Prospectus

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LDE Thesis Labs

Course
2025-2026

Application for 2025-2026 is open from September 15th until October 12th (23:59)! The application for the Kenya lab closes earlier, on 3 October 2025.

Description

In tackling today’s challenges, nothing is simple. To shape a better future, we need to be inquisitive and bold. This means crossing disciplinary borders, embracing the discomfort of not knowing, and navigating complexity. This is not just a thesis—it’s a real adventure.

Make real impact with your thesis by joining an LDE Thesis lab. You will write your individual master thesis based on a real life challenge. Together with students from other disciplines, you will join an extracurricular program to unravel the complexity of the Lab's challenge. In workshops, enrichment sessions and excursions you meet professionals, academic experts and societal partners. Together you learn, share and collaborate and contribute to a common, interdisciplinary result with real impact.

See more information on the LDE Thesis Labs website.
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In 2025-2026 we organise 10 new labs!
You can apply for LDE Thesis Labs on:

  • The Future of Repair

  • Sustainable Aviation: Wings of the Future

  • Energy-efficient Horticulture by Circular Practices

  • De Regeneratieve Delta (NL)

  • Groene Zorg (NL)

  • Earth Observation for the Dutch Caribbean

Or apply for LDE Global Thesis Labs on:

  • Global Women's Health

  • Sustainable urbanism in East Kalimantan

  • Rethinking Dwelling in Morocco

  • Just and Sustainable urban and energy transitions in Kenya

Program

You can also find an elaborate description of the general program on the LDE Thesis Labs website
Please note that the Labs in East Kalimantan, Morocco and Kenya include excursions and follow an alternative program.

In short, the dates that you are required to attend are:

  • Online meeting, January 1 hour online during lunch break
  1. Kick-off Wednesday, Feb 4, 13PM - 18 PM
  2. Enrichment Session Feb 17, 18 or 19, 45 min Thesis Group, 1h45 to 2h30 Enrichment session in the afternoon
  3. Enrichment Session Mar 3, 4 or 5, 45 min Thesis Group, 1h45 to 2h30 Enrichment session in the afternoon
  4. Enrichment Session Mar 17, 18 or 19, 45 min Thesis Group, 1h45 to 2h30 Enrichment session in the afternoon
  5. Pressure Cooker day: LEGO Wednesday, Apr 1, 11 AM - 18 PM
  6. Round Table Apr 14, 15 or 16, 2.5-3.5 hours
  7. Bootcamp day Wednesday, Apr 29, 9 AM - 17 PM
  8. Enrichment Session May 12 or 13, 45 min Thesis Group, 1h45 to 2h30 Enrichment session in the afternoon
  9. Enrichment Session May 26, 27 or 28, 45 min Thesis Group, 1h45 to 2h30 Enrichment session in the afternoon
  10. Prepare for the final event Wednesday, Jun 10, 9 AM - 17 PM
  11. Final event Jun 29, 30, Jul 1, 2 or 3, 2.5-3.5 hours

Admission requirements

This is an extracurricular programme for master thesis students. Students will be selected based on their motivation.

Please see all conditions for enrollment here.

Registration process

You can now apply for 2025-2026! Please apply before October 12th (23:59) through the LDE Thesis Labs website.

Please note: students are not required to register through uSis. Your registration will be done centrally.

The Selection procedure is as follows:

The selection procedure is as follows:

  • Interested? Apply online through the link on the website!

  • We will let you know by email if you are invited to an interview.

  • We organize online interviews of 15-25 minutes between 15 to 31 October 2025.

  • If your study programme requires you to start your thesis earlier, please email us so we can hold an interview earlier at your request.

  • The interviews are conducted by the coordinators of the lab. During the interviews, we will discuss:

    • Your motivation: why do you want to join the Lab? Are you ready to commit to the lab program and to the extra work it requires? Will you be an active member of the interdisciplinary lab group?
    • The assignment you’re applying for: does the assignment you’re applying for fit your curriculum? Do you already have ideas of what you would like to research in your thesis?
    • Can we make an interdisciplinary team? We are looking for a team consisting of multiple LDE master programs.

  • We will let you know if you are selected by email after the interviews.

  • If you are selected, we ask you to find your own thesis supervisor (if you haven’t already found one already), as instructed by your own study programme. We can also match you with (an) case holder(s) of the thesis assignment or knowledge partner(s) involved in the lab. Together with them, your thesis supervisor and us, you can start to fine-tune your thesis.

  • In January 2026, we organize a short online meeting together with all the other Lab students, to get to know each other and ask questions.

  • The Lab Program will officially kick-off on February 4th, 2026.

Learning goals

After completing an Interdisciplinary Thesis Lab, you will receive a certificate, and are able to

  1. Work on a societal challenge set by an external organisation and learn from the issues faced in practice by this organisation;
  2. Get a deeper understanding of the complex challenge and of all its aspects;
  3. Incorporate your own unique study background in other projects and exchange ideas across disciplines, make connections across wider areas of studies, and confront your ideas and ways of thinking to others and approach their topic from other perspectives. Apply this knowledge in your individual thesis and in a collaborative interdisciplinary result.

Contact

LDE_thesislabs@cml.leidenuniv.nl