Dr. Renske Hijbeek is an Associate Professor at the Plant Production Systems group of Wageningen University & Research. Her research focuses on nutrient management in arable farming systems, emphasizing soil fertility improvement through organic waste recycling, legume cultivation, and minimizing environmental impacts like greenhouse gas emissions. She teaches courses including 'The Carbon Dilemma - A Soil Perspective' and 'Analysing Sustainability of Farming Systems'. Key projects include the GRA Benchmarking Nutrient Circularity and EDF Soil Carbon Sequestration initiatives. Her work integrates agronomy with ecological principles to achieve sustainable agricultural practices globally. Research Contributions: Dr. Hijbeek's projects address nutrient circularity, soil carbon dynamics, and organic amendment efficiency across temperate and tropical regions. Recent work explores dietary impacts on nitrogen fertilizer dependency and systemic redesign of food production systems. Collaborations: Active in international collaborations like the Global Crop Nutrient Removal Database and the CATCH-C Legumes project in Tanzania. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges crop science, environmental management, and policy analysis.
Dr. Jennifer Koch is an Associate Professor at the Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing, part of Wageningen University & Research. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor and Associate Research Director at the University of Oklahoma's Data Institute for Societal Challenges. Her research integrates data-driven methods like simulation modeling to address socio-economic and climate change challenges, focusing on sustainable urbanization and environmental management. Education: She holds a Diplom (Univ.) in Geoecology from the University of Bayreuth and a Dr.-Ing. in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from the University of Kassel. She teaches courses on geo-information management and data analytics. Research emphasizes multi-scale modeling, stakeholder engagement, and participatory approaches to socio-ecological systems. Recent work explores urban growth in Africa, methane emission monitoring, and renewable energy siting. Articles highlight interdisciplinary methods in GIS, climate policy, and community geography. Professional service includes roles with iEMSs, IALE, and the AAG. No ancillary activities reported. Her work bridges technical geospatial tools with societal challenges, emphasizing practical policy applications.
Dr. Samuël Kruizinga , an Associate Professor of Contemporary and Military History at the University of Amsterdam , is a leading scholar on conflict, neutrality, and transnational warfare. His research spans World War I/II blockades, postcolonial conflicts (e.g., Indonesian Independence War), and the role of small states in international relations. He leads the €10.2 million BLOCKADE: The Hidden Weapon project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and NTNU, exploring blockades' impact on violence, humanitarianism, and global order. Education: Leiden University, Sorbonne (Paris), University of Oxford, Ph.D. from University of Amsterdam (2011) Research Themes: Conflict resolution, resilience in crises, foreign fighters (e.g., Ukraine, Spanish Civil War), grey zone warfare, occupation studies His work bridges disciplines like international history, econometrics, and war studies. Recent publications analyze blockades, intelligence failures, and the moral ambiguities of colonial military operations. Kruizinga also contributes to debates on neutrality, historical memory, and the transformation of warfare. Scientific Awards: ERC Synergy Grant (€2.3 million) for the BLOCKADE project (2024)
Prof. Jacco van Ossenbruggen is a Full Professor in Intelligent Information Systems at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), affiliated with the Network Institute. He serves on the Management Board of ODISSEI, a national research infrastructure for social sciences and economics. His academic background includes a PhD in Computer Science (2001) from VU’s Faculty of Science, focusing on hypermedia processing. Research Interests: His work centers on cultural AI, FAIR data principles, ontology engineering, and semantic web technologies. Key areas include inclusive cultural heritage metadata, bias mitigation in AI systems, and knowledge discovery via linked data. Recent projects involve leveraging large language models (LLMs) for metadata enrichment and ontology construction. Key Contributions: He leads initiatives like the Cultural AI Lab, exploring AI applications for cultural heritage. His research bridges technical innovations (e.g., semantic integration of restricted-access data) with societal impacts (e.g., ethical AI frameworks for public-sector applications). Developed frameworks for evaluating entity alignment in knowledge graphs Pioneered FAIR-aligned data management plans for scientific communities Designed tools like Alter Heritage for collaborative metadata curation Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator of the ODISSEI Portal project (2020–2024), advancing open data infrastructures. Active in funding initiatives promoting reproducible research and ethical data practices. Labs/Teams: Cultural AI Lab at VU, focusing on AI-driven solutions for cultural heritage preservation and accessibility.
