Sociale Wetenschappen

PhD defences in the social sciences

2026

Estrelle Thunnissen - The role of peer relationships in MSM health - 14/01/2026

This research investigates the role of peer relationships in promoting mental and sexual health among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), a population disproportionately affected by stigma, minority stress, and social isolation. Drawing on mixed-methods research, it demonstrates that strong peer relationships provide emotional support and intimacy, reduce loneliness, and foster social norms that encourage HIV prevention practices. 

The study examines the impact of pandemic-related shifts from in-person to remote communication on social support and loneliness, the impact of physical distancing on experiences of intimacy, and explores how social norms at multiple levels shape PrEP uptake. Additionally, it evaluates Web-based Respondent Driven Sampling (WEB RDS) as a method for recruiting hidden populations, identifying challenges such as survey fatigue and digital etiquette norms. Findings underscore the importance of leveraging peer relationships and addressing normative barriers to improve health interventions and health outcomes for MSM.

Practical information

  • Promovenda: Estrelle Thunnissen
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Edwin Wouters & prof. dr. Veerle Buffel
  • Date: Wednesday 14 January 2026, 2 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Promotiezaal Klooster van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by January 12 by mailing ​estrelle.thunnissen@uantwerpen.be​.   

Jochem Vanagt - Beyond the Two-Party Divide: How Coalition Dynamics and Ideological Orientations Redefine Affective Polarization in Europe - 23/01/2026

On Friday 23 January 2026, Jochem Vanagt (Department of Political Science) cordially invites you to the public defence of his doctoral thesis 

Beyond the Two-Party Divide: How Coalition Dynamics and Ideological Orientations Redefine Affective Polarization in Europe

Affective polarization, understood as the mutual dislike between opposing political groups, is widely viewed as a threat to democratic societies, but to what extent can we apply this U.S.-born concept to Europe's multiparty context? 

This dissertation sets out to answer this question by examining which factors shape affective polarization and its consequences in Europe. Drawing on observational, longitudinal, and experimental data from 423,524 respondents across 20 democracies, I advance the argument that affective polarization and its consequences are heavily dependent on how political elites and citizens interact with three defining features of multiparty systems: coalition dynamics, the radical right, and ideological camps.

The first part of the dissertation focuses on how coalition dynamics and elite signaling shape partisan affect. It finds that elite cooperation reduces intergroup hostility only when perceived as successful and that mainstream accommodation of the radical right shifts rather than reduces political divisions. Moreover, when political elites re-ostracize a radical party, partisan animosity follows suit.

The second part of the dissertation centers on citizens themselves, highlighting the overlooked heterogeneity in political attitudes among the affectively polarized in European multiparty systems. First, most citizens in Europe do not identify with one single party, but are attached to broader ideological camps. Second, radical-right supporters are not one homogeneous block, with many still politically engaged and supportive of democracy. Finally, affective polarization in Europe often coexists with democratic support, which contradicts previous notions that affective polarization is inherently harmful to democracy. 

Combined, these findings complicate U.S.-centric concerns about affective polarization. In multiparty systems, citizen identities and attitudes are highly heterogeneous and can move swiftly. Meanwhile, elites can redraw political fault lines with relative ease and seem to play a particularly decisive role in steering affective polarization toward democratic resilience or decay.

Practical information
  • Promovendus: Jochem Vanagt
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Stefaan Walgrave & prof. dr. Ellen Claes (KULeuven)
  • Date: Friday 23 January 2026, 5 PM
  • Location: Promotiezaal, Naamsestraat 2, 3000 Leuven
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please register before Friday 16 January via the online registration form.     

Cristina Arhiliuc - Classification and characterization of research output from the social sciences and humanities based on textual metadata - 30/01/2026

On Friday 30 January 2026, Cristina Arhiliuc (ECOOM) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Classification and characterization of research output from the social sciences and humanities based on textual metadata

The classification of scientific research plays an important role in structuring the research landscape and in supporting the monitoring and evaluation of science. By assigning publications, journals, and organizations to disciplines, classification systems help make sense of an increasingly complex body of scholarly output. However, widely used international citation databases, such as Web of Science, are known to insufficiently cover the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). To address these limitations, national bibliographic databases have been developed, including the Flemish Academic Bibliographic Database for the Social Sciences and Humanities (VABB-SHW). While these databases provide broader SSH coverage, they also face challenges related to limited citation metadata, multilingual publications, diverse output types, and incomplete textual information. These characteristics make traditional ways of positioning publications into disciplines impractical. Against this background, this dissertation explores whether recent developments in Natural Language Processing (NLP) can be used to support text-based, publication-level classification of SSH research. The research combines conceptual reflection on academic disciplines and classification with empirical studies of text-based approaches. These studies show that the performance of text-based classification methods depends on disciplinary characteristics, publication types, and the availability of training data. In its application to VABB-SHW, the dissertation examines how disciplines are defined and operationalized in the database and what the implications and limitations of these definitions are. It further explores the possibilities opened by publication-level classification for extending insights derived from the database and for complementing existing classification practices. Although a large part of the research focuses on this Flemish SSH database, many of the questions addressed and insights developed are relevant beyond this specific case, both for the study of text-based classification of science and for the development of other local and national SSH databases.

Practical information
  • Promovenda: Cristina Arhiliuc
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Tim Engels & dr. Raf Guns
  • Date: Friday 30 January 2026, 10 AM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Promotiezaal Klooster van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by January 20 by mailing cristina.arhiliuc@uantwerpen.be

Parbati Phuyal - Ecological and Social Determinants of Dengue and Chikungunya along an Altitudinal Gradient in Central Nepal - 9/2/2026

On Monday 9 February 2026, Parbati Phuyal (Institute of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Ecological and Social Determinants of Dengue and Chikungunya along an Altitudinal Gradient in Central Nepal. 

Climate change is increasingly influencing the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, with significant implications for public health. This PhD research examines the ecological and social determinants of dengue and chikungunya along an altitudinal gradient in Central Nepal, addressing critical evidence gaps related to climate change, disease distribution, and community responses across different elevations.

