• SER

SER Thesis Award

The Social and Economic Council (SER) advises the Dutch government and Parliament on social and economic policy. In addition, the SER actively contributes to the development of talent on social and economic topics. That talent is essential for the future of the Netherlands. In this light, the SER has set up a thesis award that is awarded once every two years.

Who can participate?

You can compete for the SER Thesis Award if you have written a master’s thesis on a social economic topic, or a topic related to one of the other areas in which the SER is active. The award is intended for (former) students at Dutch universities and higher professional education institutions (HBO) who completed their thesis between March 2022 and March 2024. Foreign students at Dutch universities and higher professional education institutions are eligible as well.

Win a cash prize of €2000

The winner of the SER Thesis Award will receive a cash prize of €2000. In addition, he or she is allowed to address the SER and will accompany the president of the SER for one day. The other two nominees will receive €500.

The announcement of the winner and the award ceremony will probably take place during a gathering of the SER in the spring of 2024. Read the full regulations and procedures here.

Jury

The three judges in the jury are:

  • Kim Putters (SER president)
  • Tuur Elzinga (chair FNV and vice-president SER)
  • Ingrid Thijssen (chair VNO-NCW and vice-president SER)

The president of the SER is also the chair of the judges. The judges will judge the entries based on originality, policy relevance, analytical level, and readability.

Previous winners

In 2022 the SER Thesis Award was won by Julia Postmes with the thesis titled ‘Respected physician in Syria, unemployed refugee in the Netherlands: An analysis of medically-educated Syrian refugees’ integration in the Dutch medical field‘, download thesis (pdf). Do you want to learn more about her experiences? Watch her video

In 2022 the other two nominees were:

Ilse Dijkstra: ‘Made to be unheard, uninvolved, unresponsive and unhealthy. An analysis of the performativity of Community Based Health Promotion’, download thesis (pdf). Watch her video. Sabine Verbunt: ‘Zorgplichten en Pensioenfondsen: aandachtspunten voor het nieuwe pensioenstelsel’ (Duties of care and pension funds: points of attention fort he new pension system', download thesis (pdf).

Contact

If you have any questions about the SER Thesis Award 2022? Please contact Marianne Den Boef. T 06 44244817; m.den.boef@ser.nl