Bachelor thesis prizes Political Science 2026: the nominees
Students give their graduation thesis their all one final time, supported by their supervisors along the way. The result is an achievement to be proud of – regardless of the final grade. Some research projects, however, truly stand out. These exceptional theses are nominated for the Bachelor’s Thesis Prize. On 16 October 2026, we will celebrate the very best research and announce which theses will receive an additional honour.
International Relations and Organisations thesis prize 2026: the shortlist
Jury members Petr Kopecký, Rebecca Ploof and Yuan Yi Zhu face the difficult task of picking a winner from a very strong field of contenders from the BSc Political Science: International Relations and Organisations. The outcome of the jury’s studies and deliberation will be announced on Friday afternoon 16 October 2026, during the IRO graduation ceremony in the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden.
- Virginia Minasso, Can the NextGenerationEU buy EU Love? The Effect of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan on Citizens’ Support for the European Union in Italy, Portugal and Spain (supervisor: Nikoleta Yordanova)
- Justine Jourdan Servais, Are carbon majors culpable for climate harm? (supervisor: Jelena Belic)
- Jakub Michalski, Explaining attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees – the role of labour market competition and public service strain (supervisor: Joshua Robison)
- Tom André, Institutional Quality as a Moderator of Belt and Road Initative Investment Growth Effect: A Quantitative Assessment (supervisor: Esra Nartok-van der Kist)
- Stefan Bojilov, The effect of changes in counterinsurgency pressure on dark networks (supervisor: Corinna Jentzsch)
- Emily Recke, A Conservative Contradiction: The CDU’s Framing of Formal Childcare in Germany before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic (supervisor: Mira Burmeister-Rudolph)
- Fenia Kosifologou, Securitizing the Sun: Justifications and Price Effects of U.S. Solar Trade Policy (supervisor: Sebastian Sewerin)
- Robin Wicki, Weaponized Dollar: How Dollar-Clearing Dependency Coerces Swiss Private Banks into US Secondary Sanctions Compliance (supervisor: Carina van de Wetering)
- Niels Arkenbosch, Trouble in the neighbourhood: the influence of regional proximity on the mediation strategies of small states (supervisor: Maria Amjad)
- Gabrielė Pupelytė, The State That Would Not Die: Practice, Diplomacy, and Lithuanian Continuity under Soviet Occupation, 1940 – 1990 (supervisor: Yuan Yi Zhu)
- Jules Pailloux, The Astropolitical Security Dilemma: Grey Zone Aggression and the Militarisation of French Space Policy (supervisor: Müge Kinacioglú)
- Melissa Harrocks, Freedom, Reconsidered: A Feminist Critique of Rawlsian Liberal Egalitarianism (supervisor: Marco Verschoor)
- Issam Shihabi, From Settler-Colonial Citizenship to Inward Violence: A Fanonian reading of the Crime Crisis among ’48 Palestinians (supervisor: Matthew Longo)
- Hannah Ring, When and how does intergenerational family solidarity affect participation in protests? (supervisor: Sebastián Pantoja-Barrios)
- Julia Ruiz, Framing Criminal Governance: How Narcomessages Construct Governance Claims in Michoacán (2006-2012) (supervisor: Sarah de Lange)
- Clémentine Escalas, The Art of Authenticity: How Female Politicians Strategically Perform Authenticity Under Gendered Constraints (supervisor: Diana Davila Gordillo)
- Altynai Borsoi, Integration Policies and Perceived Threat in Europe: A Multilevel Analysis of Economic and Cultural Threat in 2020 (supervisor: Duygu Merve Uysal)
Prof. Dr. J.Th.J. van den Berg-prize 2025 (best thesis Politicologie/Internationale Politiek): the shortlist
The jury for the programme BSc Politicologie and the specialisation Internationale Politiek, consisting SPIL-delegate ... (student-member and chair), Joop van den Berg, Femke Bakker and , Stefan Cetkovic, is currently deep reading the nominated theses. The winner will be announced during the graduation ceremony on Friday morning 16 October 2026 in the Hooglandse Kerk in Leiden.
- Sem van der Tang, ‘Kiezers niet uitsluiten, partijen wel uitsluiten’: hoe de benadering van gevestigde partijen ten opzichte van populistisch radicaal-rechtse partijen de voorkeurscoalities van kiezers beïnvloedt (supervisor: Marijn Nagtzaam)
- Fleur de Ruiter, Between Rhetoric and Revolution: The Construction of Women’s Emancipation in Early Soviet Russia (supervisor: Tilko Swalve)
- Twan Spaan, Legitimiteitsgereedschap of Democratische Innovatie: Een vergelijkend onderzoek naar burgerberaden langs de schaal van democratie (supervisor: Cynthia van Vonno)
- Mees van Weert, Choke Points and Geopolitical Pressure: Dutch Export Control Policy on ASML in the Context of U.S. Influence and European Strategic Interests (supervisor: Karolina Pomorska)