A concurrent cross-sectional mixed-methods approach was conducted between September and October 2018, integrating quantitative household surveys (n = 660) and qualitative data from 27 in-depth interviews and 12 focus group discussions. The study was guided by four research objectives: (RO1) assessment of climate trends and community perceptions, (RO2) spatiotemporal distribution of dengue and chikungunya, (RO3) community knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to dengue, and (RO4) challenges in vector control implementation.

Results show a strong agreement between perceived and observed climate trends, particularly increasing summer temperatures (p < 0.001), while perceptions of rainfall variability differed significantly by altitude (p < 0.001). Communities across all elevation zones reported increasing climate-related extreme events, including floods, droughts, and landslides, with perceived impacts on agriculture, water resources, biodiversity, and human health. The systematic review of 66 studies revealed substantial geographic expansion of dengue and chikungunya across the HKH region, with Nepal accounting for the highest proportion of reported dengue cases (56.83%), peaking during the post-monsoon (September-November). Household survey findings indicate low dengue awareness and limited preventive practices, despite generally positive attitudes. Education and income were positively associated with knowledge (p < 0.01). Qualitative findings highlighted growing concern among stakeholders regarding future dengue risk due to climate change and human mobility. Vector control efforts were found largely reactive, outbreak-oriented, and constrained by limited resources, weak coordination, and insufficient community engagement. 

This thesis demonstrates that climate change is reshaping dengue risks along Nepal’s altitudinal gradient, while highlighting that chikungunya is an emerging regional threat in the HKH. The findings underscores the necessity for climate-informed, region-specific public health policies, strengthened surveillance, and targeted awareness programs to improve preparedness for climate-sensitive health threats in Nepal and the HKH region.

Practical information
  • Promovenda: Parbati Phuyal
  • Promotor: Prof. dr. Edwin Wouters, prof. dr. Ruth Müller and prof. dr. Meghnath Dhimal
  • Date: Monday 9 February 2026, 5 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Klooster van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by February  1 by e-mail Parbati.Phuyal@student.uantwerpen.be.   

Anna Willems - Ondersteboven: veranderende zorgperspectieven rond ouder wordende ouders - 10/02/2026

Op dinsdag 10 februari 2026 nodigt Anna Willems (Departement Sociologie) je van harte uit op de openbare verdediging van haar doctoraal proefschrift 

Ondersteboven: veranderende zorgperspectieven rond ouder wordende ouders

Hoe verdelen we zorg en financiële steun in vergrijzende families? Wanneer ervaren volwassen kinderen, ouders en instellingen die steun als eerlijk, redelijk en wenselijk? Dit proefschrift onderzoekt hoe verwachtingen, motivaties en verantwoordelijkheden voor intergenerationele solidariteit worden gevormd. Daarnaast brengen we in kaart welke omstandigheden volwassen kinderen, ouder wordende ouders en institutionele actoren steun en financiële solidariteit als rechtvaardig en wenselijk beschouwen.

Dit onderzoek verfijnt de theorievorming over intergenerationele solidariteit door ouder-kindrelaties te benaderen vanuit een multi-actor – en levensloopperspectief. Hierbij hebben we oog voor de variëteit aan steunrelaties en - vormen binnen diverse gezinsdynamieken, deze ingebed in bredere netwerken en normatieve kaders. Daarbij gingen we verder dan het klassieke conflict-consensus denken: ambivalente gevoelens tonen niet een gebrek aan solidariteit, maar de complexiteit van steunrelaties en de nood om verschillende perspectieven samen te brengen.

Onze bevindingen tonen dat steunverwachtingen en motivaties verschillend zijn naargelang de levensfase, uitgesproken zorgnoden (in dit proefschrift hanteren we immers een brede definitie van oudere volwassen, inclusief zij met mogelijke toekomstige zorgnoden), familiegeschiedenis, emotionele nabijheid, genderpatronen en bredere netwerken zoals familie, buurt, lokale overheid en publieke of private diensten. Een van de groepen met een specifieke ondersteuningsnood zijn kwetsbare ouderen waar lokale OCMW ‘s financiële steun aan verlenen om woonzorgfacturen te betalen. Dit onderzoek toont hier de cruciale rol van maatschappelijke werkers in het navigeren en balanceren tussen wetgeving, lokale beleidsdiscours en de geleefde realiteit van de families.

Concluderend stellen we dat deze vele facetten van intergenerationele solidariteit bij ouder wordende families impliceren dat de ervaren verdeling van verantwoordelijkheden tussen families, professionals en de welvaarsstaat dynamisch en contextafhankelijk is.

Praktische informatie
  • Promovenda: Anna Willems
  • Promotoren: Prof. dr. Dimitri Mortelmans & dr. Anina Vercruyssen
  • Datum: dinsdag 10 februari 2026, 14u
  • Plaats: Stadscampus UAntwerpen, Promotiezaal van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen)
  • Taal: Nederlands

Na de verdediging volgt een receptie; graag je aanwezigheid bevestigen voor 30 januari 2026 per mail aan anna.willems@uantwerpen.be.   

Lukas Leitner - Eliciting Preferences for Well-Being Measurement: Methodologigical and Behavioural Challenges - 12/02/2026

On Thursday 12 February 2026, Lukas Leitner (Department of Sociology) cordially invites you to the public defence of his doctoral thesis 

Eliciting Preferences for Well-Being Measurement:  Methodologigical and Behavioural Challenges.        

Since the Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Report from 2009, interest in multidimensional and preference-based well-being measures has grown. Although the equivalence approach has strong normative appeal, putting it into practice is difficult because people’s preferences are hard to measure reliably. This dissertation examines these challenges and evaluates whether the approach offers practical advantages over simpler well-being indicators. Experiments using contingent valuation show that people’s stated willingness to pay is heavily influenced by the first value they see, raising concerns about bias. Evidence from Belgian data suggests that equivalent incomes derived this way do not capture well-being better than actual incomes. The subjective well-being method is easier for respondents but introduces statistical complications. Common techniques for estimating uncertainty can be inaccurate, and variation in preferences makes interpersonal comparisons less reliable. The method also appears to underestimate the role of income, which affects the resulting well-being measure. To address these issues, the dissertation proposes the equivalent quantile measure, which evaluates well being along a social “ladder” of outcomes. Applied to real data, it performs better at reflecting multidimensional well-being and identifying deprivation.

