Projects

This project focuses on the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on European parliamentary diplomacy towards the Western Balkan countries. Since 24 February 2022, the so-called ‘geostrategic awakening’ of the European Union (EU) has triggered, among other things, a new focus on the enlargement with the countries of the Western Balkans, particularly visible in the recent decision to grant EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...

This project seeks to find out how foreign assistance in the fields of culture, religious revival and education change regions ravaged by inter-ethnic violence and state breakdown, and how such foreign assistance is perceived locally. My case study is the assistance provided from the Turkish Republic to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and local responses to it. The empirical research will focus on Turkish aid in the areas of higher education, religious ...

In order to rebuild peace successfully in a society that has been ravaged by (ethnic) conflict, it is commonly understood that the former warring parties should reconcile or engage in practices of reconciliation. However, it is not always clear what reconciliation precisely entails, and definitions of the concept often vary or remain vague. Some authors have tried to remedy this by proposing more concrete definitions or new ideal models of ...

This project aims to identify existing EO-data providers and users in the wider Balkan region, to determine their status, potentials and needs, and to coordinate EO players by establishing proper interfaces and networking between them. A broad analysis of gaps and complementarities of EO activities within the region will be performed, with the emphasis on user needs in the specific context of the Balkan region

This project focuses on the development of an innovative and scaleable industrial process for the production of linear, long alkanes (> C25) via a catalytic coupling process of fatty acids and their application in candles and wax emulsion.

Benzene and Xylene are key building blocks for robust polymer materials. They are typically obtained as side products of the production of high-octane gasoline and of naphtha cracking for light olefins. Dehydro-aromatization of light alkanes provides an alternative on-purpose process to produce these aromatic building blocks. Yet, it suffers from low aromatic yields and fast catalyst deactivation by coke formation. The introduction of CO2 ...

Alkane dehydrogenation is a central reaction not only in current chemical industry, but also in the revalorization of polyolefin waste feedstock. Dehydrogenation is endothermic and at high temperature (> 500°C) faces selectivity challenges. Here we will dehydrogenate alkanes at moderate temperature (100-200 °C), by driving the reaction with (renewable) electricity in a two-compartment electrochemical reactor. At the anode, we use either a ...