Master thesis supervision

 
DRIFT offers master students from various disciplines and universities the opportunity to write their thesis on transition and/or sustainability-related themes under supervision of one of our researchers.
 
Do you have a topic in mind and are you interested in writing your thesis under the supervision of one of our researchers? Interested to join us? Check this page and our news section frequently for internships and vacancies.
 
For more information about working with us, please send an email to drift@drift.eur.nl. 
 
Please take a look at the profiles of our researchers and research projects before you do so, to get an idea of who and/or which research project might be the best match for you own research interests.
 
Please take note that the following terms will apply for master thesis supervision
 

  • We provide thesis supervision on condition that the DRIFT supervisor is formally acknowledged as a (second) supervisor.
  • Knowledge sharing: we ask the graduating student to (1) write a blog on their thesis to publish on the DRIFT/TAC websites; and (2) present their research during one of DRIFTs weekly knowledge sessions and/or to people involved with a potential case study.
  • When applicable: involvement of DRIFT supervisor as a co-author in the event of a scientific publication based on the thesis.
  • Please note that you need a person at your University / department that is willing & able to sign your internship contract and a resident permit to study/live in the Netherlands.

 
Below you can see an overview of the current and completed thesis that are of have been written under the supervision of TAC and DRIFT
 
2020
 
Jurre Honkoop, 2020. Scientia potentia est? A diverse cases analysis of the process through which citizen science coalitions attempt to change Dutch air quality policy and the way it is made
MSc Thesis: Governance and Management in the Public Sector (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Supervisor DRIFT/TAC: Dr. Julia Wittmayer
Second reader: Dr. Jasper Eshuis, Erasmus University Rotterdam
 
2019
 
Ole Heins, 2019.
People’s Power – Lessons from Discontinued Local Energy Initiatives.
 
MSc Thesis: International Management and Engineering (Hamburg University of Technology)
Supervisor DRIFT/TAC: Assistant Prof. Dr. Julia Wittmayer
Supervisor Hamburg University of Technology: Prof. Dr. Cornelius Herstatt (Technology and Innovation Management Institute)
 
Marie Oltmer, 2019. Narratives on animal-based food in agri-food transitions.
 
MSc Thesis: Social and Cultural Anthropology (Freie Universität Berlin)
Supervisor DRIFT/TAC: dr. Flor Avelino
Supervisor FU Berlin: Dr. Anita von Poser (Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology)
 
2017
 
Sem Oxenaar, 2017, Mapping the financial and organizational interdependencies between the Dutch State and the fossil fuel industry.

MSc Thesis: Integrated Natural Resource Management
Supervisor(s) from DRIFT: Rick Bosman & Prof. Derk Loorbach
Supervisor at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin: Prof. Klaus Eisenack
 
Follow up publication from thesis:
Oxenaar, S. & Bosman, R. (Forthcoming May/June 2019). Managing the decline of fossil fuels in a fossil fuel intensive economy: the case of the Netherlands. In Wood, Baker, & Strachan (Eds.) The long goodbye? Managing the Decline of Fossil Fuels. Palgrave Macmillan
 
Ilonka Marselis, 2017, Envisioning and practicing sustainability transitions: A cross-case comparison of five Dutch ecovillages.
MSc Thesis: Industrial Ecology
Supervisor from DRIFT/TAC: dr. Flor Avelino
1st supervisor: dr. ir. Jaco Quist (Department of Technology, Policy and Management, TUDelft)
2nd supervisor: dr. ir. Udo Pesch (Department of Technology, Policy and Management, TUDelft)
 
Moritz Müller, 2017, Riding into the future? Using a multi-level & multi-actor approach to analyze the entrance of sustainable technologies into urban mobility systems: The case of electric rideables in Germany.
MSc Thesis: Global Business & Sustainability.
Supervisor from DRIFT/TAC (Second reader): Dr. J.M. Wittmayer.
Supervisor RSM, Erasmus University: Dr.Samer Abdelnour
 
Marjolein Vos, 2017, Social Innovation: The Role of the Municipal Policymaker
MSc Thesis: Sociology – Urban Studies
Supervisor from DRIFT/TAC (Second supervisor): Dr. J.M. Wittmayer
Supervisor Sociology, Erasmus University: Dr. Vaco Lub
 
2016
 
Jesse Renema, 2016 The Matryoshka doll principle of co-production: The interaction between science & politics in the EU’s knowledge politics on social innovation and TRANSIT
Internship Supervisor DRIFT/ Transition Academy: Dr. Flor Avelino
Supervisor at University of Maastricht: Dr. Vincent Lagendijk
 
2015
 
McFarland, Keighley, 2015, Social innovation for transitions in food: the potential of new alternative food network models in Germany and the Netherlands
Supervisor Transition Academy: Julia Wittmayer, Msc
Supervisor at Humboldt University of Berlin: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bokelmann
 
Bernadette Kirner, 2015 “Coworking spaces and beyond: Exploring the transformative potential of coworking spaces – the case of the ‘Grünhof’ in Freiburg”
Master of Science Thesis Freiburg University, Germany.
Supervisors/ examinors from TAC/DRIFT: Dr. Flor Avelino & Prof. Dr. Derk Loorbach
Supervisor from Freiburg University: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schraml
 
Silvana Lefel MSc Thesis “The transition management cycle of the Rotterdam building sector”
Master Program: Global Business and Stakeholder Management
Principal Supervisor: Amanda Williams (RSM, EUR), Secondary Supervisor: Niki Frantzeskaki (DRIFT, EUR)
 
