Partner 1: Koneksie 

The partner 

Koneksie is a social enterprise based in Amsterdam. It focuses on solutions for social problems in developing countries. Its main project is the Kibo motorcycle. It is designed as a better alternative to the often ill-maintained motorcycles used by Kenyan taxi services. The project addresses construction, design, maintenance, and training of the drivers, insurance and every other aspect of the market. After Kenya, Koneksie wants to look at other countries in which it could implement the Kibo program.
The IRSP research focusses on the orientation of the markets in countries to which Koneksie wants to expand. These include Nigeria, the DRC and Angola. The researchers are looking into the market situation, legal frameworks, and the entrepreneurial culture, as well as experiences of other enterprises, logistics and different variables in these countries.

The research 

The research for Koneksie is all about giving an image of a number of countries and cities in Sub-Saharan Africa where Koneksie could possibly expand to. Koneksie is currently only active in Kenya but would like to expand in the next few years. Koneksie is well aware of the values of the IRIO program and the capabilities of its students and this research is a perfect way to put those into practice.

The research will first give a broad overview of about 8 countries and cities that are the most likely options for Koneksie to expand to.  The students go into a broad range of variables relating to all the different facets in IRIO, like economics, International Law and culture.

Once the first chapter is concluded, the research group and Koneksie will together decide which countries or cities deserve even more attention. The subsequent focus on these will take on a more qualitative and open minded attitude in that the researchers want to show things that are not obvious at the surface. This deeper insight will give Koneksie valuable information on how to approach the new market.

The coordinators 

Greg Fuller (photo left) is the University's coordinator for this research. His fields of expertise are International Political Economy and international financial markets. The coordinator from the IRSP Board is Emiel Dijkman (photo right). He is an International Relations Master student and interested in European Integration and EU foreign policy.

The researchers 

• Andreea Malancea
  
• Sjoerd Rooijakkers
  
• Milena Bork 
  
• Joost Ruiter

Partner 2: The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)

The partner 

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) is one of the special International Tribunals located in the area of The Hague. It is concerned with the assassination of the former prime minister and several other important figures in Lebanese politics in 2005 and it is the first tribunal dealing with terrorism as a distinctive crime, setting it apart from the other Tribunals. The UN Security Council calls it a “tribunal of an international character based on the highest international standards of criminal justice”.
The IRSP research focusses on how courts and tribunals in The Hague, STL included, have used communications as a tool in defining and catering to the audiences they have identified as their primary, secondary, or tertiary targets. There is a focus on the process and discussions held at other Courts and Tribunals regarding the need for communication as well as a focus on the STL regarding their success or failure in achieving communication with their audiences.

The research 

The research will focus on the following main topic: How Courts and Tribunals in The Hague, STL included, have used communications as a tool in defining and catering to the audiences they have identified as their target audiences. This means that the research will largely focus on communication in International Tribunals and Courts. For the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, it is very interesting to see in which ways they can improve their communication with their audience. It is after all very important to know whether your audience is satisfied or not and what can be improved. For now, the researchers have started with making a research plan, gathering information and above all, started with reading a lot of literature about Lebanon, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and communication in International Law and international tribunals and courts.

The coordinators 

The STL research is guided by Dr. Christopher Lamont. He has a lot of experience and expertise in transitional justice and international law. In addition, he is an expert on the Middle East. From the IRSP Board, the team is supported by Jurjen Hempen, bachelor student IRIO. He is especially interested in international justice and transnational crime.

The researchers 

• Eelke Bakker
  
• Emma Wind
• Johanna Wetzel 
• Margot Verbeek 

Partner 3: The Embassy of Israel 

The partner 

Israel is a small state with one of the most vibrant technological economies in the world. The country is especially successful when it comes to the government initiatives to support so-called ‘start-up’ enterprises. Its start-up sector is ranked second in the world only after Silicon Valley. In Israel, start-up enterprises are subsidised by the government making it relatively easy to realise new technological advancement from mere ideas. These start-ups can, with funding from the government, create new technologies that sometimes turn out to be global breakthroughs. Although these subsidies are extra costs for the government, they result in economical boosts that eventually might greatly enhance the national economy and the export. As Israel, the Netherlands is a state that relies on export of technology. Therefore, cooperation between the Netherlands and Israel in this area can be effective to stimulate the Dutch economy. The IRSP will investigate together with the Embassy how government incentives have contributed to the development of Israeli start-ups and whether and how this policy can be useful to the Netherlands.

The research 

This year’s research project for the Embassy of Israel focuses on the model of innovative entrepreneurship in Israel and whether this model is applicable to the Start-up scene in the Netherlands. By determining the specific factors that make up this model and by doing qualitative research, using case-studies, the project hopes to lay out the basis for intensified cooperation between the two countries on an economic level. The Embassy expects to use this information in order to strengthen the cooperation between Israel and the Netherlands in a constructive manner in the coming years. The start-up scene in the Netherlands has been growing intensely during the past years under supervision of Startup Delta, a Dutch organisation set up on government initiative and which is led by former European Commissioner Neelie Kroes, focussing on the development of the Netherlands as an international hub for start-up enterprises.

The coordinators 

Dr. Herman Voogsgeerd is supervising the research for the Embassy of Israel. He is a lecturer at the RUG and specializes, among other fields, in International Political Economy. Ruben Levy is the corporate from the IRSP Board. He is a second-year Bachelor Student and is thinking about specializing in international security later.

The researchers 

• Flin Veenstra 
  
• Bo Altena 
• Koen Kortbeek
• Lukas Karsten