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The effect of (moderate) import tariffs on inflation and interest rates: A case about Protectionism.
No full textThe aim of this paper is to analyze whether tariffs have a direct effect on interest rates, and if this direct effect is mediated through inflation. To facilitate this aim, a mediation analysis is employed to evaluate if inflation acts as a mediator between those two variables. The motivation of this empirical analysis lies at the 2018 -2019 trade war between the US and the rest of the world, as well as the liberation day tariffs announced in 2025 by President Donald Trump. The analysis first evaluates the direct effect of tariffs on interest rates, then regresses tariffs on inflation to evaluate the mediator, and lastly regresses both tariffs and inflation on interest rates. The models include lags of some variables to account for time adjustments in policy. The results are evaluated with a robustness check that excludes outliers and influential variables to isolate the effect of moderate tariffs on the economy. The main findings show that there are both country and time differences. In cases of free trade, tariffs do not directly affect interest rates, whereas during projectionist times, there can be seen both a positive direct effect and a negative indirect effect through inflation
Combining AI-based image biomarkers to predict pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma survival
No full textPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the lowest 5-year survival rate of all cancer
types and is accompanied by challenges at every step of the patient’s pathway. There has
been an increase in AI research to advance cancer care, however, as PDAC has a lower inci
dence than other forms of cancer, it is not as well-researched and there is an absence of proven
prognostic biomarkers for PDAC. This project aimed at investigating the prognostic value of
combining AI-based image biomarkers from histopathological images of patients with PDAC
when predicting overall survival. Several algorithms were used to quantify these biomarkers
from whole-slide images (WSIs) and they have previously been found to be individual prog
nostic factors. As these algorithms required segmentation masks of several tissue types, this
project attempted to improve the segmentation performance of an existing multi-tissue seg
mentation baseline by retraining this baseline. The retrained multi-tissue segmentation model
achieved a similar performance with less variance when using a smaller and more efficiently
trained model. In addition, the retrained model showed better generalization than the baseline
on unseen data. The resulting masks were then given to the biomarker extraction algorithms
to attempt inferring informative features. These biomarkers could finally be used, with a Cox
regression and a logistic regression model, for survival prediction. The findings indicated that
using a combination of AI-based image biomarkers does not outperform logistic regression
models trained on one of these biomarkers for predicting PDAC survival. Our survival analysis
did show promising potential for using mitosis density as a potential prognostic biomarker for
pancreatic cancer with statistical significance
Contingentie in het licht van leegte - een fenomenologisch onderzoek naar de leegte van fenomenen
No full textDit onderzoek verkent hoe gevorderde beoefenaars van leegte binnen de School voor Zijnsoriëntatie omgaan met ervaringen van contingentie, gebeurtenissen die onverwacht en existentieel ontregelend zijn. Leegte verwijst hierbij niet naar ‘niets’, maar naar het ontbreken van een zelfstandig, inherent bestaan van fenomenen. Via een kwalitatieve, hermeneutisch-fenomenologische benadering werden zeven semigestructureerde CLZ-interviews afgenomen. De analyse toonde dat ervaringen van contingentie vaak niet lineair of eenduidig worden geïnterpreteerd, waarbij spiritualiteit geen aparte laag vormt maar alle dimensies doordringt. Naast narratieve integratie wordt een transmodale houding van ‘toe-eigenen’ geïntroduceerd. De bevindingen verruimen gangbare modellen en suggereren dat ervaringen van contingentie niet altijd narratief of religieus hoeven te worden geduid
Networks of Opportunity: Exploring the Connection Between Social Networks, Social Capital and Economic Outcomes for Second-generation Dutch-Moroccans
No full textThis thesis examines how social networks and social capital shape the economic outcomes of second-generation Moroccan-Dutch individuals, considering them as potential tools to counteract policy-driven marginalisation and workplace discrimination. The study asks how these networks are structured and how different forms of social capital influence economic outcomes.
Drawing on semi-structured interviews with ten participants, the findings challenge earlier research that portrays these networks as exclusively tight and co-ethnic. While most social capital was rooted in co-ethnic ties—providing emotional and practical support (“getting by”)—participants also maintained broader, ethnically diverse networks. Bridging social capital, especially connections with people of fully Dutch background, proved more effective in improving economic opportunities (“getting ahead”).
Although most respondents were economically secure, some reported experiences of institutional racism in employment contexts. Limited evidence suggests that interethnic bridging, when created by connections with people with a Dutch background, may help counter such marginalisation by facilitating access to workplaces where discrimination was absent. A key limitation is that marginalisation was addressed primarily as background context rather than a focal topic. Future research should investigate it explicitly to clarify the role of social networks and social capital in overcoming exclusion in the labour market
Een empirisch onderzoek naar de transformatie van leegstaande kantoorpanden naar woningen
No full textNederland kampt al jaren met een groot woningtekort, terwijl tegelijkertijd veel kantoorpanden leegstaan. Het transformeren van deze kantoren naar woningen wordt gezien als een kansrijke oplossing, maar in de praktijk blijft de realisatie achter. De overheid slaagt er niet in om haar doelstelling van 15.000 transformatiewoningen per jaar te behalen. Deze scriptie onderzoekt welke factoren invloed hebben op het succes of falen van kantoortransformaties, met als centrale vraag: “Op welke wijze beïnvloeden verschillende factoren de realisatie of het uitblijven van resultaten bij de transformatie van leegstaande kantoorgebouwen naar woningen in Arnhem en Nijmegen?”
Het onderzoek is gebaseerd op interviews met betrokken actoren zoals ambtenaren en projectontwikkelaars. De cases High Park (Arnhem) en het Tiemstrapand (Nijmegen) staan centraal. De analyse is uitgevoerd aan de hand van de beleidsarrangemententheorie, met aandacht voor discours, actoren, regels en middelen.
