UG student wins Unilever Research Prize

On November 27^th 2018, UG student of Marine Biology Wouter Muizelaar was awarded the prestigious Unilever Research Prize. His Master's thesis ‘Seaweeds and Carbohydrates: Assessment of starting a new Public Private Partnership’ on growing seaweed as an alternative food source was well received by the jury. In his thesis, Muizelaar identifies business opportunities for a public private partnership and obstacles that stand in the way.

The jury praised his ability to integrate ‘high-level scientific insights with thorough understanding of (inter)national business-strategies and with the present options and actions needed policy-wise’. According to the jury, this resulted in ‘an impressive, excellent and very well-written Master's thesis’. Muizelaar was also praised as a person: alongside being ‘dedicated, hardworking [...] proactive and eager to learn’, he was also a ‘very nice person to work with’. In short: ‘a dream combination of characteristics and skills'.

The Unilever Research Prize is awarded annually to young academics conducting promising research in chemistry, biotechnology, mechanical engineering, biology, agricultural science or social sciences.
Unilever thus seeks to stimulate these talented students to become top researchers.

Muizelaar will do exactly that: he will be a marine researcher at Wageningen University & Research.