On Friday, April 22, the MORSE 2021 Thesis Awards ceremony took place where students received recognition for the impact that their thesis would have on society. With this ceremony, MORSE hopes to reward students who go the extra mile with their thesis, but also to motivate and teach students who wish to do so in the future. 

The event began with a welcoming speech by Prof. Dr Mark Sanders, giving the floor to Dr Therese Grohnert (coordinator of master´s theses, thesis supervisor teaching, and connecting theory with practice in her own research in the field of accounting).

The interactive lecture covered the following topics: (1) What is an impactful thesis topic? (2) How to approach the planning phase of writing an impactful thesis? (3) How to continue creating an impact while working on the thesis? (4) How to continue having an impact through interaction after finishing the thesis?

First, Dr Grohnert pointed out the importance of addressing a topic that is highly relevant to many people, so questions such as "Who is interested?" and "Who is interested in the topic?" need to be asked. Second, she asked the question of "where to find relevant information on the topic?". Dr. Grohnert mentioned as sources e.g. empirical values, research on emotionally affected persons, previous work on similar topics or engagement with the relevant network. She stressed that conversations with people who are emotionally affected by the research topic often reveal good directions for research and connecting theory and practice. Third, Dr. Grohnert provided the audience with some tips and tricks on how to make an impact while writing a thesis. Moreover, she asked questions to pose when framing the results, for instance “can these recommendations actually be translated into practice?” Fourth, she stressed the importance of sharing your findings with stakeholders or parties relevant to the issue.

For the recording of the lecture, click here.

For the slides presented, click here.