Overall, the findings show that preference-based measures have conceptual strengths but require very precise and unbiased preferences. Careful survey design and larger samples are essential for their effective use.

Practical information
  • Promovendus: Lukas Leitner
  • Promotor: Prof. dr. Koen Decanq
  • Date: Thursday 12 February 2026, 4 PM - 6 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, aula S.B.003 (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by February 6 by e-mail lukas.leitner@uantwerpen.be.   

PhD defence Simona Kruisinga Bucsea - From Competency Models to Commercial Results. A Mixed-Methods Study of How Sales Managers Align Customer Mind-Set, Competencies, and Relationship to Drive Performance - 23/02/2026

 

On Monday 23 February 2026, Simona Kruisinga Bucsea (Department of Sociology) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

From Competency Models to Commercial Results. A Mixed-Methods Study of How Sales Managers Align Customer Mind-Set, Competencies, and Relationship to Drive Performance

Sales organizations invest heavily in leadership development and “customer centricity,” yet results often vary dramatically across sales teams, even when they use the same tools, incentives, and commercial processes. In From Competency Models to Commercial Results: A Mixed-Methods Study of How Sales Managers Align Customer Mind-Set, Competencies, and Relationship to Drive Performance, I examine why these differences persist and what frontline sales managers actually do that shapes customer-focused thinking and measurable commercial outcomes. The dissertation integrates three leadership “pathways” that firms routinely try to develop: what managers do (sales management competencies), how they connect (leader-member exchange/relationship quality), and what managers and salespeople believe (customer mind-set). It combines multilevel survey evidence from Latin American B2B agribusiness sales teams (214 salespeople nested in 38 managers) with firm-recorded performance outcomes (revenue, volume, profit margin; 144 salespeople nested in 35 managers) and in-depth interviews with 22 frontline sales managers across 18 countries to capture lived leadership practice.

Across studies, a consistent message emerges: customer-centric strategy is realized (or lost) in everyday manager-salesperson interactions. Salespeople develop a stronger customer mind-set when they perceive their manager as broadly competent and when their dyadic relationship quality (LMX) is high; however, the manager’s own customer mind-set does not automatically “translate” into the team's customer mind-set. When linked to objective outcomes, results are outcome-specific rather than uniform: manager customer mind-set shows positive associations with growth outcomes (revenue and volume) and marginally positive association with profit margin. Sales management competencies do not show strong direct effects on growth, but their association with outcomes becomes more positive when relationship quality (LMX) is high. Notably, LMX is not simply “more is better”: it shows negative direct associations in some models, yet it acts as a boundary condition, amplifying the impact of managerial competencies on performance while creating a compensatory pattern in which the association between salesperson customer mind-set and performance is strongest when LMX is lower. Finally, interviews explain why competency “clusters” often blur statistically: managers describe leadership as integrated, episode-level practice (coaching and performance management happening in the same conversation), structured by cadence and digital tools but driven by human sensemaking, and dominated by boundary work across customers, headquarters, and cross-functional partners, under a dual mandate of delivering numbers through people.

Practical takeaway: leadership development works best when it moves beyond siloed competency checklists toward (1) integrated development of core managerial behaviors, (2) deliberate investment in high-quality manager-salesperson relationships, and (3) organizational systems that support boundary work, resilience, and disciplined cadence, because that is where customer-centric intent becomes commercial results.

​Practical information​
  • Promovenda: Simona Kruisinga Bucsea
  • Promotor: Prof. dr. Dimitri Mortelmans
  • Date: Monday 23 February 2026, 3 PM
  • Location: Antwerp Management School (Boogkeers 5, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by February 13th using the online registration form.  

Floor Doppen - Balancing Security and Economics. The Political Economy of Investment Screening in the EU - 27/02/2026

On Friday 27 February 2026, Floor Doppen (Department of Political Science) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Balancing Security and Economics. The Political Economy of Investment Screening in the EU. 

Foreign investment screening concerns the practice of governments, through law and regulation, to exert control over the entry and establishment of foreign firms in strategic industries and sectors. The growing emphasis and attention to the investment screening mechanisms in politics, academia and the press, reflects the evolving contentious global geopolitical landscape and is exemplary of the shift in perception of governments towards foreign investment specifically and trade and investment more broadly.

In the EU, investment screening became an important pillar of the Commission’s strategic autonomy and later economic security agenda, and from 2019 onwards, all EU member states adopted and adapted their own rules on the control of foreign investments. Yet, In the adoption of investment screening legislation, member states are forced to find a new balance between openness to foreign investment and security related objectives.

This PhD delves into the dynamics that underpin this balancing act by focussing systematically on the interplay between the desire of states to retain a competitive and attractive investment environment while simultaneously seeking to safeguard and pursue security objectives. Specifically, in this dissertation I (1) advance a typology that categorizes and distinguishes between geoeconomic policies and geopoliticised economic policies, setting the stage for the subsequent analyses, (2) provide an explanation for how strategic dynamics of competition for FDI on the one hand and the need to cooperate on FDI screening on the other hand shaped the negotiations of the regulation of FDI screening at the EU level, (3) show how states individually find their own balance between security and economics which can account for variation in investment screening mechanisms at the domestic member state level, and lastly (4) trace how the structure of state-industry governance shapes sector-level responses.

Practical information
  • Promovenda: Floor Doppen
  • Promotor: Prof. dr. Dirk De Bièvre
  • Date: Friday 27 February 2026, 3 PM - 5 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Klooster van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by February 20 by e-mailing floor.doppen@uantwerpen.be.   

