Economics student Edo Aalbers wins 2009 UvA Thesis Award

Student Edo Aalbers, who graduated with distinction in International Economics, was named the winner of the 2009 UvA Thesis Prize. The award was presented during University Day on Saturday, 6 June. Second prize was awarded to Theoretical Ecology student Anieke van Leeuwen and third place went to History student Merel Klein. Jury chair José van Dijck noted the high quality of the submissions: ‘It was a pleasure to read the ten nominated theses. They were without exception first-rate.'

Edo Aalber's thesis examines the international spread of currency crises, with particular reference to the 1997-1998 crisis in Asia. The idea is that when currency such as the Thai baht falls in value against the American dollar, this leads to pressure on the currency of another country, such as Indonesia. The basic question here was what is the influence of this type of ‘infection' on other countries? Aalbers concluded that the drop in the Thai baht infected the currencies of Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, accounting for about 20% of the drop in value of the currency in these countries. According to the jury, ‘in the empirical sense, a more thorough and complete thesis is difficult to imagine. Furthermore, Aalbers conducted original research with regard to a number of issues found in the literature pertaining to this subject'.

Second and third prize winners

Anieke van Leeuwen, winner of the second prize, wrote her thesis on cod fish catches in the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. Based on detailed, theoretical research as well as historical data regarding fish catches, Van Leeuwen's conclusion was both remarkable and convincing. Catching and removing the primary source of food for cod is an effective strategy for restoring the cod fish population. The jury stated that ‘Van Leeuwen's research lays the foundation for a completely new approach to managing fish populations'.

Third prize was awarded to Merel Klein for her thesis on ‘London fogs'. The literal and metaphorical attributes of fog, such as its slow-moving murkiness, made it a cloak for evil and as such, it was connected with everything that was considered corrupt in Victorian society. The fog was used as a vehicle for cultural criticism of the British fin de siècle. The jury commented that ‘in her thesis, Merel Klein takes what is purportedly a meteorological phenomenon and artfully demonstrates how scientific and literary sources are connected'.

The 2009 UvA Thesis Prize  jury was made up of deans and vice-deans from the UvA's seven faculties. Altogether, there were 59 submissions and all theses had received a grade of 8.5 or higher. Ten theses were then nominated by the jury.