Hannes Pieters is the winner of the 2009 Flemish Dissertation Award

(Zellik, 15-12-09)

Hannes Pieters of the University of Ghent has won the 2009 Flemish Dissertation Award. In his thesis on the Royal Library of Belgium, he discusses four decades of national representation in architecture, urban development and interior design in Brussels. 

The Flemish Dissertation Award, an initiative of the ‘Scriptie vzw’, promotes dissertations of graduating students and tries to bring the academic and professional world closer together.  The prestigious award was presented last night in the Antwerp Zoo, by Ingrid Lieten, Minister of Media and Innovation, under the watchful eye of Queen Paola. 

In her speech, Minister Ingrid Lieten emphasized that "knowledge acquired through our democratic education system is the key to climb the social ladder. Knowledge is everywhere, in every layer of society. All we have to do is use that knowledge, instead of hiding our light under a bushel”. She also underlined that we must share our knowledge with others and she feels that the Flemish Dissertation Award is the ideal way to help students do this.

Read more about the winner and his dissertation.

Guest speaker Steve Jones, professor at the University College of London, baffled everyone with his fascinating yet very clear lecture on “nature, nurture or neither; what the public does not understand about genetics”.  

Maarten Breckpot won both the "Eos" Award’ and the "Agoria" Award with his dissertation on flood control of the Demer, an 85 km long river in eastern Belgium. His subject was also discussed in ‘Eos’, an important Belgian science magazine.

The "Klasse" Award was given to Annick De Vylder. She looked at twelve-year-old children and examined whether or not reading out loud to them, lead towards a better reading attitude.

During a walk through the Antwerp Zoo, we got to know the nominees a little bit better. Take a look:

Film and music by Nyan Komago (www.myspace.com/nyankomago)

Read the report of the jury.

Korneel De Rynck and Ward Jonckheere are the winners of the 2008 Flemish Dissertation Award

(Zellik, 17-12-08) Yesterday evening, the annual award ceremony of the Flemish Dissertation Award was held in the NT Ghent theatre. The five nominees each competed for everlasting fame and acknowledgement.

Only one contestant could win the prestigious award. The jury members, however, did not agree and eventually selected two winners: Korneel De Rynck from the Catholic University of Leuven followed by Ward Jonckheere from the University College of West Flanders. The awards were presented by André Denys, the provincial governor of East Flanders.

Read the report of the jury (pdf, 43 KB).

Evelien Jonckheere is the winner of the 2007 Flemish Dissertation Award

(Zellik, 18- 12- 2007) Evelien Jonckheere from Langemark is the winner of the 2007 Flemish Dissertation Award.  Jonckheere, a graduating student in the study of the Arts at the University of Ghent, blew away the jury with her dissertation on variety theatres in Ghent from 1880 to 1914.

In her dissertation, Evelien Jonckheere shows that the Ghent variety theatres measure up to our modern 'glimpse culture', in which the passion for what is real and the passion for what is not, seem to balance each other out in a paradoxical manner.

Jan Boesman is the winner of the 2006 Flemish Dissertation Award

(Ghent, 18-12-2006) Jan Boesman comes from Gentbrugge and is the winner of the 2006 Flemish Dissertation Award.
Boesman graduated in 2006 at the Lessius University College in Antwerp, where he has studied Journalism. Jan Boesman charmed the jury of the Flemish Dissertation Award with his dissertation Race. Why is cycling white?. "He proves that 'light' journalism can also lead towards substantial pieces of work, that it can offer a lot of information and that it can make us escape the issues of the day".

(ZELLIK, 23-12-2005) -- ‘A dissertation about the ordinary, which can both fascinate and charm'. Those were the words used by Rudy Vanschoonbeek, the chairman of the jury, when he announced the winner of the 2005 Flemish Dissertation Award. It took the five-member jury, consisting of Guido Muelenaer (Trends), Rudy Vanschoonbeek (The House of Books), Marcel Grauls (Concentra), Filip Van Brabander (Eos) and Ludo Abicht (UGent), more than an hour to cut the knot and choose a winner. It was eventually Melanie Surmont, a final-year student Pedagogics at the University of Ghent, who won the cheque of 2500 euros. Surmont outstripped the four other nominees with her thesis ‘Thuis en school waren immers anders dan de weg erheen. De beleving van de weg van en naar school in de jaren 1950 in Bellegem.’, an analysis of what happened on the way to school and back during the 1950's in Bellegem and how people remember that time.

