Faculty of Law | Bachelor Tax Law

Handelen als overheid of als ondernemer: een verlegging in de scheidingslijn

Merle's elevator pitch
Is the government acting as a public authority or as a private company when it collects waste? In some cases, the government acts not as a public authority but rather as a taxpayer, tax authority or even a judicial body. Exempting public authorities from paying taxes, leads to a distortion of competition between public and private companies. To prevent distortion of competition, the activities of public authorities will be taxed only in sofar as special circumstances apply. However, exempting public authorities from paying taxes also poses several challenges. For instance, the sales tax would otherwise represent a cost, making it economically nonviable for public authorities to outsource services. This thesis clarifies the shifting boundary between acting as a public authority and acting as a private company.

  Faculty of Science and Engineering | University College Venlo

The toxicological nightmare of postmortem redistribution: a narrative literature review

Antonia's elevator pitch
A crucial aspect of forensic toxicology is postmortem drug analysis to obtain reliable evidence about overdoses and drug-related crimes. However, the phenomenon of postmortem redistribution (PMR) presents a challenge for this. PMR refers to changes in drug concentrations that take place after death due to passive diffusion. This thesis investigated how a compound’s pharmacokinetic properties, lipophilicity, acid-base properties, and body temperature impact this process. Markers like the cardiac blood to peripheral blood (C/P) ratio, the liver to peripheral blood (L/P) ratio and the postmortem interval (PMI) were analysed as methods to combat the threat that PMR poses for forensic toxicological analysis.

  Faculty of Science and Engineering | University College Maastricht

Exploring the Relationship Between Environmental Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Exposure and Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

Alice's elevator pitch
Breast cancer (BC) is a complex disease influenced by multiple risk factors. The exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), an environmental pollutant with toxic and carcinogenic characteristics, is one of them. In order to assess this yet unclear association, previous studies have used various PAH exposure measurement techniques, such as biological samples, questionnaires, and statistical methods; however, it is unclear which methodology is the most effective. My Systematic Literature Review aimed to analyze the relationship between exposure to PAH and the risk of BC development, while the accompanying Meta-Analysis focused on case-control and cohort studies conducted on the female population and aimed to determine the most effective methodology for measuring PAH exposure in this context. 

  Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience | Bachelor Psychology

Exploring Intellectual Humility via Judgments of "Not Knowing" and their Effect on Humble Inquiry

Franka's elevator pitch
My thesis investigates the relationship between intellectual humility, judgments of "not knowing," and their potential to foster humble inquiry - a form of critical, evidence-based information processing. By using four different philosophical thought experiments, the study explores whether prompting individuals to acknowledge that they “don’t know” their willingness to read counter-attitudinal information increases-- a hallmark of humble inquiry. Results reveal that overall those participants making “don’t know” judgments, thus embracing uncertainty, are significantly more likely to be humble in their inquiry. This finding shows that intellectual humility can counteract biased reasoning, fostering more informed and less polarized discourses.

  Faculty of Science and Engineering | Bachelor Maastricht Science Programme

Land-use Changes in a Traditional Mosaic-Like Landscape as Cause for Population Decline of the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius Collurio) in Šturmovci (Ne Slovenia)

Rok's elevator pitch
Farming intensification poses a huge threat to Europe’s biodiversity, reflected in over 60% decline of farmland bird populations within past 40 years. Through Information-Theoretic approach we modelled habitat use of a representative farmland bird species, the Red-Backed Shrike (Lannius collurio), in a protected landscape park in North-Eastern Slovenia. We examined how land-use change has affected its population in the last 20 years, by calculating its population trend and correlating it to the change of several land-use types to identify the main drivers of Shrike population decline. Obtained results could be of utmost importance for conserving several species that rely on unmanaged cultural landscapes.

  School of Business and Economics | Bachelor International Business

Behavioral Incentives in Sustainable Investing: A Comparison of Individual and Institutional Investors

Moritz's elevator pitch
Sustainable investing has grown to over $35 trillion in assets, yet research on investor motivations lags behind market adoption. This literature review investigates the behavioral incentives motivating individual and institutional investors by challenging homo economicus assumptions. The study reveals a complex interplay between values and value, demonstrating how return expectations and warm glow effects drive sustainable investment decisions. Individual investors prioritize emotional utility, while institutional investors balance fiduciary duty, risk management, and regulatory pressures. By exploring the intricate motivations across investor groups, the research provides critical insights for advancing sustainable finance theory and practice.

  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences | Bachelor Global Studies

Historical Grievances in the Headlines: Analysing US Newspaper Portrayals of Canada’s Indigenous Residential School Discussions (2015-2021)

Lee-Ann's elevator pitch
How do media reflect societal discussions on reconciliation and historical accountability in countries like Canada and the United States, where residential schools tasked with “assimilating” Indigenous children in the 19th and 20th centuries caused ongoing historical harms? 
This study examined how US mainstream and Indigenous newspapers framed Canada's  discussions on this topic. While the findings reflected important nuances, the research revealed an important tension: 
mainstream media often privileged more narrow understandings of Indigenous-settler reconciliation, centering on the role of national institutions, whereas Indigenous outlets tended to situate reconciliation in the wider context of settler-colonial history and Indigenous rights. The study underlines the media's crucial role in influencing how people understand historical grievances, even beyond borders.

  Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences | Bachelor Gezondheidswetenschappen/Health Sciences

Responses of Significant Others and Their Impact on Pain and Quality of Life in Spinal Cord Injury: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sara's elevator pitch
Chronic pain affects over 65% of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), significantly reducing their quality of life (QoL). This study investigated whether perceived responses from significant others - negative, solicitous, or distracting - mediate the relationship between pain severity and QoL in 115 individuals with SCI-related chronic pain. This study found that partner responses correlate with increased pain and lower QoL but do not mediate their relationship. This highlights the direct impact of pain on QoL and emphasizes the need for tailored interventions addressing both pain management and partner dynamics.

  Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences | Bachelor Geneeskunde/ Medicine

Anna-Lucia's elevator pitch
In the Bachelor in Medicine, we don’t write a thesis in the third year. Instead, we put our theory into practice in patient contacts. I’ve seen myself grow both on an academic and personal level the past few years. I’ve gained more confidence in myself and my capabilities, both through my studies and my time as an Honours student, studying the effect of animal-assisted mindfulness on the well-being of students. Thanks to the Honours Programme and my contact with psychiatric patients in the third year, I know now what I want to do in the future: I want to contribute to research suggesting alternative approaches to combat mental illnesses and to make mental health care more humane.

  School of Business and Economics | Bachelor Fiscal Economics

The influence of the inheritance tax on economic dynamics

Laura's elevator pitch
The inheritance tax is a widely debated fiscal tool aimed at redistributing wealth and promoting equity. My thesis analyzes its influence on economic dynamics, focusing on its effects on individual behaviors, wealth accumulation, and societal fairness. While the tax aims to foster equal opportunities, design flaws - such as loopholes exploited by the wealthy - undermine its effectiveness, shifting tax burdens to the middle class and diminishing economic growth. By examining studies on both positive and negative impacts, this thesis emphasizes the need to reform inheritance tax frameworks to better balance fairness, economic efficiency, and wealth redistribution.