Meet us

Get to know our Professors, Students and Alumni
students sitting in a large classroom

With a history of 110 years, Erasmus School of Economics stands for groundbreaking research and excellence in education and is a worldwide leading academic brand in economics and econometrics.

Its strong international focus is reflected in our academic staff and student population. Students and staff members come from all over the world. We stimulate them to be citizens of the world, in a geographical, intellectual, and social way. This means stepping beyond the borders of cities and nations, cultural background, gender and religion, altogether with a willingness to act upon the values of a compass that rules out bias and prejudice.

Testimonials

  • Ruud Lubbers

    Ruud Lubbers - Prime Minister of the Netherlands 1982-1994

    I have very fond memories of my years at Nederlandse Economische Hoogeschool (from 1 September 1957 to 1 April 1962).
    Premier Lubbers terug uit VS (op Schiphol); Lubbers (koppen)
    I have very fond memories of my years at Nederlandse Economische Hoogeschool (from 1 September 1957 to 1 April 1962).

    Mostly thanks to the succession of outstanding professors who taught there. This more than anything made it such a worthwhile experience.

    Imagine sitting in a lecture hall, listening to Professor Tinbergen or Professor Witteveen, to name just two luminaries. Actually, my time studying there finished too soon – although thanks to Tinbergen, when I graduated under Witteveen’s supervision, it was still with honours.

    My study has continued to have an impact on my life. Consequently, for me, my years in Rotterdam amount to far more than just a Business Economics degree – they have proven valuable throughout my life.

    ‘Non scholae sed vitae discimus’

    It has had a lasting influence on my life as an entrepreneur (ten years) and in politics (7,777 days in The Hague) and finally as a Professor of Globalisation and one of the founding fathers of Earth Charter.”

    Premier Lubbers terug uit VS (op Schiphol); Lubbers (koppen)
  • Anne Boring, Assistant Professor of Economics

    Anne Boring

    Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
    Anne Boring, Assistant Professor at Erasmus School of Economics
    Be yourself; everyone else is already taken

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    Mary Pieters-Bloem giving a presentation

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    'Praesent sem eros, consectetur ut auctor sit amet, auctor vitae sem'

    Anne Boring, Assistant Professor at Erasmus School of Economics
  • Jitte Dingenouts

    Jitte Dingenouts - Specialisation in Business Analytics and Quantitative Marketing

    Favourite memory of Rotterdam? It is difficult to pick one!
    Alumnus Jitte Dingenouts smiling with a closed smile
    Favourite memory of Rotterdam? It is difficult to pick one!

    I enjoyed Econometrics and wanted to continue with it. Also, I liked the fact that with this MSc programme offered the possibility to choose a specialization within the field of Econometrics. I chose the Business Analytics and Quantitative Marketing specialization because it focused on machine learning and big data: two very popular topics at the moment.

    What is your current job (and what have you been doing before) and what does it entail?

    After doing some internships and working student positions within Data Science at Pipple and bol.com, I am now working as a Data Scientist at IG&H. I am both a consultant and Data Scientist and therefore my job consists of two parts. One part of my job is more consulting related for which I work together with sector consultants from IG&H. For example, we try to figure out what the problem of the client really entails and present the chosen solution to the client. During the project we also have multiple check-ins with the client to ensure that we are on the right path. The other part of my job is data science related. For example, data cleaning, building mathematical/machine learning models and implementing the solution at the client.

    Erasmus bridge

    What is your favourite memory from your time in Rotterdam?

    It is difficult to pick one! Some of my favourite memories include my exchange to Yogyakarta, Indonesia and my full-time board year at FAECTOR.

    What advice would you give to potential students?

    Find a programme that you find interesting, go to Open Days to get a better idea of the vibe at the university and choose the university and programme that feel right. Besides that, be open to different extracurricular and social activities. You can meet your best friends there and learn a lot about yourself doing those activities. And of course, it is a lot of fun participating in those activities!

    Don’t worry if you are not sure yet what kind of job you would like to do. I didn’t know at all what kind of job I wanted to do when I started studying Econometrics. During your studies, you will have enough opportunities to meet companies and do internships to find out what it is that you like to do.

