Testimonials
In almost all courses you were expected to not just accept everything you were taught, but to really challenge yourself.
- Previous education
- Premaster Economics, Radboud University
- Programme
- International Economics & Development
- Study start date
Kim Hoefsmit is a Master's student International Economics & Development.
'The master's specialisation International Economics and Development really challenged me in the sense that you were given the task to critically examine not only yourself, but also your classmates, the articles you had to read and the professor of the course. In almost all courses you were expected to not just accept everything you were taught, but to really challenge yourself by thinking of it. This, in combination with the essays we had to write really improves your skills as an academic. I also liked how interactive the classes were, even during the pandemic, the teachers really tried to engage the students in the classes.
Currently I'm writing my thesis about the effects of climate change on the vulnerability of different social groups in the Netherlands. My aim is to find out whether some groups are hit harder by climate change than others, and how that is either improving or deteriorating inequalities already persisting in the Netherlands. Additionally, I want to examine what kinds of effect the current climate mitigation policies has on inequalities.'
I enjoy methods that turn rich data into policy-relevant insights.
- Nationality
- Ukrainian
- Programme
- International Economics & Development
- Country of previous education
- Nederland
Dr Olexiy Kyrychenko is an Assistant Professor of Economics.
Can you introduce yourself?
I am an applied microeconomist working at the intersection of environmental and health economics, climate change, and sustainable development. I received my PhD in Economics & Econometrics from CERGE-EI in 2023, held a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship, and visiting positions at Princeton (2018) and UC Berkeley (2019–2020). Before that I held teaching and research posts in Ukraine (including an Associate Professor role) and was a Fulbright Scholar at UC Berkeley (2011–2012). At Radboud I teach econometrics, applied methods, economic methodology, economics & sustainable development, and supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s theses.
Why did you choose to study/work in this field? What makes this field so interesting?
I enjoy methods that turn rich data into policy-relevant insights. The field brings together rigorous empirical tools and questions about health, climate, and wellbeing, allowing research to directly inform better policies.
What do you like best about being a lecturer?
The best part of being a lecturer is guiding students as they explore ideas and develop their own analytical and research skills. I enjoy creating a space where curiosity, critical thinking, and hands-on problem-solving come together, and seeing students gain confidence as they discover new ways of understanding the world around them.
What are you currently doing your own research on?
I study how environmental and climate conditions shape health, productivity, and development. My current projects combine administrative data, satellite-based measures, and spatial methods to examine topics such as the effects of air pollution on infant mortality, the impact of temperature on manufacturing output, and the effectiveness of environmental regulations in India. I also work on climate-related migration in Latin America and Africa, the links between biodiversity and local governance, and the role of courts in advancing clean-air policies.
What advice do you have for students making their study choice?
Follow your curiosity and choose a programme that challenges you to think critically and work with data. When you study a topic that truly interests you, motivation and enjoyment naturally follow.
What is the best part of working with students?
The most rewarding part is seeing students grow in confidence as they turn ideas into rigorous, data-driven research and develop the skills to tackle real-world challenges.
The specialisation has challenged me to think analytically about development, without losing sight of the local context or culture.
- Previous education
- BSc Economie en Bedrijfseconomie - Radboud University
- Programme
- International Economics & Development
- Study start date
- Study end date
Dirk Arts is a Master's student International Economics and Development.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why? How has the programme/specialisation challenged you (in relation to your previous education)?
The multidisciplinarity of the Master's specialisation is something I really appreciated. The programme combines aspects of the social science which economics is with an emphasis on empirical evidence. As a result, the programme provides, in my view, the perfect toolkit to think about solutions to the biggest global challenges, such as climate change, global inequality, (extreme) poverty, and the development of Africa. At the same time, the specialisation has challenged me to think analytically about development, without losing sight of the local context or culture. The programme also lent itself to be somewhat tailored to my interests through elective courses and I often was able to choose within courses a topic to my own liking to explore more in-depth.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class (for example the relationship between students and with the teachers/researchers)?
Often, I experienced the atmosphere in class as energetic and dynamic. As the domain of international and development economics is largely a social science, lectures often encompassed interactive discussions on current global issues and recent academic literature, which I generally found to be very informative and inspiring. Group sizes are small, which leads to close and at times informal relationships between students and lecturers. Next to that, students and lecturers can easily find common ground in their aspiration to make a positive impact in the world.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
The first semester of the Master's specialisation was relatively more challenging for me because the majority of the courses were not unique to the chosen specialisation. Although very useful, these courses were not perfectly aligned with my interests and were therefore a bit harder to be motivated for. The fact that already several courses of the one-year programme are not unique to this Master's specialisation, makes choosing the right elective courses all the more important.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I am writing my thesis with the following research question: 'to what extent is a changing climate a migratory driver in African countries?' The topic of my research shows how broad the Master's specialisation is, including everything that can affect or explains differences between the well-being and development of individuals or populations. Next to that, my thesis requires me to think about how individuals and communities are affected by climate change on the micro-level and combine it with macro-level data analysis. This way of thinking characterises the Master's specialisation and is in my belief an invaluable asset.
Why do you think is it important that there are people out there with this degree? What are your plans once have received your Master's degree?
I think it is vital that there are people out there that have finished this (or a similar) Master's specialisation, as the world needs people that can think pragmatically and solution-oriented on the biggest challenges of our time. The Master's specialisation prepares students for this ideally through its multidisciplinary programme and learnt skills in data analysis. After receiving my Master's degree, I will first start an internship at the Dutch NGO Wilde Ganzen, which is combating poverty worldwide. I aspire to work for an NGO in international development, especially within Africa, to make a difference for those who need it the most.
The programme has the unique combination of highly political and societal topics, approached from an economic perspective and methodology.
- Previous education
- BSc Political Science - Radboud University
- Programme
- International Economics & Development
- Study start date
- Study end date
Geerten Schurink is a Master's student International Economics and Development.
What do you like about the programme/specialisation and why? How has the programme/specialisation challenged you (in relation to your previous education)?
The programme has the unique combination of highly political and societal topics, approached from an economic perspective and methodology. The specialisation has challenged me to think differently about development and the future of the global economy. It forced me to put things in perspective.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class (for example the relationship between students and with the teachers/researchers)?
Because the number of people following this specialisation is quite small, the classes for the courses are relatively small as well. This makes it easy to reach out to the teachers and fellow students. Furthermore, the programme actively stimulates critical thinking and participation during working groups and lectures.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s (specialisation)? Have you encountered any obstacles?
The most challenging parts of the programme for me were the quantitative research methods. It took me a while to get acquainted with them, but using it in my thesis has been a learning experience.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I am currently doing an internship at the Dutch embassy in Mozambique with regard to the policy themes Private Sector Development, Gender and Youth. I wrote my thesis about the role of development aid in fuelling armed conflict worldwide.
Why do you think is it important that there are people out there with this degree? What are your plans once have received your Master's degree?
I think that (economic) development is a term that is badly understood, which influences the way we think about development aid and cooperation. The countries that we perceive as being 'in development' are going to make up the largest part of the global population in the future, so a better understanding of their role in this future is of utmost importance for the decisions that need to be taken in the global political sphere.