Chiel Rozendaal, ESHCC-alumnus (Global History and International Relations) was awarded the esteemed Han Entzinger Award 2025 for the best Master’s thesis on migration and migration-related diversities in 2024. The award was presented to Chiel on Thursday, 20 February. It was the first time someone from ESHCC managed to win this award. A great moment for the faculty and of course we congratulate Chiel on this special achievement!
Chiel wrote his thesis under the supervision of dr. Iwona Gusc. In his research, Chiel conducted a critical discourse analysis of Roy Stryker's Historical Section representation of internal migration (1935-1943) in the United States, particularly among persons of African American descent. The jury was chaired by prof. dr. Han Entzinger, and coordinated by Kay Mars, PhD., and Hannah Kay, PhD. The jury consisted of fellow jury members prof. dr. Jacco van Sterkenburg, dr. Sonja Fransen, dr. Warda Belabas, dr. Mieke Kox, dr. Zeynep Kaşlı, dr. Maria Avraamidou, and Jill Stigter, PhD.
Word from the jury
Prof. dr. Han Entzinger: “Chiel Rozendaal’s Master thesis ’Leaving the South’ takes a poststructuralist approach to the Historical Section’s photography project of the ‘Great South-North Migration’ in the USA. This project is an early example of how visual representations that claim truthfulness can be socially constructed through powerful discourses and how institutions can shape public perceptions using photography. With today’s rapid and easy distribution of images across the world through social and other media it is certainly relevant to examine how visuality shaped (historical) narratives and societal perceptions on migration in an era when options for communication were much more limited. The jury found this thesis very original not only because of its subject but also because it is well documented and well written. Chiel Rozendaal systematically analyzes the powerful role of selectivity and distribution in influencing public perception of such a socially and politically delicate phenomenon as migration. The thesis refers to a historic situation of almost a century ago, but it is equally relevant to what is happening in our world of today.”
About the Han Entzinger Award
Prof. dr. Han Entzinger has been one of the pioneers of migration research at Erasmus University Rotterdam as well as in The Netherlands and Europe more in general. At Erasmus University, he not only spurred the development of interdisciplinary research on migration and diversities, but also the increased attention to these themes within education. At a European scale, Han Entzinger was one of the pioneers of European networks for collaboration on migration studies (IMISCOE) and for the development of more comparative research. The Han Entzinger Best Migration Master Thesis Award is there to mark and keep alive this legacy of his work.
Previous winners of the award
Chiel Rozendaal is the first nominee from ESHCC to win this award. Preceding him where:
- Jill Stigter (2023) – Erasmus School of Law
- Anouk Jorna (2022) – Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Tirza Pulleman (2021) – Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Christal Chapman (2020) – International Institute of Social Studies
- Jorn Schulting (2019) – Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
- Anna Farrow (2018) – International Institute of Social Studies
- Sara Bolghiran (2017) – Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