2014
Rach, Sarah (2014) Zelforganisatie en de institutionele omgeving. Wederzijdse beïnvloeding van een maatschappelijk initiatief en de participatiesamenleving in de casus Hart voor Carnisse.
Master of Science Thesis: Public Administrations (Governance and Management of Complex Systems)
Supervisor from DRIFT: J.M. Wittmayer MSc
Supervisor Erasmus University: Dr.ir. J. Eshuis and Prof.dr. J. Edelenbos
 
Maschmeyer, Steffen, 2014, Transition initiatives in perspective: Are urban agriculture initiatives modernize environmental practice in cities? The case of Freiburg, Germany.
Master of Science Thesis, DRIFT and Freiburg University, Germany.
Supervisors from TAC: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki & Dr. Jan Rotmans
Supervisor from Freiburg University: Dr. Philip Spaeth
 
Wahl, Darin, 2014, Exploring pathways to transformations in post-disaster-event communities:  A case study on the Mad River Valley, Vermont, USA
Supervisor from TAC: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki
Supervisor from Stockholm Resilience Center: Dr. Per Olsson
 
2013
Silvestri, Giorgia, 2013, Urban Agriculture initiatives as transition niches for a resilient Milan, Italy.
Master of Science Thesis, DRIFT and Pisa University, Italy.
Supervisor from TAC: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki
 
Agana Mmah, Eva, 2013, Understanding the Transition in the Water and Sanitation Sector of Northern Ghana; the contribution of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). 
Master of Science Thesis, DRIFT and IHS (both) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Supervisor from DRIFT: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki
 
Getnet, Antenh, 2013, Enablers of a socio-technical transition towards Smart Urban Mobility System in rapidly urbanizing cities in developing countries – the case of Bangalore and Jakarta.
Master of Science Thesis, DRIFT and Utrecht University.
Supervisor from DRIFT: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki
Supervisor from Utrecht University: Dr. Wina Graus

 

Bacco-Geldof, Diane, 2013,  De Impact van Sociale Innovatie. Casus Veerkracht-Carnisse. Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam.
Master of Science Thesis, Erasmus University and DRIFT
Supervisor from DRIFT: Julia Wittmayer
Supervisor from Erasmus University: Prof. Dr. J. Braster

 

Rebmann, Lea, 2013,  The role of brokers for the success of learning processes in transition experiments. Utrecht University.
Master of Science Thesis, Utrecht University and DRIFT
Supervisor from DRIFT: Frank van Steenbergen
Supervisor from Utrecht University: xxx

 

Winterwerp, Rosanne, 2013,  Duurzaamheid in context Hoe krijgt duurzaamheid invulling in wijkgerichte projecten? Utrecht Universiteit.
Master of Science Thesis, Utrecht University and DRIFT
Supervisor from DRIFT: Julia Wittmayer
Supervisor from Utrecht University: Dr. Ludwien Meeuwesen

 

Hölscher, Katharina, 2013,   Seeds of Change? Evaluating the transition arena for urban climate governance in Ghent and Ludwigsburg
Master of Science Thesis, Utrecht University and DRIFT
Supervisor from DRIFT: Chris Roorda
Supervisor from Utrecht University: Dr. Mendel Giezen

 

Buchel Sophie, 2013, User perception of ecosystem services in urban parks in Rotterdam, Translating ecosystem services for citizens and identifying park perception profiles using Q methodology.
Master of Science Thesis, DRIFT and Wageningen University.
Supervisor from DRIFT: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki
Supervisor from Wageningen University: Prof. Kris van Koppen

 

Follow up publication from the thesis: 

– Buchel, S., and Frantzeskaki, (2015), Citizens’ voice: A case study about perceived ecosystem services by urban park users in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Ecosystem Services, 12, 169-177 (doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.11.014).

 

2012

Wijsman, Katinka, 2012, Making Sense of Cityscapes –Ecosystem and Metabolism Metaphors in Grasping the City.
Master of Science Thesis, DRIFT, TU Delft and Leiden University.
Supervisor from DRIFT: Dr. Derk Loorbach
Supervisor from TU Delft: Dr. Ellen van Buuren

 

Bosman, Rick, 2012, Energy Transition in the Netherlands: Storylines from regime actors.
Master thesis, Freiburg University and DRIFT.
Supervisor from DRIFT: Prof. Dr. Ir. Jan Rotmans, Dr. Derk Loorbach
Supervisor from Freiburg Univertsity: Dr. Till Pistorius

 

De Haan, Caroline, 2012,   Hoe werkt transitie management op wijkniveau? De wijkarena Oud-Charlois beschreven vanuit participatieve governance.
Master of Science Thesis, Wageningen University and DRIFT
Supervisor from DRIFT: Frank van Steenbergen, Julia Wittmayer
Supervisor from Wageningen University: Dr. Ir. Laurens Klerkx

 

2011

Maas, Suzanne, 2011, Making sense of complex systems, A systems analysis methodology for Urban Transition Management: the case of Ghent and its climate ambitions, DRIFT, Wageningen University.
Supervisor from DRIFT: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki
Supervisor from Wageningen University: Dr. Karen Fortuin

 

2010

Simanjuntak, Imelda, 2010, Flood defense policy implementation in Jakarta, Indonesia, DRIFT and TU Delft.
Supervisor from DRIFT: Dr. Niki Frantzeskaki

 

Follow-up publication relating to this master thesis research:
Simanjuntak, I., Frantzeskaki, N., Enserink, B., and Ravesteijn, W., (2012), Evaluating Jakarta’s Flood Defense Governance: the impact of political and institutional reforms, Water Policy, 14, pp.561-580.