PhD defence Jan Depauw - It Takes a Village to Map Social Work's Impact. Redefining Impact Evaluation: From Attribution to Contribution — Integrating Context, Mechanisms, and Programme Theory through Co-productive and Reflexive Practice that Interweaves Scientific, Professional, and Experiential Knowledge - 5/3/2026

On Thursday 5 March 2026, Jan Depauw (Department of Sociology) cordially invites you to the public defence of his doctoral thesis 

It Takes a Village to Map Social Work's Impact. Redefining Impact Evaluation: From Attribution to Contribution — Integrating Context, Mechanisms, and Programme Theory through Co-productive and Reflexive Practice that Interweaves Scientific, Professional, and Experiential Knowledge

This doctoral thesis responds to the growing demand for impact evaluation in social work, a profession increasingly pressured to demonstrate effectiveness through measurable outcomes. Dominant frameworks, rooted in managerial logics, rely on linear models and standardised indicators. While such models enhance transparency and comparability, they fall short in capturing the complexity, relational dynamics, and contextual embeddedness of social work. This thesis, therefore, advances an evidence-informed, participatory, and reflexive approach that integrates scientific, professional, and experiential knowledge. The thesis makes contributions at three levels. Theoretically, it redefines impact as the social changes—intended and unintended, positive and negative—that emerge in and through social work practices, shaped by context, mechanisms, and relationships. This reconceptualisation shifts the focus from attribution to contribution, from narrow outcome measurement to multidimensional change, and explicitly links evaluation to the core values of social work, including human dignity, social justice, and empowerment. Methodologically, this vision is translated into concrete tools and approaches. The thesis develops and validates three psychometric instruments that render often invisible aspects visible: the Service User Psychological Empowerment Scale (SUPES), co-constructed with social workers and service users, and validated in Belgian Public Centres for Social Welfare; the Buddy Empowerment Scale (BEmS), a multidimensional and participatorily designed tool to assess empowerment in buddy-based social work; the Working Alliance in Mandated Child and Family Interventions Scale (WAMC-I), capturing the quality of professional-client relationships under judicial mandate. Together, these instruments show that empowerment and relational constructs can be measured with psychometric rigour when developed through participatory design. In addition, the study "Not Just Voice" demonstrates how participatory group methods, such as the Méthode d’Analyse en Groupe (MAG), not only reveal mechanisms of change but also strengthen stakeholders during the evaluation process. Epistemologically, the thesis positions social work as a knowledge-producing profession in its own right. By inductively distilling theory from practice and integrating multiple forms of knowledge (scientific, professional, and experiential), it transcends the view of social work as a merely applied field. This orientation culminates in the ACCUMI approach, which articulates six guiding principles for reflexive and participatory impact evaluation. Taken together, the studies demonstrate that impact evaluation in social work cannot be reduced to measuring predefined outcomes. Instead, it is a process of collective knowledge production that supports accountability, fosters organisational learning, and stimulates impact-oriented action. This collective ethos also explains the thesis’s title—It Takes a Village to Map Social Work’s Impact—which highlights that robust, meaningful evaluation depends on the combined contributions of academics, practitioners, and service users alike. By combining psychometric rigour, participatory methodology, and theory-building from practice, this thesis advances an approach to impact evaluation that is scientifically robust, practice-relevant, and empowering.

Practical information

  • Promovendus: Jan Depauw
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Peter Raeymaeckers & prof. dr. Kristel Driessens
  • Date: Thursday 5 March 2026, 4:00 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Promotiezaal van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerp) 
  • Language: Dutch

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by February 26 by mailing Jan.Depauw@uantwerpen.be.  

PhD defence Thalia Van Wichelen - Beyond Rainbow Broadcasting: representation, production and reception of sexual and gender diversity in Flemish children’s media. - 13/05/2026

  • Naam: Thalia Van Wichelen
  • Promotors: prof. dr. Alexander Dhoest (UAntwerpen) en prof. dr. Sander De Ridder (UAntwerpen)
  • Titel van thesis: Beyond Rainbow Broadcasting: representation, production and reception of sexual and gender diversity in Flemish children’s media. 
  • Datum: Woensdag 13 mei, 17u
  • Locatie: Promotiezaal (Klooster van de Grauwzusters), Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Taal: Nederlands

Abstract:

Contemporary children’s television has become increasingly diverse, with growing attention to sexual and gender diversity on screen. While the inclusion of LGBTQ characters reflects a broader commitment to diversity in media for young audiences, it unfolds within a landscape marked by ongoing societal debates about what children should know, see, and understand. Recent legislative actions, such as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in the United States or restrictions on so-called ‘gay propaganda’ in parts of Europe, illustrate how expanding representation coexists with intensified contestation around childhood, media, and sexuality. This doctoral dissertation examines how sexual and gender diversity is represented, produced, and received within Flemish children’s fiction through six empirical studies. It combines both qualitative and quantitative methods to capture how different demographic groups (producers, parents, teachers, and children themselves) make sense of these storylines. Focusing on normative ideas about what is considered “appropriate” or “normal” for children, the dissertation shows how LGBTQ characters are often presented in ways that stay close to familiar norms, and how adults draw boundaries around what they consider suitable for young audiences. By bringing these perspectives together, it shows how ideas about childhood and sexuality shape, but also limit, what children are allowed to see. 

Fatma Orhan Tahrali - Media Reception and Identity Construction of Turkish Young People in Urban, Rural and Diasporic Contexts (İstanbul, Emirdağ and Brussels) - 18/05/2026

PhD defence Fatma Orhan Tahrali 18/05/2026

On Monday 18 May 2026, Fatma Orhan Tahrali (Department of Communication Studies) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Media Reception and Identity Construction of Turkish Young People in Urban, Rural and Diasporic Contexts (İstanbul, Emirdağ and Brussels)