Belangrijke belemmeringen zijn het tekort aan financiële middelen en kennis, strikte regelgeving, conflicterende belangen en externe factoren zoals stijgende bouwkosten. Succesfactoren zijn onder andere versoepelingen in het Bouwbesluit en subsidies. De conclusie is dat belemmeringen vaak zwaarder wegen dan de succesfactoren. Aanbevolen wordt om regelgeving flexibeler te maken, kennis te vergroten en samenwerking tussen actoren te verbeteren
'Ik verwenschte de muziek'. De rol van muziek binnen het emotionele leven van Maurits van Lennep, Caroline van Loon en hun familie
No full textSamenwerken ten tijde van een landelijke cybercrisis. Een kwalitatief onderzoek naar het netwerk van informatiedeling en beeldvorming tijdens een landelijke cybercrisis.
No full textCybercrisissen worden steeds ingrijpender en vereisen een nauwe samenwerking tussen veiligheidsregio’s en partners vanuit het Rijk. De grootschalige cyberoefening ISIDOOR is opgezet om deze samenwerking te versterken en richt zich op informatie-uitwisseling tussen actoren en de nationale crisisstructuur. Uit de evaluatie van de ISIDOOR-oefening blijkt dat er onduidelijkheid heerst onder actoren over het netwerk van informatiedeling en beeldvorming, waardoor de samenwerking in de praktijk tijdens de ISIDOOR-oefening afweek van de formele structuur.
Dit onderzoek geeft inzicht in de formele structuur van het netwerk van informatiedeling en beeldvorming tijdens een landelijke cybercrisis, de ervaringen van betrokken actoren met de samenwerking in de praktijk en de verhouding tussen deze twee concepten. Op basis van bestaande literatuur, documentenanalyse en 23 semigestructureerde interviews is vastgesteld dat de formele structuur en de samenwerking in de praktijk twee totaal verschillende werelden zijn. Dit verschil heeft voornamelijk te maken met het verloop van communicatie- en informatielijnen in de praktijk en kan verklaard worden door de onvolledigheid van de formele structuur. Hierdoor gaan actoren op zoek naar andere oplossingen. Deze informele oplossingen worden geleidelijk geïnstitutionaliseerd, wat duidt op een wederkerige relatie tussen de formele structuur en de samenwerking in de praktij
The Social, Cultural, Spiritual and Political Meanings of Customary Land Systems for the Karen People in Kawthoolei
No full textThis thesis examines the motivations behind the 2015 revision of the Karen National Union (KNU) Land Policy and why it was possible between 2010 and 2021. Using a qualitative interpretative approach, it draws on semi-structured interviews with Karen ethnic governance organisation (EGO) actors, Myanmar scholars and one KNU official, together with policy document analysis. The research reveals that land has great political, cultural, and spiritual significance for the Karen people. However, decades of land confiscation by the Myanmar military and government—through both violent and legal means and —continued even during Myanmar’s democratic opening (2011). The failure to recognise customary land systems emphasised the need for a formalised local land governance framework. The 2015 revision is motivated by the needs to protect Karen lands, strengthen Karen identity and community, and improve the KNU’s legitimacy as a governing authority. In addition, broader goals such as peacebuilding and self-determination have also contributed to the revision. By examining the intersection of land governance, conflict, and customary and statutory land systems, this study contributes to broader debates on land governance in conflict-affected settings and how local policies serve as tools for resistance and governance
Anticipating the Future: Understanding Matches and Mismatches between Future Narratives of Climate Change Adaptation and Housing
No full textThe urgent need to adapt to climate change and the environmental pressure resulting from the housing shortage in the Netherlands underscore the importance of understanding to what extent these issues are concurrently addressed. This insight is essential for effective policy making and addressing the transdisciplinary challenges of climate adaptation and housing provision. By studying how future narratives in the governance systems of climate change adaptation and housing create (mis)matches, this research aims to gain these insights. Future narratives, consisting of preferred futures and future assumptions, which are grounded in literature on anticipatory governance, the use of futures and the expected future are used as central concepts. The research strategy entails a case study, qualitative policy document analysis using Atlas.ti and semi-structured interviews with policy makers. Policy documents and policy makers are selected at the Dutch local level, within the municipality of Arnhem. The results show how future assumptions in preferred futures lead to various matches and mismatches between future narratives of housing and climate change adaptation. These (mis)matches can arise when divergent preferred futures are envisioned as when similar preferred futures considered. Matches as well as mismatches between both policy fields occur on various themes, yet no clear patterns emerge.
Keywords: transformative governance, governance system, future narrative, preferred future, future assumptions
Exploring corporate social irresponsibility: The influence of institutions on tax optimization
No full textThis study investigates the institutional antecedents of corporate social irresponsibility (CSiR) in the area of taxes. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been widely explored, both through agency and institutional lenses, the CSiR literature remains underdeveloped and focuses on agency-based explanations. A panel data analysis was conducted using data from firms that ever had at least one irresponsible incident and were headquartered in the European Union (EU) during the period 2015-2020 to examine whether corporate tax rates influence firms’ engagement in tax optimization, and whether this relationship is moderated by CSR activities.
The findings show no evidence that higher corporate tax rates are associated with more tax optimization. In fact, the findings provide some evidence, although not robust across all models, for a negative relationship between corporate tax rates and tax optimization. Moreover, limited and non-robust support is found for CSR as a positive moderating factor. These findings imply that potential reputational costs may outweigh financial benefits, and that firms may use CSR activities to mitigate the reputational risks associated with tax optimization, supporting the risk-management perspective. This study contributes to the CSiR literature by investigating the institutional antecedents of CSiR in a previously unexplored area and by exploring tax optimization as a CSiR issue