Eighteen students completed their bachelor's degree in 2020 with a thesis that was labelled ‘excellent’ by their faculty. Here you will find a short introduction to these excellent theses in the form of an "elevator pitch" from each student, plus a video in which the supervisor briefly addresses the lucky winner.

Ruben Tammaro

  Faculty of Science and Engineering | Maastricht Science Programme

"In Silico Tomography of Membrane-Embedded Mycobacterial Type VII Secretion Systems"

Ruben's elevator pitch 
In my thesis I have developed an automated pipeline for the generation of simulated electron microscopy data of the ESX-1 protein complex, involved in the infection by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. The pipeline can now be employed to generate training datasets for artificial intelligence algorithms, which would then be used to detect and identify ESX-1 in real experimental data, which would lead to the determination of its three-dimensional structure, a task that so far has not been accomplished. Knowing the structure of ESX-1 will allow for the development of novel strategies to combat and prevent tuberculosis worldwide. 

Eighteen students completed their bachelor's degree in 2020 with a thesis that was labelled ‘excellent’ by their faculty. Here you will find a short introduction to these excellent theses in the form of an "elevator pitch" from each student, plus a video in which the supervisor briefly addresses the lucky winner.

Imke van der Velden

  Faculty of Science and Engineering | University College Venlo 

"Instagram intervention for increasing adolescents' intention to adhere to a healthy Plant-based Diet"

Imke's elevator pitch 
The widespread presence of obese and overweight adolescents is considered a global public health crisis. Consuming more fruits and vegetables and less highly processed, high-energy dense junk food could benefit adolescents’ current and future health. Such dietary pattern can be referred to as a healthy plant-based diet. The widespread accessibility and usage of social media by adolescents makes it a prominent platform for interventions targeting health behaviors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of an Instagram intervention on the intention to adhere to a healthy plant-based diet in Dutch adolescents. ​

Eighteen students completed their bachelor's degree in 2020 with a thesis that was labelled ‘excellent’ by their faculty. Here you will find a short introduction to these excellent theses in the form of an "elevator pitch" from each student, plus a video in which the supervisor briefly addresses the lucky winner.

Nordine Lgarah

  Faculty of Law | Bachelor Tax Law

"Interaction between fraus legis and the additional tax assessment"

Nordine's elevator pitch 
My thesis is about the interaction between fraus legis and the additional tax assessment conducted by the Dutch tax authority. Fraus legis is a legal instrument of the tax authority aimed at preventing tax avoidance. As a general rule, the Dutch tax authority must assess additional tax no later than five years after the end of the relevant tax year. In academic literature it is argued that, when fraus legis is applicable, the additional tax assessment period should be extended. Opposing these academics, my thesis argues that it should not be extended.

Eighteen students completed their bachelor's degree in 2020 with a thesis that was labelled ‘excellent’ by their faculty. Here you will find a short introduction to these excellent theses in the form of an "elevator pitch" from each student, plus a video in which the supervisor briefly addresses the lucky winner.

Rebecca Aspetti

  Faculty of Law | Bachelor European Law

"A Genuine Lack of Confidence throughout the European Union Legal Space: The Rebuttal of Mutual Trust as a Ripe Instrument of Protection of Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights"

Rebecca's elevator pitch 
The lack of agreement on a common European approach regarding migration and the imbalance in the ROL mechanisms of various Member States has led to political instability, further eroding the presumption of equivalent fundamental rights protection across the EU, which constitutes the premise for mutual trust. From the undignified asylum reception conditions in Italy and Greece to the illiberal regimes under Orbán and under the Polish law and justice party, it appears fictitious and reckless to presume that the same degree of fundamental rights protection will be afforded in all EU states.  For this reason, this essay attempts to demonstrate that,  although partially controversial from the perspective of domestic sovereignty and Trias Politica, the rebuttal of mutual trust by national judges is capable of broadening European fundamental rights protection and it constitutes a a supplementary, ultima ratio medium to address rule of law backsliding.

We are proud to highlight that Professor Lisa Waddington, co-founder of the UnliMited network and Professor of European Disability Law at UM, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Université Saint-Louis/University of Louvain, Belgium.

  Watch her inspiring speech about how universities can become more inclusive 
(Speech begins at 00:30) 

  Download her presentation

Prof. Lisa Waddington is also chair of our Disability Inclusion Group (DIG) at UM. 

Eighteen students completed their bachelor's degree in 2020 with a thesis that was labelled ‘excellent’ by their faculty. Here you will find a short introduction to these excellent theses in the form of an "elevator pitch" from each student, plus a video in which the supervisor briefly addresses the lucky winner.

Sarah Samuel 

  Faculty of Law | Bachelor Dutch Law 

"The realization of the punishment adjustment for infanticide, remarkable or logical?"

Sarah's elevator pitch
This thesis answers the question to what extent the changing general and legal reporting on the punishment of infanticide can be found in the legislative history and genesis of the law of 1854, which has resulted in a change in the punishment of a number of crimes including infanticide. With the introduction of this law, infanticide was punished with a disciplinary sentence between five and twenty years instead of the death penalty. To answer this question newspapers, judicial statistics, parliamentary documents and the legal periodical ‘Het Weekblad van het Regt’ from the period from 1809 to 1854 have been examined.