"I really enjoy communicating with different people and seeing research materialise into something that has an impact"

This time in our People of OPORA series, meet Yoram Kremers, our colleague from the Research Department!

Discover:

• what Yoram does as part of our research team,

• what he enjoys most about his work,

• and who his main source of inspiration is.

Yoram works in OPORA since 2025 as a researcher in human rights and science communication

What is your part of work in the research team?

Yoram Kremers: In the research team, I’m mostly concerned with the research itself, but I also pay specific attention to communicating our research. For reports, I do a lot of proofreading to make our research engaging and attractive to read for policymakers and wider audiences.

I also take up the external communications side. I work with partners, represent OPORA in public affairs, and keep track of political debates and developments to make sure our research stays relevant and valuable.

Why did you decide to become a researcher in the first place?

Yoram Kremers: During my master’s, I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed doing research, because I never thought I would become a researcher.

For a long time, I thought I’d become a journalist or perhaps work in communications. Then I realised that this hybrid role suits me well. I can contribute as a researcher while also doing the more journalistic work that I enjoy. There’s also a lot of overlap, especially in qualitative research, where you spend a lot of time talking to people and learning from their experiences.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Yoram Kremers: I really enjoy communicating with different people and seeing research materialise into something that has an impact.

When we worked on regionalisation, for example, I especially liked not just writing the report, but coming back to the region, discussing the findings and co-creating an event together.

You can really see people becoming interested in the research and getting energised to change things. Translating research into effective change on the ground, is what gives me the most energy.

What does it mean for you to work at OPORA today?

Yoram Kremers: OPORA is, first of all, a very warm team. Everyone is dedicated and inspiring.

As a Dutch person, it’s interesting to work with colleagues from different countries and learn what it means to experience systems as an outsider. I think that’s also part of OPORA’s added value: we combine professional research with our own experiences of navigating life and structures in the Netherlands. This gives our research a strong human side and perspectives that might otherwise be missed.

Who or what inspires you outside work?

Yoram Kremers: It’s a pretty cheesy answer, but I think it’s my girlfriend.

First of all, I love her very much, but she’s also one of the most inspiring people I know. I really admire her perseverance and the way she deals with obstacles in life. She constantly gets back up, doesn’t look back too much, and focuses on the positive things in life while continuing to fight for them. I never thought I’d give such an answer, but when asked, she was simply the first person who came to mind.