Dr. Tanja Stratmann is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Utrecht University 's Department of Earth Sciences within the Faculty of Geosciences since July 2025, with prior affiliations at NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (2022-2025), Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (2019-2022), and Ghent University (2018-2019). PhD in Marine Sciences (2018) from NIOZ/Ghent University MSc in Statistical Data Analysis (2019) from Ghent University MSc in Biology (2014) from Aarhus University Her research focuses on extreme marine environments , particularly deep-sea ecosystems and polar regions . Key areas include: Environmental impacts of deep-sea mining Benthic food web dynamics using isotopic tracers Megafaunal roles in carbon/nitrogen cycling Dissolved organic matter cycling in Arctic systems Recent work analyzes 13C, 15N, 2H tracers in sponge feeding studies (2025) and Clarion-Clipperton zone food web integrity (2023). Her databases ( BenBioDen , ProkaBioDen ) support global marine research. Scientific Recognition: Veni Laureate (2022) Open Science XS Grant (2022) Rubicon Research Fellowship (2019-2022)
Sible Andringa is Professor of Second Language Pedagogy at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Humanities, officially inaugurated on June 16, 2023. Dr. Andringa serves as Academic Director of the Institute for Dutch Language Education (INTT), Coordinator of the Language Learning, Literacy and Multilingualism research group, and Coordinator of the Master's program in Dutch as a Second Language and Multilingualism. Dr. Andringa's research focuses on second language acquisition and bilingualism, specifically investigating the added value of explicit instruction, how input distribution affects language learning outcomes, and the role of awareness in language learning trajectories. Key ongoing projects include the Meta-LLL project examining how literacy shapes language learning, the SLA4All initiative for reproducing SLA research with non-academic samples, and the OASIS project creating accessible research summaries for practitioners. Previously, Dr. Andringa led Project MIND studying bilingual daycare effects and contributed to the Stilis project on listening proficiency. As General Editor of the Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics (DuJAL), Dr. Andringa promotes open science principles in language research. Recent publications demonstrate a focus on addressing sampling biases in SLA research, open access publishing ethics, and practical applications of language acquisition research for educational settings. Academic Director, Institute for Dutch Language Education (INTT) Coordinator, Language Learning, Literacy and Multilingualism research group Coordinator, Master's program Dutch as a Second Language and Multilingualism General Editor, Dutch Journal of Applied Linguistics (DuJAL) Member, Mastery Team for Modern Foreign Languages Member, OASIS project team Member, IRIS database advisory group Dr. Andringa supervises PhD candidates including Kyra Hanekamp and Darlene Keydeniers, particularly in research related to bilingual daycare environments and language development. The research program has received funding from the Dutch ministry of Social Affairs for Project MIND and continues to secure support for ongoing projects examining language learning mechanisms. Dr. Andringa leads the Language Learning, Literacy, and Multilingualism research group which investigates language and literacy acquisition across the lifespan, with emphasis on how language skills are learned, maintained, and used in educational contexts. The group meets weekly to discuss projects, plans, funding opportunities, and research topics while promoting collaboration, methodological innovation, and open science principles.
Valentijn M.T. de Jong is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, specializing in methodological advancements in biostatistics and epidemiology. His research focuses on causal inference, missing data analysis, and meta-analytical techniques in medical studies. Research Trends: Recent publications highlight his expertise in statistical methods for handling missing data (e.g., Heckman selection models), causal inference in individual-participant data meta-analyses, and enhancing prediction model discrimination in healthcare research. His work spans disciplines like epidemiology, biostatistics, and health data science.
