Winners 2025

We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s top graduates, Isa de Koeijer, and Laura Iannone, both from Breda University of Applied Sciences, who have secured first place in the Bachelor and Master categories of the edcom Graduation Competition. Their remarkable research has earned them each a €400 cash prize.

This competition recognises the best academic theses in advertising and commercial communication among edcom member schools, providing students with the opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage.

Bachelor

Isa de Koeijer was awarded the first prize in the Bachelor category. Her outstanding work ‘360 Degrees of Script Writing: Finding the Next Standard’ was recognised as the best bachelor thesis of the competition.

Read the thesis summary
Check out the poster
Copy of edcom template (31)

"Telling stories in a three-dimensional way used to be something I could only do in my own mind. But discovering Virtual Reality gave me a way to bring others inside my brain too!

While writing my VR film for 4DR Studios, I stumbled upon a research gap—how does one write a screenplay for VR? This question led me on an incredible journey through 3D people (volumetric capture), 3D environments, 3D games, 3D audio, and 3D storytelling. Along the way, I connected with brilliant minds from diverse backgrounds, all equally fascinated by this evolving medium.

I’m deeply grateful to the experts who contributed to my research, the people at 4DR Studios and Dutch Rose Media, my family,  partner, and friends for their unwavering support, the teachers at Breda University of Applied Sciences, and the edcom Graduating Competition for recognising my work and providing me this huge opportunity for my career. Huge congratulations to the other participants and the winner of the Master category!

At a time when division and fear are being fueled by media, I believe storytelling—especially in immersive media—has the power to create empathy, connection, and understanding. Instead of fueling hate, let’s use innovation to build bridges, embrace different perspectives, and push for a future driven by acceptance, not fear."

Isa de Koeijer, Breda University of Applied Sciences, 2025 Winner

"Isa is a determined and ambitious graduate who applied her gained knowledge, tweaked it, and applied it a 360-degree way.  Being adaptable in an industry that is evolving rapidly is highly valuable. Isa embraced the challenge and implemented her vision while staying true to her beliefs and creative mind. Her approach made a significant difference. This recognition is well deserved! Congratulations!"

dr. Sabrina Uytenbogaart

Profile pic

Master

In the Master's category Laura Iannone won the first prize with her work 'Odor in VR. A qualitative study on the value of olfactory stimuli to enhance presence and empathy in the VR project Being There.'

Read thesis summary
Check out the poster
Copy of edcom template (32)
“Are you sure? It’s going to be very hard. That was my supervisors’ first reaction when I told them I wanted to research the integration of olfactory stimuli in VR. And of course they were right, it was hard. But looking back now, I am so glad I was stubborn. And I am even more grateful to them for supporting and guiding me on this crazy journey. Standing in front of our biggest dreams and projects can make us feel small, but now I know fear should never stop us from aiming big. I am also incredibly thankful for the opportunity this contest has given me, not just as a personal achievement, but as a chance to bring visibility to the cause of migrant women and the Being There project, at a time when the discourse around integration and immigration matters more than ever.”

Laura Iannone, Breda University of Applied Sciences, 2025 Winner

"The smell of home. Laura did an amazing job combining research and development to teach us the importance of an often forgotten sense to create immersive virtual experiences: smell. How the use of scent in VR can foster empathy for including the notion of home in the design of temporary spaces for refugees."

Dr. Marnix S. van Gisbergen

processed-9B544A6A-EF6D-47F0-8E1C-F27071F69709
"Congratulations on your well-earned achievement! You joined an R&D project for your graduation, and your hard work and dedication have truly stood out in your research on scent in VR and its role in creating a sense of home and fostering empathy. Your work opens new doors for making virtual experiences more personal, immersive, and emotionally meaningful. Wishing you all the best in your next adventure."

Dr. Shima Rezaei Rashnoodi

{"eId":"683360018715963","CameraPosition":2}