Frederik Backelandt is the winner of the 2004 Flemish Dissertation Award

(GHENT, 12-12-2004) -- Yesterday the third award ceremony of the Flemish Dissertation Award was held in the Royal Academy for Dutch Language and Literature in Ghent. This year the jury consisted of Mathias Danneels (Het Nieuwsblad), professor Herman De Dijn (representative of the Royal Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts) , Dirk Demuynck (Lannoo publishing house), Pascal Verbeken (Humo) and Norbert Vranckx (Het Davidsfonds publishing house).
Once again, the Flemish Dissertation Award attracted a great deal of attention. No less than 123 entries were assessed, of which five were nominated.

The jury was especially impressed and pleasantly surprized by the dissertation of Frederik Backelandt. He got his teeth in the life and works of Karel Van Wijnendaele (pseudonym for Karel Steyaert, 1882-1961), the almost legendary reporter of the popular Flemish newspaper "Sportwereld'. He brings the interbellum to life, the Flemish Movement, collaboration, retaliation, ... . The dissertation of Frederik Backelandt, 'Ons rijke Vlaamse wielerleven en het wielerflamingantisme: ‘Sportwereld’ als gangmaker van identiteit in het interbellum', is like a fresco, and gives a meticulously painted image of Flanders.
The jury has decided to give the 2004 Flemish Dissertation Award, worth 2500 euros to Frederik Backelandt.

Koen De Vlieger-De Wilde is the winner of the 2003 Flemish Dissertation Award

(BRUSSELS, 13-12-2003) -- During the general assembly today, the Pascal Decroos Fund announced this year's winner of the prestigious Flemish Dissertation Award.

Koen De Vlieger-De Wilde can call himself the winner and accept the 2500 euro prize money, thanks to his excellent dissertation 'Adellijke levensstijl', on the manners and customs of the Noble. Koen De Vlieger-De Wilde will graduate this year and receive his Master's degree in History at the Catholic University of Leuven.

The four other nominees each received an 'encouragement prize' worth 250 euros: Julie Carlier (University of Ghent), Ann De Craemer (University of Ghent), Curt Claeys (Free University of Brussels (VUB)) en Isabel De Rycke (Karel de Grote University College).

Presentation of the first Flemish Dissertation Award

(BRUSSELS, 14/12/2002) -- The nominees were:

• Lars Bové, "De mythe in objectief gerationaliseerde cultuursystemen; De samoeraigenrefilm in het naoorlogse Japan (1945-1970)", Free University of Brussels, 2002;
• Delphine Hajaji, "Une vie de vagabond. Arthur Wauters (1890-1960). Een biografie", University of Ghent, 2002
• Veronique Van Wassenbergh,  “Kinderen weinig tolerant ! “,  University of Ghent,  2002;
• Lander Corluy,  'Historici jagen op mythen', University of Ghent, 2002,  about the relation between historiography and reality: the New Historians in Israel;
• Joris Van Campenhout, "Gaatjes en licht. Studie van fotonisch-kristalgolfgeleiders", University of Ghent, 2002

These five nominees have each entered a dissertation of an exceptionally high level. The variety in genres made it even more difficult to select a winner.

Eventually the jury has decided to give the award to three dissertations, because they were so well matched and of an equally high level.

These are the three winners:

• Lars Bové, "De mythe in objectief gerationaliseerde cultuursystemen; De samoeraigenrefilm in het naoorlogse Japan (1945-1970)", Free University of Brussels, 2002.
  The jury feels that this thesis is scientifically strong, with an original presentation of question and theoretical background and that it has been elaborated meticulously. Bové provides the reader with a clear insight in the film genre as well as the Japanese society.
• Delphine Hajaji,"Une vie de vagabond. Arthur Wauters (1890-1960). Een biografie", University of Ghent, 2002.
  Delphine Hajaji has written this biographical story with an eye for detail and a sense of personal engagement. 'Une vie de vagabond' does not only uncover the rich psychological and intellectual life of socialist Arthur Wauters, but also provides us with a insight in the complex historical era in which he lived that life.
• Joris Van Campenhout, "Gaatjes en licht. Studie van fotonisch-kristalgolfgeleiders", University of Ghent, 2002.
  This is a thorough study within the innovative technology sector. The research domain of photonic crystals is quite new and is followed closely in several laboratories. In his thesis, Joris Van Campenhout reveals a simulation of new models, which is a very valuable contribution to the sector. This is one of the best dissertations in Applied Sciences and the results definitely deserve to be published on an international conference.

These 3 winners each receive an award worth 1000 euros.

The two other nominees each receive 250 euros