This dissertation explores the identity construction and media reception of young audiences at the nexus of media and urban, rural, and diasporic spaces. My aim is to examine how media are embedded in the daily lives of young audiences across various socio-cultural and geographical contexts. The spaces of Istanbul, Emirdağ, and Brussels were specifically chosen as case studies due to their distinctive socio-cultural environments, dynamics, and rhythms of everyday life. They possess distinct television and film cultures while also being interconnected with Turkish film and TV culture at local, national, transnational, and trans-local levels. The multi-sited nature of this research enables comparisons across different regions, allowing for the examination of how audiences engage with and interpret media texts in the digital age. Specifically, this approach enables an understanding of how audiences converge around film and television, while also highlighting emerging trends across various areas. The first and second parts focus on the theoretical and methodological background of the dissertation, while the third part presents empirical case studies that explore various aspects of audiences, television, cinema culture, and reception in urban, rural, and diasporic contexts. The urbanity, rurality, diaspora, and media (television and cinema) relations are explored. The empirical part, consisting of three chapters, explores different aspects of audiences, spaces, and identity issues in everyday life. These three chapters rely on qualitative audience research based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 79 respondents, spread over the three research sites. This research shed light on contemporary television and cinema culture in a multi-sited context. The first empirical chapter examines the reception of popular Turkish series in urban, rural, and diasporic contexts. The second empirical chapter explores the gendered television culture among Turkish youth. The third empirical chapter discusses the meaning of cinema-going practices among emerging adults. Finally, the concluding section summarizes the dissertation's major findings and indicates the significance of this study.

 

 

Practical information
  • Promovenda: Fatma Orhan Tahrali
  • Promotor: Prof. dr. Philippe Meers
  • Date: Monday 18 May 2026, 5 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Hof van Liere, F. de Tassiszaal (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by May 10 by e-mail (fatma.orhantahrali@uantwerpen.be).   

Anna Diedkova – Multiple faces of political leaders: ideal president's personality in Russian politics - 20/04/2026

PhD defence Anna Diedkova 20/04/2026

On Monday 20 April 2026, Anna Diedkova (Department of Communication Studies) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Multiple faces of political leaders: ideal president's personality in Russian politics

This project investigates personality qualities ascribed to the concept of an ideal political leader in Russia. We examine how politicians communicate about their personality and how citizens view the ideal president’s personality. This dissertation in the interdisciplinary field of political psychology addresses the gap between personality psychology and political communication by applying clinical theories to the study of impression management and voters' expectations. In addition, our emphasis lies on the investigation of a prototypical president in a unique environment, namely the authoritarian regime in the Russian Federation.

Firstly, we explore personality as instrumental for political success in Russia. We address this through a personality profiling study of the long-term incumbent Vladimir Putin compared with the opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The findings show that both politicians share a set of characteristics linked to political success. Yet, Navalny’s non-conforming profile becomes a liability under authoritarian repression, while Putin’s personality aligns with a system focused on control and stability.

Next, we examine how politicians communicate about their personality. We study which personality attributes presidential candidates highlight in their campaign messages. For this, we analyze media messages during presidential election campaigns in Russia (qualitative analysis) and in the U.S. (mixed methods). Analysis of Russian campaign communication reveals that candidates construct their personality by emphasizing strength, ambition, expertise, integrity, empathy, and loyalty. In U.S. campaigns, competence is universally prioritized, while emphasis on other traits varies across ideology, gender, and media format. Finally, we take the perspective of the public and investigate which personality qualities Russians consider relevant for holding presidential office. To address this objective, we combine qualitative and quantitative approaches through a series of in-depth (20) and structured (450) interviews. As a result, we not only catalogue the attributes voters find important but also map how they reason to arrive at their vision of an ideal political leader.

This dissertation demonstrates the utility of formal clinical and trait-based approaches for studying personality and self-presentation in politics. The research provides insight into the reasoning behind voter expectations. Finally, it further extends leadership research into non-democratic settings, examining how an authoritarian regime can utilize personality attributes to convey legitimacy and maintain stability.

Practical information

  • Promovenda: Anna Diedkova
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Christ'l De Landtsheer & prof. dr. Philippe De Vries
  • Date: Monday 20 April 2026, 4:30 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Promotiezaal Klooster van de Grauwzusters, Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by April 12 by e-mail (anna.diedkova@uantwerpen.be).  

Oriel Marshall - Translating Contemporary Astronomy Research into Educational Materials - 12/06/2026

On Friday 12 June 2026, Oriel Marshall (Department of Training and Educational Sciences) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Translating Contemporary Astronomy Research into Educational Materials

Exoplanet science (the study of planets outside of our solar system) is a growing field of astronomical research with a considerable impact on our understanding of the universe and our own world. The atmospheres of many of these planets are covered by clouds, and lightning is predicted on some. These two phenomena are at the cutting edge of exoplanet science, and this PhD brings them into the classroom through hands-on experiments and inquiry-based science education lessons. This thesis describes how this didactic transposition from research knowledge to taught (and subsequently, learnt) knowledge can occur, and how the resultant lessons from this development were received and understood by students.

The development of the lessons in this project is carried out in collaboration with scientists and teachers and is structured by the model of educational reconstruction—a model that describes how subject-matter knowledge can be analysed, transformed, and adapted to become meaningful and learnable in teaching and learning contexts. The lesson plans are designed using the 5E+F model of inquiry-based science education and are centred on hands-on experiments that serve as physical analogies of the weather phenomena in question. The trials of these lessons showed that students had positive reactions to inquiry learning when the content was new to them and could map variables between the experiments and exoplanet phenomena, although they sometimes found it confusing. Their use of the experiments and physical analogies in post-lesson discussions showed that students used the recalled shared experiment to create conceptual blends that aided peer discussion and enabled them to apply their learning to a new context. Network analysis of textual responses and verbal discussions is used throughout this thesis to reveal patterns in the relational data, and contributes to the field methodologically.

Practical information
  • Promovenda: Oriel Marshall 
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Peter Van Petegem, Prof. dr. Katrien Kolenberg, Associate prof. dr. Jesper Bruun & Prof. dr. Anja C. Anderson 
  • Date: Friday 12 June 2026, 2 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Aula S.C.002 (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp) and/or online for those unable to attend in person
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance (physical or online) by June 6 by e-mail (oriel.marshall@uantwerpen.be). 

