Did you write a master’s thesis on peace and security issues? If so, you can compete for the “Visions on Peace” Master Thesis Prize and have a chance to win 1000 Euros.
The Dutch Foundation for Peace Studies SVW is happy to announce the next edition of the annual competition for the Master Thesis Prize “Visions on Peace”.
Graduates who have completed their thesis between 1 July 2023 and 1 September 2024 will be eligible to participate in the competition.
Deadline for submitting your thesis: Sunday, January 12th, 2025 (see details below).
The award ceremony will be organised in cooperation with the Free University Amsterdam on Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, during SVW’s annual symposium.
Criteria for participation:
§ The subject of your thesis must be related to peace and security issues – broadly understood to include all issues relevant to peace and security, including but not limited to historical and contemporary conflicts, complex emergencies, (international) security, humanitarian and development aid, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, refugees and IDPs, etc.;
§ You are attending or have attended a Master programme at a Dutch university or at another institution of higher education in the Netherlands;
§ You have completed your thesis between 1 July 2023 and 1 September 2024;
§ Your thesis was awarded a minimum grade of 8;
§ Your thesis is written in correct English or Dutch;
§ It is the first time that you participate in the “Visions on Peace” thesis competition.
Application procedure:
Fill out the application form and collect the following documents:
§ A summary in English with a maximum of 1000 words (anonymized)
§ A table of contents (anonymized)
§ The full thesis (anonymized)
§ Proof of sufficient grade (8 or higher)
To ensure that the assessment of the jury is as objective as possible, please do not include any personal details of yourself, your supervisor(s) or your university in the summary, table of contents or the full thesis.
Tip: Make sure to pay sufficient attention to your summary, this is the basis on which the jury makes the first selection!
Your summary should include:
§ The title of your thesis;
§ The research question, the purpose of your research, research method and conclusions;
§ The social and scientific relevance of your thesis.
If the criteria mentioned above are not met, your submission will not be taken into consideration.
Due to the high amount of submissions each year, the jury is unfortunately unable to provide individual feedback on the selection process.
Send your application form and the required documents no later than Sunday 12 January 2025 to svw.visionsonpeace@gmail.com
The jury will announce a shortlist of three theses by mid-March 2025. Authors of the shortlisted theses will be asked to give a short presentation of their research during the annual symposium of the Dutch Foundation for Peace Studies, that will be organised on Thursday 3 April 2025. More information on the annual symposium will follow in March 2025.
Background
The Dutch Foundation for Peace Studies has awarded the annual Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize since 2008. It aims to stimulate research into peace and security issues, by (graduated) master students from universities or other institutions of higher education in the Netherlands.
The winner of the Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize 2023 was Melissa Fatty (University of Groningen), with her thesis “Transforming Peacebuilding Through A Decolonial Feminist Lens: The Case of Sierra Leone. On The Necessity of Re-thinking Epistemologies and Methods of Building Sustainable Peace(s)“.
The winner of the Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize 2021 was Daan Dura (University of Amsterdam) with his thesis “A tough triad: Conflict-sustaining factors in a Tanzanian multi land-use conflict”.
The winner of the Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize 2020 was Ana Gabriela Rojo Fierro (University of Amsterdam) with her thesis “From the everyday to the extraordinary: Cherán as a story of hope in the midst of war”.
The winner of the Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize 2019 was Gieneke Teeuwen (Leiden University) with her thesis “Innocence and impunity: Accountability of child soldiers as part of the process of reintegration”.
The winner of the Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize 2018 was Chris Vloedbeld (University of Groningen) with his thesis “The end of counterterrorism: The conceivable cost of a societal reflex”.
The winner of the Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize 2017 winner was Clara Maciver (Utrecht University) with her thesis “Life on hold: Technology, displacement and war in the 21st century”.
The winner of the Visions on Peace Master Thesis Prize 2016 was Johannes Chinchilla (University of Amsterdam) with his thesis “Growing Sustainable Peace: Starting at the Roots?”