Nina Schwarz is Assistant Professor of human-environment interactions in cities at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management, ITC—University of Twente. Holding a Diploma in Environmental Sciences (University of Lüneburg, 2003) and a PhD in Social and Economic Sciences (University of Kassel, 2007), she spent a decade as senior scientist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ before joining ITC. Her interdisciplinary research integrates urban land-use science, ecosystem-service evaluation and advanced modelling techniques—especially agent-based models—to explore sustainable urban development under global change. Research interests revolve around three interconnected themes: (i) urban land-use change —understanding how residential, commercial and green-space dynamics co-evolve; (ii) urban ecosystem services —quantifying both supply and demand of services such as local climate regulation, recreation and biodiversity; and (iii) behavioural modelling —formalising human decision-making to simulate policy scenarios ranging from slum-upgrading to vineyard management. She actively links these themes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a methodological breadth spanning citizen-science impact assessment in Suriname, cooling effects of urban water bodies in Chinese mega-cities, European wine-growers’ adaptive behaviour, and methodological advances in upscaling and validating agent-based land-use models. Across these studies, Schwarz consistently combines empirical field data, geospatial analytics and participatory approaches to produce policy-relevant insights for cities in both the Global North and South. She has (co-)authored >80 peer-reviewed works, accumulating c. 5 900 citations and an h-index of 28 (Scopus). While specific honours are not itemised in the supplied text, her sustained citation impact and invited contributions to major conferences (e.g., iEMSs 2020, IAHR 2025) underscore scientific recognition. Schwarz frequently engages with societal stakeholders: her projects have generated open datasets on urban green-space monitoring in Paramaribo, e-learning modules for Latin-American universities, and interactive dashboards for sustainable water management. Within ITC she contributes to capacity-building programmes for emerging economies, supervises graduate researchers and maintains active collaborations across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. No explicit lists of PhD students or personal grants are provided in the current corpus, but her leadership of externally funded projects (e.g., citizen-science evaluation, vineyard decision-making database) indicates ongoing acquisition of research funding.
Professor Jean-Francois Hennart holds the position of Professor of International Management at Tilburg University's TS Economics and Management school, specializing in the Strategy & Entrepreneurship department. His career spans over four decades, including roles at leading institutions like the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), and Copenhagen Business School. He has also held positions with the United Nations and Maryland’s Department of Economic and Community Development. His research focuses on applying transaction cost theory to multinational enterprises, particularly exploring foreign market entry strategies, equity joint ventures, and the governance of international business operations. Key areas of study include mergers and acquisitions, strategic management, and firm-specific advantages in global contexts. Notable contributions include over 126 research outputs, with recent works addressing born global enterprises, transaction cost theory applications, and data-driven challenges in international business research. He has secured seven research projects funded by various institutions. Academic recognition includes the Gold Medal for JIBS publications (2019), Booz&Co Eminent Scholar award (2014), and multiple best paper awards. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical implications for global corporate strategy.
Paul Moritz Wiegmann is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), where he is part of the ITEM group. He currently serves as President of the European Academy of Standardisation (EURAS). His academic career includes visiting research positions at TU Berlin (2014 & 2015), Yonsei University, Seoul (2018), and the University of California, Davis (2023). Paul holds a PhD from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, alongside additional degrees from Erasmus University and the University of Warwick. His educational background emphasizes interdisciplinary training, reflected in his research and teaching. His research focuses on the role of standardization in innovation ecosystems, particularly how explicit and implicit rules enable value creation and capture. He employs mixed-methods approaches, including case studies, grounded theory, choice experiments, and conjoint analysis. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, addressing societal challenges like sustainability and smart technologies through collaborative frameworks. Notable awards include the Industria Education Award 2022-2023 for Best Teacher Talent (2023) and the ISPIM Dissertation Award 2020 (2020). These recognize his contributions to both education and research in standardization and innovation. In advising and grants, Paul has supervised 30 works (names not listed) and leads the Measuring societal impact of standards project (2021–2022). He also coordinates the FIQCS: FIeldlab Quantum Cryptography Solutions for Safe Society initiative (2023–2028). His activities include organizing conferences like EU-SPRI 2025 and delivering invited talks on topics ranging from standardization governance to quantum technologies. Paul teaches courses such as Methodology for IE research and Patents design rights & standards exploration course , reflecting his expertise in standardization and research methods. He contributed to the Standardization literature database (2024), an interdisciplinary review, and engages in media discussions on topics like AI adoption in SMEs and quantum threat mitigation in public safety.
Dr. Saskia Peels-Matthey is a Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Arts, specializing in Ancient Greek religion, literature, and epigraphy. She holds MA degrees in English, Classics, and Linguistics from Leiden and Utrecht Universities, and a PhD in Classics from Utrecht University (2014). Her research integrates cognitive linguistics, digital humanities, and classical studies, notably through her NWO Veni project 'Polytheism as Language' exploring Greek divine semantics. She co-leads the open-access Collection of Greek Ritual Norms (CGRN) database and develops computational tools like AGILe lemmatizer. A board member of the Anchoring Innovation program, she also supervises interdisciplinary PhD projects blending classics with computational methods and climate communication. Her work spans semantic analysis of religious terms (e.g., hosios, hagnos), ritual innovations in inscriptions, and computational modeling of ancient Greek language evolution. Notable collaborations include organizing conferences on Artemis mythology and interdisciplinary workshops on ancient poetry's cognitive impact. She actively engages in public outreach through media appearances explaining classical studies' modern relevance.