Charlotte Lybaert - De Veranderende Rol van Landbouwadviseurs: Impact op Competenties en Praktijken - 18/06/2026

Op donderdag 18 juni 2026 nodigt Charlotte Lybaert (IMDO) je van harte uit voor de openbare verdediging van haar doctoraal proefschrift 

De Veranderende Rol van Landbouwadviseurs: Impact op Competenties en Praktijken

Dit doctoraat onderzoekt hoe de rol van landbouwadviseurs evolueert in het licht van de transitie naar duurzamere landbouwsystemen en veranderende beleidsverwachtingen binnen Europa. Centraal staat de vraag hoe adviseurs landbouwers kunnen ondersteunen in complexe innovatie- en veranderingsprocessen, waarbij samenwerking tussen diverse actoren steeds belangrijker wordt.

Op basis van een mixed-methods onderzoek, waaronder Europese enquêtes, interviews en focusgroepen, ontwikkelt het doctoraat een uitgebreid competentieprofiel voor landbouwadviseurs als innovatie-intermediairs. Dit profiel omvat niet alleen technische kennis, maar ook vaardigheden rond samenwerking, procesbegeleiding, organisatie en reflectie. De resultaten tonen aan dat de brede waaier aan vereiste competenties moeilijk door één individuele adviseur kan worden ingevuld, wat het belang van complementaire teams en diverse adviesdiensten benadrukt.

Daarnaast ontwikkelt het onderzoek een nieuw instrument om de visie van Europese adviseurs op innovatie in kaart te brengen. Hieruit blijkt dat adviseurs openstaan voor meer systeemgerichte benaderingen van innovatie, maar dat hun dagelijkse praktijk nog sterk gekenmerkt wordt door individuele begeleiding van landbouwers, administratieve ondersteuning en het vertalen van complexe regelgeving.

Het doctoraat wijst op een belangrijke spanning tussen de ambitieuze verwachtingen vanuit beleid — waarbij adviseurs een sleutelrol krijgen in duurzame transities — en de realiteit van de adviespraktijk, die wordt beïnvloed door historische rollen, organisatorische structuren en beperkte middelen. De bevindingen pleiten voor een sterkere erkenning van diversiteit en complementariteit binnen het advieslandschap, zodat landbouwadviseurs beter ondersteund worden in hun bijdrage aan duurzame landbouwinnovatie en transitieprocessen.

​Praktische informatie

​Promovenda: Charlotte Lybaert
  • Promotoren: Prof. Dr. Ir. Fleur Marchand, Prof. Dr. Eva Kyndt, Dr. Ir. Lies Debruyne
  • Datum: Donderdag 18 juni 2026, 14u30
  • Locatie: Stadscampus, Gebouw R, aula S.R.012 (Rodestraat 14, 2000 Antwerpen)
  • Taal van de verdediging: Nederlands

Na de verdediging volgt er een receptie; graag je aanwezigheid voor 8 juni 2026 bevestigen via het online inschrijvingsformulier of per mail aan charlotte.lybaert@ilvo.vlaanderen.be

Ona Schyvens - Small towns, large conflicts: Everyday meaning-making, racialization and demographic threat narratives in non-metropolitan towns. 17/06/2026

On Wednesday 17 June 2026, Ona Schyvens (Department of Sociology) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Small towns, large conflicts: Everyday meaning-making, racialization and demographic threat narratives in non-metropolitan towns. 

The starting point of this dissertation is that processes of ethno-racial diversification are no longer limited to large cities, but have extended to non-metropolitan towns in the last two decades. In Flanders - the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium - this is particularly the case for non-metropolitan towns in the Dender region, located in the wider periphery of the Brussels Capital region. At the same time, the Dender region has witnessed the rising electoral success of local radical-right parties. These parties portray Brussels as an ‘urban’ and ‘demographic’ threat to the supposedly ‘rural’ and ‘White’ character of the region. This situation raises an important question: ‘How do residents of non-metropolitan towns give meaning to ethno-racial diversification in a highly politicized environment?’ To answer this question, this dissertation draws on the conceptual framework of cultural sociology, particularly that of symbolic boundary work and cultural repertoires, as well as on the insights from the field of ethnic and racial studies.

The results reveal that residents of non-metropolitan towns long for an idealized rural past and feel increasingly uncertain about the rapidly changing demographic composition of the towns. This study shows that these nostalgic sentiments and status insecurities are not ‘natural outcomes’ or driven by ‘objective numbers’ of ethno-racial diversification, but rather by how these changes are politicized, amplified, and racialized in the local political arena. In doing so, this dissertation adds to the growing body of literature that shows how public understandings of ethno-racial diversification can be manipulated by political discourse and used as tools to shape ordinary narratives, instill fears, and generate votes.

Practical information
  • Promovenda: Ona Schyvens
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Gert Verschraegen & prof. dr. Stijn Oosterlynck
  • Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026, 4 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Promotiezaal Klooster van de Grauwzusters, Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by June 1 by e-mail (ona.schyvens@uantwerpen.be).  

Santiago Burone - Multidimensional Well-being Measurement Beyond Standard Preference Assumptions - 26/06/2026

On Friday 26 June 2026,  Santiago Burone (Department of Sociology) cordially invites you to the public defence of his doctoral thesis 

Multidimensional Well-being Measurement Beyond Standard Preference Assumptions

Measuring well-being is central to allocating resources and evaluating policies effectively and efficiently. Equivalent income is a multidimensional well-being measure that respects individuals' preference heterogeneity, i.e., it is sensitive to differences in tastes, needs, and individuals' own views about what matters most to their well-being. Despite its normative appeal, implementing this measure requires recovering reliable information about preferences. Yet, how to implement equivalent incomes in practice when preferences do not satisfy standard assumptions---such as completeness and transitivity---remains largely understudied.

 

Through five essays, this thesis combines survey experiments with theoretical developments to address this gap. Crucially, the challenges associated have first-order consequences for preference-based well-being assessments, with important distributive implications for policy-relevant tasks such as constructing social orderings—essential for targeting and identifying the worst-off—and measuring multidimensional well-being inequality.

