Our Mission

We aim to drive real progress on the world’s most pressing problems, by empowering students to focus their thesis and careers on what truly matters.

We believe that a thesis is more than an academic requirement - it’s an opportunity to contribute to critical global problems and lay the groundwork for a high-impact career.

Our Why

On average, a student will spend 300-600 hours on their undergraduate or Master’s thesis. For a PhD thesis, this number can go beyond 6,000 hours.

Our mission is to drive real progress on the world’s most pressing problems, by empowering students to focus their thesis on what truly matters.

So that these hundreds or thousands of hours don’t go to waste, but instead create a positive impact:

  • To you and your career path

  • To your academic field

  • And most importantly, to the world

Our How

We aim to empower students to utilise their thesis as a pathway to impact.

We aim to guide students towards completing high-impact theses and launching impact-driven careers - through our services such as fellowship programs, internships, expert mentorship, community, and resources.

If you’re a current student committed to impact, apply for our services here.

If you’re an expert or professional working in a high-impact field, apply to join our network here.

Our Team

  • Ayushmaan Sharm

    Head of Outreach and Partnerships

    ayushmaan@effectivethesis.org

    LinkedIn

    I’m Ayushmaan - an MSc Global Health Science and Epidemiology student at Oxford. I joined ET after founding my own impact-focused research programme and realised how understated of a tool research can be to entering high impact careers and changing the world! I’m excited to be helping ET connect with promising students, mentors, and organisers looking to make the world a better place.

  • Christine PX Tan

    Executive Director

    christine@effectivethesis.org

    LinkedIn

    At Effective Thesis, I aim to empower students to explore paths that are not only intellectually exciting, but also deeply connected to real-world impact and personal values.

    This aligns with my mission of co-creating a world where we exercise our agency to live meaningful lives — where the positive impact through our work is deeply intertwined with our well-being and sense of purpose.

  • Annika Martin

    Head of Applications and Operations

    annika@effectivethesis.org

    LinkedIn

    I believe brilliant minds can change the world, they just need to discover their potential and find the right direction. Having navigated the overwhelming process of writing an impact-focused thesis myself, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to align academic work with meaningful change.

    I'm particularly passionate about poverty reduction and global development. With an academic background in education and international development, I was an Effective Thesis mentee during my master's thesis, and the guidance really helped me find my direction. After graduating in February 2025, I wanted to give back to the community that supported me.

    Now I support ET's operations and fellowship applications, helping other students navigate the same challenges I once faced. There's nothing more rewarding than watching students realize their potential for real impact.

Our Board Members

  • David Janku

    Founder of Effective Thesis
    Analyst at the Czech Science Foundation and Sociology of Science
    PhD candidate at Charles University in Prague

  • Sven Herrmann

    Head of Research Operations at the Global Priorities Institute at Oxford University

  • Jérémy Andréoletti

    Co-founder of EffiSciences
    Researcher at the GPAI Policy Lab

  • Julia Michaels

    Executive Director of the Center for Public University Transformation

Our Story

Effective Thesis was founded in July 2017 by David Janku, with initial support from Daniel Hnyk and members of the Czech EA Association. What began as a small initiative has grown into a global platform, supporting hundreds of students and researchers worldwide.

Since then, we have directly supported over 2,000 students across all services and coached more than 500 students one-on-one. We also have a network of over 165 expert advisors and our students’ research has been disseminated in more than 30 countries.

Effective Thesis was founded based on the principles of Effective Altruism, specifically with regard to how to use one’s resources to do the most good. It is also informed by the career advice organisation, 80,000 Hours, on how to use one’s career to significantly improve the world.

Our Funding

Effective Thesis has received funding from the Effective Altruism Infrastructure Fund, the Survival, Flourish Fund, and some smaller donors.