2025 Student Awards for Bas Kraan, ‘Rowing Blind’ and Pepijn de Koning during the Start of the Academic Year
During the Start of the Academic Year, Vice President Margot van der Starre presented the student awards.
The prize for the Best Master’s Thesis was won by Bas Kraan. In his thesis, Bas investigated how the deployment of participation workers in the labor market can be improved.
The award for Social Impact went to Rowing Blind for establishing rowing programs that connect blind and visually impaired participants with students both on sports as social level.
The Vliegenthart Thesis Prize went to Pepijn de Koning for his thesis on the cultural memory of the deportation of patients from the Apeldoornsche Bosch.
Bas Kraan, winner Best Master’s Thesis Award
The jury members were very positive about Bas’s thesis: For a layman, his research into the impact of political efforts on people covered by the Participation Act in the EU was easy to read. With the current tight labor market, the efforts of this group are socially relevant and topical. The method and execution of his research are considered excellent, and he arrives at a clear conclusion after a well-formulated research question.
Rowing Blind, winner Student Award Social Impact
Rowing Blind is a committee of U.S.R. Triton consisting of Raúl Dorsman, Maud Koper, Claire Damen, Philip Heukensfeldt, Roos van Zuiden, Milou Edwards, Janne Nooijen, Mette Verbrugge and Kaja Hrgota. Every year the committee organises two courses consisting of eight rowing days. During these days, about ten blind and visually impaired participants are intensively coached in rowing. A rowing day begins with eating ‘power food’ together, followed by a warm-up, rowing training on the Merwedekanaal, and finally a lunch. Not only does this make sport accessible and inclusive, but it also bridges the gap between students and participants on a social level.
About the student awards
Utrecht University is proud of its students who achieve something remarkable, either as part of their studies or elsewhere in their lives. Each year during the opening of the academic year, the Rector Magnificus therefore presents three Student Awards.
Over de Opening van het Academisch Jaar
The annual celebration of the start of the academic year of Utrecht University took place at 1 September 2025. This year’s Start of the Academic Year focused on the Year Theme 2025: Healthy Planet. Our health is closely linked to the health of animals, plants and ecosystems. A healthy planet requires a planetary health approach, in which humans, animals, and nature live together in balance.
During the celebration, Anton Pijpers opened the programme. Keynote speakers were Floor Haalboom and Lidwien Smit, both ambassadors of collaboration with other disciplines and researchers in the field of Planetary Health. As a historian of science and medicine, Floor Haalboom specializes in modern environmental history. Lidwien Smit is Professor of One Health and Environmental Epidemiology. Her research focuses on the intersections of human, animal, and environmental health. Together, they addressed the question of what the UU community, needs to do in order to take responsibility for future generations, to whom we will pass on the Earth.
Margot van der Starre announced the winners of the Student Awards: one for Best Master’s Thesis, the Vliegenthart Thesis Award, and the Award for Social Impact. The nominees have been announced in mid-July.
A closing reflection was provided by Wilco Hazeleger.