 

While this sensitivity contradicts the usual regularity conditions imposed on preferences, this work demonstrates that relaxing such assumptions is both empirically relevant and theoretically feasible. The empirical relevance arises from the practical implications for well-being measurement and interpersonal comparisons. The theoretical feasibility is established by showing that robust well-being assessments can still be made when standard assumptions about preferences do not hold.

 

 

Practical information
  • Promovendus: Santiago Burone
  • Promotor: Prof. dr. Koen Decancq
  • Date: Friday 26 June 2026, 1O AM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Aula S.R.218 (Rodestraat 14, 2000 Antwerp)
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by June 19 by e-mail (santiagogerman.buroneschaffner@uantwerpen.be). 

Christa Van Oostende - Adult Learning and Education Participation in Belgium: Trade Unions' Actorship reviewed against the EU's Skills Agenda and its Domestic Implementation - 15/06/2026

On Monday 15 June 2026, Christa Van Oostende cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis.

Adult Learning and Education Participation in Belgium: Trade Unions' Actorship reviewed against the EU's Skills Agenda and its Domestic Implementation

In a world of rapid technological change, automation, and the shift towards greener industries, ensuring that workers can reskill and continuously update their skills has become a pressing policy concern. The European Union has responded with ambitious agendas promoting lifelong learning, especially for those people most at risk of being left behind, such as low-skilled workers or those in precarious employment. But how do these European ambitions translate into actual workplace practice? And who shapes that translation?

This dissertation focuses on trade unions as key actors in that process, examining how their actorship influences access to adult learning and education (ALE) in Belgium. Belgium is a particularly interesting case: its tradition of social dialogue gives trade unions a formal seat at the negotiating table, yet its complex federal structure and fragmented political landscape make coordinated learning policy a considerable challenge.

The central question is: how does trade union actorship affect encompassment of ALE-oriented collective bargaining? In other words, to what extent do trade unions help make lifelong learning more inclusive and broad-ranging through collective bargaining? Three sectors are examined (food manufacturing, construction, and transport and logistics), tracing how EU-level policy intentions filter down to sector and workplace agreements.

The research identifies five dimensions of trade union capability that together determine their effectiveness: whether they prioritise non-wage issues like learning; whether they advocate for workers beyond their core membership; how they are organised; what expertise they bring; and how embedded they are in governance structures.

The findings are sobering: whilst trade unions do keep adult learning on the agenda, their influence remains uneven and falls short of consistently delivering more inclusive or expansive learning opportunities. No single capability suffices: all five must work in concert to lead to encompassing ALE-oriented collective agreements.
The dissertation speaks to policymakers, trade union representatives, human resources professionals, and all those with a stake in promoting adults’ participation in lifelong learning and in safeguarding a skilled workforce in a rapidly changing labour market.

Practical information

  • Promovenda: Christa Van Oostende
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Peter Bursens & prof. dr. Marcella Milana
  • Date: Monday 15 June 2026, 10 AM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Hof van Liere, F. de Tassiszaal (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp) and/or online
  • Language: English

The defence is followed by a lunch; please confirm your attendance (physical/online) by June 8 by e-mail (christa.vanoostende2@student.uantwerpen.be).

Glen Molenberghs - Centrale toetsen doen werken. Gebruikersperspectieven op het aan de slag gaan met formele prestatiegegevens. - 24/06/2026

Op woensdag 24 juni 2026 nodigt Glen Molenberghs (Departement Opleidings- en Onderwijswetenschappen) je van harte uit op de openbare verdediging van zijn doctoraal proefschrift

Centrale toetsen doen werken. Gebruikersperspectieven op het aan de slag gaan met formele prestatiegegevens.

Prestatiegegevens uit centrale toetsen vormen een belangrijke bron voor geïnformeerde onderwijsverbetering. Zij stellen gebruikers in staat onderwijsprocessen en -uitkomsten, evenals leerprocessen en leerresultaten van leerlingen, systematisch te evalueren en te optimaliseren op basis van betrouwbare, valide en objectieve informatie. Met de invoering van de Vlaamse centrale toetsen beschikt ook het Vlaamse onderwijs over een systeem dat dergelijke gegevens genereert met het oog op de verbetering van (aspecten van) onderwijskwaliteit.

Het doen werken van een dergelijk systeem vereist echter de erkenning dat prestatiegegevens op zichzelf geen verbetering tot stand brengen. Zij verkrijgen pas ontwikkelingsgerichte waarde wanneer gebruikers deze gegevens interpreteren, bespreken en integreren in hun onderwijs- en leerprocessen. Vanuit dit uitgangspunt onderzoekt dit proefschrift voorwaarden, factoren en processen die cruciaal zijn voor het doen werken van ontwikkelingsgerichte systemen van centrale toetsen.

De verschillende studies tonen aan dat werken met centrale toetsen fundamenteel een sociaal en interpretatief proces is, waarin gegevens, gebruikers en context voortdurend op elkaar inwerken. De bevindingen onderstrepen het belang van de rapportering van prestatiegegevens via betekenisvolle en als valide ervaren normgerichte interpretatiekaders, de centrale rol van betekenisgevings- en attributieprocessen, de bereidheid van leraren en leerlingen om ermee aan de slag te gaan, evenals de invloed van contextuele en organisatorische voorwaarden die processen van informatiegebruik binnen scholen ondersteunen.

Implicaties voor beleid en praktijk maken duidelijk dat bijzondere aandacht dient uit te gaan naar de ontwikkeling van een schoolbeleid dat doelgericht informatiegebruik stimuleert, naar processen van collectieve betekenisgeving, en naar duidelijke professionele verwachtingen omtrent het gebruik van prestatiegegevens. Daarnaast is het essentieel dat feedbackrapporten voldoende interpretatieve aanknopingspunten bieden om gebruikers te ondersteunen bij het interpreteren en benutten van de gerapporteerde gegevens. Wanneer centrale toetsen zorgvuldig worden ontworpen en ingebed in ondersteunende professionele praktijken, kunnen zij reflectie, professionele dialoog en geïnformeerde besluitvorming bevorderen. Op die manier kunnen zij bijdragen aan onderwijsverbetering en aan het versterken van de leerprocessen en leerresultaten van alle leerlingen.

