Together with the municipality of Rotterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam has founded the Rotterdam Thesis Award. With this award, both parties want to stimulate students of the university to actively contribute to the city of Rotterdam. Students are invited to use their expertise, skills, creativity and enthusiasm to think along about societal issues in the city. These student contributions are of great importance to Rotterdam.
What can students win?
The winner of the Award will be the Erasmus University Rotterdam student that wrote the most valuable thesis for the city of Rotterdam, according to our jury. The award consists of a piece of art by a local artist and a monetary award of €1.500,-. The award ceremony will take place at the opening of the new Academic Year.
To conclude:
- Both students as teachers could submit a thesis.
- The thesis should be relevant to the city/people of Rotterdam.
- Only master theses that are finished and graded at Erasmus University in 2025 are allowed to be submitted.
- The final grade of the master thesis should be 8,0 or higher.
Deadline submission: 22 March 2026
The submission period opens on 1 September 2025. The deadline for registration is 22 March 2026. If you are a student or lecturer and would like to submit a thesis, you can do so by sending a digital version (WORD file only) to the secretariat of the Rotterdam Thesis Award.
Only master's theses completed at Erasmus University in the calendar year 2025 with a minimum grade of 8.0 are eligible.
Provide the following details with your submission:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- E-mail address
- Educational program
- Grade
- Name of the thesis supervisor (with his/her contact information)
- Proof that the thesis supervisor is aware of participation (by email)
- Short motivation stating the relevance of the thesis for the city of Rotterdam (150 words max.)
Submission
Submit the thesis (WORD file) and the information mentioned above by sending an email to the jury of the Rotterdam Thesis Award at rotterdamscriptieprijs@gmail.com.
Criteria and grading
All theses are required to be of excellent academic quality and have an explicit (practical) relevance for the city of Rotterdam. The relevance of the thesis to the city of Rotterdam should be stated in a short motivation of no more than 150 words as part of the application.
Theses that are submitted at Erasmus University in the calendar year of 2025 and graded with an 8,0 or higher could be submitted for the Award. The jury will judge the theses on scientific quality, originality, readability and relevant insights and knowledge for professionals and politicians. The Award will not be rewarded if there are insufficient theses that meet our standards.
The jury
A panel of professors, civil servants and a councillor, chaired by prof.dr. Martijn van der Steen will judge the theses.
Winners
2022 Ingrid Blankesteijn, LDE-master Governance of Migration and Diversity (ESSB)
The elephant in the treatment room: Acknowledging and treating consequences of racism on mental and physical health
2020 Mareen Bastiaans, research master in Economics (ESE)
Labor market and health effects of an activation program for the long-term inactive
2019 Myrthe van Delden , Master Complexity of Governance Networks(ESSB)
Design against crime the effects of the use of behavioural insights for dealing with complex policy problems, in this case the use of nudging in fighting undermining crime in Rotterdam Zuid in the Netherlands
2018 Evan van der Holst, Master in Management (RSM)
2017 Dee Dee Smeets, Parttime master Public Administation (ESSB)
Alleenstaande moeders & de Tegenprestatie. ‘Thuis zitten is geen optie en iedereen kan wat’. Maar wat als je een alleenstaande moeder bent?’
2016 Wander van Baalen, master Media, Culture & Society (ESHCC)
Creating Space Together An Ethnographic Case Study at the Pauluskerk
2015 Arend van Haaften, Master Grootstedelijke Vraagstukken en Beleid (ESSB)
Het maatschappelijk middenveld als ‘sociale incubator’. De invloed van de omvang en etnische samenstelling van het maatschappelijk middenveld op de relatie tussen etnische diversiteit en sociaal kapitaal.
2014 Jeroen van den Broek, Master Criminology (ESL)
Van de Straathoek naar Facebook. Een onderzoek naar het gebruik van social media door jongeren binnen de straatcultuur
2013 Rianne van Nieuwland, Master Strategic Management (RSM)
How managing pipeline connectedness affects firm-level innovation and sustainable competitive advantage in the context of industrial ecology’