Every year, a jury awards the prestigious HZ Stern graduation prize to the student with the best graduation thesis. Winners receive the bronze sculpture HZ Stern, a cash prize of €1,000 and a certificate from the Executive Board.
This year, seven bachelor's students have been nominated. Four associate degree students are also eligible for a separate HZ Stern for the first time.
The nominations range from research into better support for gifted clients of Educonsult to a thesis on how marketers can collect first-hand data more effectively to research into the behaviour and composition of aerosols, the tiny droplets that are created when waves break.
A jury, led by Wies Buysrogge, will announce the winner of the award on 3 December at the HZ Café in Vlissingen.
We are proud to present the nominees for the HZ Stern 2025 below!
Nominated bachelor students
Johannes Bimmel (Social Work)
‘Guiding recovery: the power of e-health in empowerment’
Johannes about his thesis
Veerle Coomans (Pedagogy)
‘Gifted, who am I? Research into supporting self-image and identity development in gifted clients in adolescence at Educonsult Youth Care in Middelburg’
At Educonsult Youth Care Workers in Middelburg, the number of gifted clients is increasing. Outpatient practitioners are looking for appropriate support, particularly in relation to the self-image and identity development of clients. Veerle has researched how this support can be strengthened. Based on interviews and a survey, she developed the educational tool IK & zo (Me & That): a board game with six themes, including self-image, perfectionism and emotion regulation.
Ryan Karelse (Commercial Economics)
‘The world of first-party data’
First-party data is data that marketers obtain through their own channels, such as a website. There are various techniques for collecting this data effectively, but stricter privacy and cookie legislation is imposing more and more restrictions. Ryan has researched techniques that offer a solution to this problem. He implemented one technique within the organisation where he did his internship.
Ryan about his thesis
Theresa Auer (Tourism Management)
‘At the Crossroads: Empowering Indigenous Communities to shape the Future of Tourism’
Theresa's research explores the possibilities for developing community-based tourism within the Sasak communities in Mandalika, Indonesia. Tourism is very important in this area. It is therefore crucial to understand how local communities can actively participate in and benefit from it. Theresa conducted six weeks of fieldwork. During this period, she gained insight into local perspectives through participant observation, interviews and focus groups, and learned how to motivate and support indigenous communities in developing tourism.
Theresa about her thesis
Lars Höhner (Chemistry)
‘Imaging of phase transitions in single levitated model sea-spray particles using digital in-line holography’
Seawater aerosols, the tiny droplets created when waves break, play an important role in the climate. They can reflect sunlight or form clouds, thereby cooling or warming the Earth. However, the strength of these effects is uncertain. In the physical chemistry laboratory at ETH Zurich, Lars conducted research into how these aerosols behave when humidity changes, while they were held in suspension using lasers as tweezers. He used holography for this purpose. His research shows that it is important to take the chemical composition of aerosols into account in climate models.
Lars about his thesis
Marie Czwielung (Watermanagement)
‘Policy Advice Paper on the protection of Coralligenous Habitats in Greece: identifying Policy Gaps and Opportunities for Effective Marine Conservation’
How effectively does Greece protect coral reefs? That is the question Marie explored in her thesis. Biodiversity hotspots are seriously threatened by certain fishing techniques. Marie analysed gaps in marine protection policy and looked at enforcement in Greece. Her study identifies shortcomings in governance and proposes policy and enforcement measures to improve the protection of coral reefs.
Marie about her thesis
Shirel Snopik ter Steege (Information and Communication Technology)
‘Understanding Public Engagement Through Visual Education: An Eye-Tracking Study of Behavioural Decision-Making in Sustainable Energy Transitions’
Shirel Snopik ter Steege investigated how visual teaching materials can encourage more people to choose wind, solar and nuclear energy. She used eye tracking, machine learning and questionnaires to investigate how people think about sustainable energy in relation to how they act on it. The results are being used to improve education about sustainability.
Shirel about her thesisNominated Associate degree students
Forrien Weststrate (Ad Pedagogical Educational Professional)
‘Playful tidying up: Working on executive skills in toddlers’
Forrien has researched how to teach toddlers in childcare to tidy up better in a playful way. She devised an approach that provides more structure, clarity and fun during tidying up. This helps children work on their impulse control (they learn to wait a moment), working memory (they remember what they have to do), emotion regulation (how to deal with feelings) and task orientation. Forrien's approach involves a fixed routine, uses pictures and turns tidying up into a game.
Forrien about her thesis
Aafke van Gool (Ad Social Work)
'Effective support for informal carers dealing with grief and loss'
Aafke about her thesisFloor van Stratum (Ad Food, Business & Innovation)
‘From vision to reality: the foundation of flow’
Floor developed the Flow Concept Bar for her research. This is a contemporary hospitality concept that responds to the wishes of Gen Z and Millennials. It brings the urban atmosphere of the city to the village of Geldrop, where there was a need for a modern meeting place. The Flow Concept Bar is a coffee shop with a concept store that focuses on experience, sustainability and hospitality. It shows how hospitality can respond to changing generational needs and strengthen local identity.
Marijke Nelis (Ad Business Administration)
‘Auditing accountability document baseline measurement quality areas and standards secondary school level’
As a quality assurance officer at the Mondia School Group, Marijke conducted an internal process audit. The central question was ‘to what extent do Mondia schools comply with the quality areas and standards of the Education Inspectorate’s Research Framework?’. Questionnaires, interviews and document research provided a clear picture. The results offer valuable insights and form a basis for improvements and transparent accountability, for example.
Marijke about her thesis