Graduation Awards 2026

“A graduation research project can be much more than the final piece of an educational programme,” said Executive Board member Arend Hardorff during the presentation of our Graduation Awards. “We can set an idea in motion, bring a societal issue to light, or even contribute to new scientific insights. That is precisely why it is so important to give this work a platform.” That is exactly what we did on Thursday, 3 September, during the opening of the new academic year. 

 A well-deserved congratulations to our seven winners of the Graduation Awards 2026: Ayden van Steenlandt, Maria Solomon, Bence Jancsó, Rachel Eggermont, Felix Marim, Davut Abdullaev and Job Ammerlaan. In addition to the award, each winner received a €250 cheque. 

Research that goes beyond the classroom 

The impact of their work already extends far beyond the classroom. Ayden developed continuing education on gender-inclusive nutritional care for dietitians in The Hague. Bence created an AI solution that is now used by Masterplast on a daily basis, while Rachel developed a practical tool to help make the experience of ambiguous loss among foster children more open for discussion. Felix contributed to a more citizen-centred government with his online guide, while Davut translated his legal research into a practical handbook for legal professionals. 

Maria’s research into pay transparency and Job’s research into the plasma environment surrounding a comet also demonstrate how diverse these research topics can be. Yet they all reflect the same underlying principle: knowledge only truly gains meaning when you can use it to make a difference. 

A message for the next generation 

 For students who are about to start their graduation research, the winners have some clear advice: “You should choose a topic that you are genuinely interested in or passionate about. That way, you will approach it with much more motivation, and that can really make a difference in your final result.