Praktische informatie

  •  Promovendus: Glen Molenberghs
  • Promotoren: Prof. dr. Jan Vanhoof & Prof. dr. Roos Van Gasse
  • Datum: woensdag 24 juni 2026, 16u
  • Plaats: Stadscampus UAntwerpen, Kapel van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen)
  • Taal: Nederlands

 Na de verdediging volgt een receptie; graag je aanwezigheid bevestigen voor 12 juni 2026 per mail aan glen.molenberghs@uantwerpen.be.

Danika Pieters - Turbulentie in de Publieke Sector: De Psychologische Impact van Intense Organisatieverandering op Medewerkers - 29/06/2026

Op maandag 29 juni 2026 nodigt Danika Pieters (Departement Politieke Wetenschappen) je van harte uit op de openbare verdediging van haar doctoraal proefschrift 

Turbulentie in de Publieke Sector:  De Psychologische Impact van Intense Organisatieverandering op Medewerkers

Publieke organisaties worden steeds vaker geconfronteerd met continue en overlappende verandertrajecten. Deze dissertatie onderzoekt hoe langdurige blootstelling aan dergelijke veranderomgevingen (change intensity) de ervaringen en reacties van ambtenaren beïnvloedt. Op basis van drie empirische studies, waarin survey- en focusgroepdata worden gecombineerd, wordt nagegaan hoe change intensity samenhangt met veranderappreciatie, psychological contract fulfillment en kwalitatieve jobonzekerheid.

De resultaten tonen aan dat langdurige blootstelling aan intense organisatieverandering gepaard gaat met minder gunstige psychosociale uitkomsten. Medewerkers beoordelen toekomstige veranderingen minder positief op persoonlijk vlak, ervaren een lagere vervulling van het psychologisch contract en rapporteren meer kwalitatieve jobonzekerheid. Tegelijk blijven zij mogelijke voordelen van verandering voor de organisatie erkennen. Hoewel change management positief bijdraagt aan de ervaringen van medewerkers, blijkt het de negatieve gevolgen van intense verandercontexten niet fundamenteel weg te nemen.

De bevindingen van deze dissertatie onderstrepen dat duurzame verandering niet alleen vraagt om effectief change management, maar ook om een doordachte afstemming van het tempo, de fasering en de overlap van verandertrajecten, én om voldoende verandercapaciteit bij zowel medewerkers als veranderbegeleiders.

Praktische informatie
  • Promovenda: Danika Pieters
  • Promotoren: Prof. dr. Koen Verhoest, Prof. dr. Jan Wynen & Prof. dr. Bjorn Kleizen
  • Datum: maandag 29 juni 2026, 10u
  • Plaats: Stadscampus UAntwerpen, Klooster van de Grauwzusters (Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen)
  • Taal: Nederlands

Na de verdediging volgt een receptie; graag je aanwezigheid bevestigen voor 22 juni 2026 per mail aan danika.pieters@uantwerpen.be

Antje Kenis - Reaching All, Teaching Differently:Exploring Teachers' Approaches to Differentiated Instruction in Primary Education - 7/7/2026

On Tuesday 7 July 2026, Antje Kenis (Department of Training and Educational Sciences) cordially invites you to the public defence of her doctoral thesis 

Reaching All, Teaching Differently:Exploring Teachers' Approaches to Differentiated Instruction in Primary Education

In increasingly diverse educational settings, the call for teachers to provide instruction that responds to different learning needs has become more prominent than ever. Differentiated instruction (DI) has emerged as a key pedagogical approach for addressing this challenge. Building on a small but emerging body of person-oriented research that recognizes meaningful variation between teachers, the overarching aim of this dissertation is threefold: (1) to provide a comprehensive conceptualization and measurement of DI based on existing validated instruments, (2) to disentangle teachers’ approaches to DI, and (3) to deepen understanding of the contextual embeddedness of these approaches. The dissertation comprises four interrelated studies.

Study 1 develops and validates the Comprehensive Differentiated Instruction Questionnaire (CDIQ), a multidimensional instrument that captures teachers’ conceptions and practices of DI alongside school-level organisational conditions that support its implementation.

Study 2 adopts a person-oriented perspective to identify distinct profiles of teachers’ conceptions and practices of DI in primary mathematics education. The findings reveal substantial heterogeneity among teachers, demonstrating that DI is enacted through different constellations of beliefs, perceived constraints, and instructional practices, resulting in five distinct conception profiles and five distinct practice profiles. The findings further suggest that teachers’ conceptions are closely linked to how they enact DI in practice, while teacher characteristics, including teaching experience and gender, are also associated with profile membership.

Study 3 examines how variation in classroom composition relates to teachers’ practice profiles. The results indicate that greater linguistic diversity among students and larger class sizes are associated with a more constrained DI approach, characterized by a narrower range of practices and lower levels of engagement.

Study 4 investigates how school-level organisational conditions relate to teachers’ approaches to DI practices. The findings show that a shared school vision and strong school-internal cooperation for meeting students’ learning needs are associated with teacher profiles characterized by more extensive engagement in DI.

Together, these findings demonstrate that DI is best understood not as a single pedagogical approach, but as a phenomenon characterized by meaningful variation in both teachers’ conceptions and practices. Moreover, these conceptions and practices are neither solely the result of individual pedagogical choices nor purely context-driven. Rather, they emerge from the dynamic interplay between teacher-, classroom-, and school-level factors. By integrating measurement development, person-oriented research, and contextual analysis, this dissertation provides a comprehensive and context-sensitive understanding of DI and offers new directions for supporting its implementation in primary education.

Practical information

  • Promovenda: Antje Kenis
  • Promotors: Prof. dr. Peter Van Petegem & Prof. dr. Sven De Maeyer
  • Date: Tuesday 7 July 2026, 2 PM
  • Location: Stadscampus, Promotiezaal Klooster van de Grauwzusters, Lange St-Annastraat 7, 2000 Antwerpen
  • Language: Dutch

The defence is followed by a reception; please confirm your attendance by June 25 by e-mail (antje.kenis@uantwerpen.be).