Prof. Dr. J. Ellers is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam , and a member of the Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment . His research focuses on understanding how an individual’s phenotype is shaped by interactions between genes, genome, and environment , employing molecular, physiological, and experimental tools within an evolutionary framework. Ellers contributes to the Netherlands Society of Evolutionary Biology (NLSEB) as a co-founder and serves as Vice-Chair of the Dutch Biology Council , advocating for biology research and education in the Netherlands. Research Interests: Ellers explores the intersection of evolutionary biology, ecology, and environmental science , with key themes in phenotypic plasticity, urbanization effects on species, trait-based ecology, and adaptive signaling . His work spans soil fauna dynamics, invasive species impacts, and metabolic adaptations , emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to link mechanisms with ecological and evolutionary outcomes. Recent Publications highlight trends in urban ecology, climate change impacts, and trait evolution . Notable studies examine how noise and light pollution alter animal communication , high-sugar diets affect microbiomes , and robot morphologies reflect biological systems . His research also addresses data interoperability through initiatives like ShareTrait and global soil arthropod assessments . Scientific Contributions: Ellers advocates for open-access publishing and interdisciplinary climate change experiments. His leadership in the Dutch Biology Council and co-founding of NLSEB reflect sustained commitment to scientific policy and community engagement. Supervised 23 PhD theses and teaching courses like Ecosystem Services and Scientific Advocacy underscore his mentorship and educational impact.
Mark D. Smucker is a Professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at the University of Waterloo, cross-appointed with the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science (Faculty of Mathematics). His research focuses on interactive information retrieval systems, including search engines and recommendation systems, aiming to enhance evaluation methods for better prediction of human search performance. He co-organized the TREC Health Misinformation Track (2019–2022) and currently co-leads the TREC DRAGUN Track, addressing health misinformation and trustworthiness assessment in news. Education: PhD (Computer Science, UMass Amherst, 2008), MSc (Computer Science, UW-Madison, 1996), BSc (Physics & Computer Science, Iowa State, 1994). Research interests include design/analysis of interactive IR systems, evaluation frameworks, and human-computer interaction. He has been recognized with the ACM SIGIR 2012 Best Paper Award and teaching excellence awards from the University of Waterloo. Teaching includes courses like Search Engines (MSCI/MSE 541/720) and Databases/Software Design (MSCI 245). Active in organizing TREC tracks and publishing over 50 peer-reviewed articles.
Johannes Kruisselbrink is a Researcher at Biometris , a department within Wageningen University & Research , specializing in food safety and cumulative risk assessment. His work focuses on pesticide residues, dietary exposure, and computational modeling for regulatory compliance. Key Collaborations: European Food Safety Authority, EFSA Projects: Active in pesticide exposure analysis (2024-2028), cumulative risk assessment tools (2019-2023), and regulatory frameworks (2018-2019). His research integrates data modeling and statistical software to enhance risk assessment methodologies. Recent projects emphasize interoperability and accessibility of platforms like MCRA and PARC. Scientific Contributions: Developed AMIGA Power Analysis tool for equivalence testing Authored reports on pesticide risk surveillance in fruits and vegetables Advancing EFSA standards for acute reference dose calculations
Britta van Beers is a Full Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, holding positions in Legal Theory and Legal History within the Faculty of Law, as well as affiliations with the Kooijmans Institute, Law & Technology, and Boundaries of Law. Her research focuses on intersections between law, emerging technologies, bioethics, and human rights. She has authored over 70 publications since 2015, addressing topics like CRISPR governance, surrogacy regulation, and legal personhood in the age of biotechnology. Awarded multiple grants and prizes (specifics unspecified) Supervised 2 PhD theses Edited volumes on personalized medicine ethics and symbolic legislation Her work critically examines technological innovations' impact on legal frameworks, particularly in genetics, artificial intelligence, and reproductive technologies. Recent projects include analyzing human germline modification dialogues and ethical challenges in accessing biobanks for forensic purposes. Key contributions include redefining legal personhood in the context of posthuman technologies and advocating for explicit goals in public dialogues about gene editing. She frequently engages with policymakers, as seen in her contributions to Dutch parliamentary discussions on embryo law reforms.
