Where do you find your educational drive?
'It is a passion that developed over time. Honestly, I don’t think I was a natural at first. It has been difficult. Over the years, I went out of my comfort zone so often that I now feel comfortable enough to experiment and enjoy exchanging with students and offering them different critical perspectives about the world around them. The latter is especially important for me.'
'I am working a lot on rethinking economics education, interdisciplinarity, and the idea of worlding classroom. For example, in a project we conducted last year, students at Radboud were working on assignments together with students in Africa and India. It is an especially important time to transform our education in terms of content and practices, as we need to prepare students for the environmental, social, and democratic crises we are facing. All these elements, I would say, explain the commitment and passion I put in my teaching.'
Which moment has always stayed with you?
'I have several ones and it is hard to choose, as they are all very close to my heart. But I think something I will really remember for a long time is the summer school I co-organised with a close colleague last summer. The topic was ‘transformations for sustainability’. We were a bit afraid as it was a first, but we put a lot of effort in preparing for it, and it was totally worth it.'
'We had an amazing week of intense and in-depth discussions about transformations, governance, post-growth, and local currencies. One afternoon we had an excursion at Bodemzicht, exploring what is regenerative farming. It was a very special afternoon where we connected differently with the students compared to what I am used to, also together exploring our connection with nature.'
Where do you find the inspiration for your education?
'I am working on topics that give me a lot of inspiration. My research focuses on transformations for sustainability, and I am mainly working on governance and institutional change in development. I am using insights from multiple theories and disciplines and can combine them with so many examples and case studies attached to current debates and challenges we face. Most of all, I am often (constantly to be honest) sharing my work, my experiences, and my stories from fieldwork, especially in West and Central Africa. Changing the world starts with changing education. And of course, my inspiration also comes from colleagues experimenting with me, with whom I can exchange ideas and struggles, and have fun teaching together.'
What is your favourite educational approach?
'I appreciate debating and exchanging opinions and arguments with students, as we can all learn from each other too. It is why my teaching is overall about experimentation and interaction. I like having lively moments with students. I don’t like hearing myself talk for too long. I want to make it a good moment for students as well as for me as a teacher. And I want my teaching to be meaningful, and useful in different ways.'
Welke tip heb jij voor docenten?
'I was thinking of something important I would like to say to all lecturers. There are many important things actually. But let me focus on something that is also connected to my own experience. I want to address a message to all young lecturers who struggle as they are not so often heard and don’t always dare to speak out in such a competitive field. Teaching is not natural for everyone, far from it. It comes with experiences, practicing, exchanging with others, and looking for constructive feedback. You are not alone. Most of us also struggled at first, when it came to teaching style, evaluations, how to behave, how to avoid committing too much, and so many other difficult things to learn. Please talk about it with trusted colleagues and do not be alone in this!'