information from our environment, forming the basis of our spatial perception. Yet, when designing our spaces and buildings, we rarely integrate this relationship between our senses and our perception of the environment. This is a missed opportunity, as globalisation and modernisation have led to a fragmented sense of connection with geographical places, also known as ‘placelessness’. Lore's research focuses on the potential of sensory stimuli, and sounds in particular, to enhance the sense of place or uniqueness of a place in order to promote our connection to and awareness of the environment.
For this thesis, Lore studied the Klankenbos in Pelt, Belgium. In this project by Musica Impulse Centre, different sound artworks were created to match the place where they are exhibited. Specifically, Lore's research focused on the components that contribute to the place-specific nature of a sound artwork, visitors' experiences and perceptions of the sound and sound art in relation to the place, and the requirements, difficulties, and potential of sound art in public places.
The results of this research illustrate that despite budgetary requirements and practical challenges, sound art can contribute to an enhanced multidimensional sense of place. It can highlight local characteristics and promote meaningful engagement with the environment. It improves appreciation of and connection to a place, while also increasing awareness of sensory stimuli. However, a prerequisite for this is that the sound art is developed in relation to the environment. In addition, it has been shown that sound and sound art can also trigger emotional and behavioural responses within and among observers.
Jaël Weiss (FDR)
The values and goals of performing arts institutions within the Dutch publicly funded sector
Detainees abroad can, under specific circumstances, serve their sentences in the Netherlands. The legal frameworks for this are articulated in the Enforcement of Criminal Judgments (Transfer) Act (WOTS) when it comes to criminal transfers from outside the EU, and the Judgments in Criminal Matter (Mutual Recognition and Enforcement) Act (WETS) for transfers within the EU. Together, these Acts provide support for detainees' rehabilitation in society.
In this thesis, Jaël examines how Dutch criminal transfer practice relates to the right to rehabilitation. This right implies two positive obligations and one negative obligation of the state. Firstly, states are required to pursue rehabilitation for detainees, and assess what this requires on a case-by-case basis. In addition, states should also help detainees to maintain relationships outside prison, whereby proximity to family is important. The negative obligation is that states should not make rehabilitation unnecessarily difficult.
In this research study, Jaël shows that transfer is complicated by the strict Dutch assessment of rehabilitation opportunities in the Netherlands (based on the criteria of commitment and sentence residue). This results in few sentences being transferred to the Netherlands, which in turn leads to a lack of compliance with rehabilitation obligations in practice. This is not only problematic for individual detainees, but also for Dutch society as a whole, since detainees return to society without a social safety net. In this respect, the Netherlands could benefit from following the lead of countries such as Belgium, Germany and the UK, which allow more exceptions based on individual circumstances. In this thesis, Jaël makes several recommendations to bring Dutch practice concerning international criminal transfers more in line with the right to rehabilitation.
Attending the ceremony
The prize award will take place during the opening of the academic year 2024-2025, on Monday 2 September 14:00 at De Vereeniging in Nijmegen. You have received an e-mail with a personal invitation.