Where do you find your educational drive?
‘My educational drive is the exact same drive that I experience in my research and life in general. Education is a unique platform that allows me to share my eternal curiosity about the world and fascination for learning with others. In my education, I try to share this insatiable hunger for knowledge and new insights with students. I believe every person has inherent excitability and interest, which can sometimes be sparked by little more than a striking example or story. If I'm able to achieve this during an educational moment, that's really cool!’
Which educational moment has stayed with you?
‘A student had an illness which caused him to slowly but surely lose his ability to see. He was enrolled in a work group I taught for a course that was very intensive. Students were expected to be well-prepared while taking the course. They had to plough through a thick book on the history of economical thinking, to subsequently write an essay and take an exam on the subject. But this student could almost no longer read. Preparing and writing an essay was a huge undertaking. With tremendous effort and help from his family, he was able to prepare for an oral exam on a dark evening in my office. I have never been more proud of an individual student. He experienced many setbacks but still showed perseverance, which allowed him to deservedly finish the course with a beautiful grade.’
Where do you find the inspiration for your education?
‘I get my inspiration from the world, the news, and other great examples. This is easy in my area of expertise, since everything is economics! While writing this, I look out of my window in Utrecht and see a pile of garbage. I'm thinking: what a literal mess is Putin making! Because of the strikes, the garbage hasn't been collected in over a week, and it's piling up. Negotiations fall apart, because the employers do not want to raise the wages in line with inflation. That inflation can largely be blamed on the rising energy costs because of the invasion by Russia in Ukraine. Simply said: without Putin, there would be no mess. Almost every topic can unexpectedly be directly linked to day-to-day business.’
What is your favourite approach in education?
‘Focussing on the student experience. in my opinion, you can really reach students when you tell a story, create an assignment, or have another interaction that everybody wants to listen to. We go to comedians, musicians, and other dramatists to see professionals at their best. We lecturers can do that too, can't we? When there is time, I try to find a creative, funny, shocking, or interesting basis for my lectures. Something that grabs, and then holds students’ attention.’
Do you have tips for other lecturers?
‘Make your education fun! Ask yourself the question whether your 18-year-old nephew would find it fun to attend your education. The contents obviously always matter most. But as scientists, we master the contents like no other, so invest and experiment with the packaging!’