    Alumnus Jitte Dingenouts smiling with a closed smile
  • Catalina Trohin

    Catalina Trohin - International Bachelor in Economics and Business Economics

    I got to make great friendships with people from everywhere around the world
    Portrait of Cathalina Trohin with her head slightly to the right, smiling with mouth closed
    I got to make great friendships with people from everywhere around the world

    I enjoyed mathematics as a subject in school and was curious to learn more about topics like economics, finance and accounting. I wanted to study in English among international students and this BSc programme seemed a great fit.

    Why did you (at the time) choose for Erasmus School of Economics?

    Besides the worldwide academic reputation ESE has, I found all programmes offered by ESE to be very well structured, with fundamental courses in the first two years and plenty of flexibility in the last year where you could choose between various majors as well as internships and exchanges. Rotterdam seemed like a great option because of the city vibes and all the cultural, social and recreational facilities the city can offer.


     

    Students walking on campus with a bike

    What did you like most about the bachelor programme?

    The thing I liked the most about the bachelor where the fellow students I met. IBEB being such an international program, I got to make great friendships with people from everywhere around the world.
     

    Portrait of Cathalina Trohin with her head slightly to the right, smiling with mouth closed
  • Harald Swinkels - Alumnus

    Harald Swinkels - Graduated in 2004

    Erasmus School of Economics will provide you with the foundation you need to start with confidence.
    Harald Swinkels
    Erasmus School of Economics will provide you with the foundation you need to start with confidence.

    I moved to Rotterdam from a small town in North Limburg in 1993. I started out as an Econometrics student. Later on, I switched to the Business Economics programme at Erasmus School of Economics. As can be gathered from my year of graduation, it took me a respectable 11 years to obtain my degree.

    Fortunately, this was not – or rather, not only – due to my enjoying student life to the full. Rather, my activities in this period have had an impact on my life to this very day: I actually launched my career as an entrepreneur while I was still a student.

    I thank my time in the Econometrics programme (of which I only rounded off the first year) for my special interest in data analysis. It has allowed me to set up the specific, data-driven operational management structure that – in my humble opinion – is vital for an organisation that serves such a large number of customers as NLE.

    Nevertheless, I remember feeling somewhat frustrated by econometrists’ attempts to capture psychological processes in an abstract formula – with disruptive effect. Because that was my key ‘take-away’ from the degree programme that I did round off eventually: that human behaviour – which generally speaking cannot be considered rational – plays a crucial role in day-to-day economics.

    I became a member of the student association Rotterdamsch Studenten Corps (RSC) in the very first year of my studies. It marked the start of a terrific period in my life. I cherish the memory of the countless hours I spent flat out on the couch in my student house – which has long since been declared unfit for habitation. It prepared me for the period that followed, in which there would be no more opportunity to slack off.

    After graduating, I have always stayed in touch with Professor Willem Verbeke, who was my thesis supervisor. When he invited me to lecture in his Sales Leadership programme at the EUR-affiliated Institute for Sales and Account Management a few years ago, I didn’t think twice. It’s wonderful to be able to share my own experiences in a setting so familiar to me.

    And finally, for those existing and prospective students reading these testimonials who are considering going into business during or after their studies: don’t hesitate. I can sincerely recommend it. Erasmus School of Economics will provide you with the foundation you need to start with confidence – just like I did. And, stay ‘Rotterdam’ about it: don’t take yourself too seriously…

    "Erasmus School of Economics will provide you with the foundation you need to start with confidence"

    Harald Swinkels

    Graduated in 2004

    Harald Swinkels
  • Alumnus Jelle Boonstra

    Jelle Boonstra - Jelle is Indirect Tax Consultant bij Mazars. Hij volgde zijn bachelor- en masteropleiding Fiscale Economie in Rotterdam en is afgestudeerd in 2017.

    Mijn werkzaamheden als Indirect Tax Consultant zijn onder te verdelen in: algemene advisering, M&A en data analytics
    Mijn werkzaamheden als Indirect Tax Consultant zijn onder te verdelen in: algemene advisering, M&A en data analytics

    Jelle werkt voor de indirect tax afdeling als btw-specialist. Zijn klanten zijn doorgaans (middel)grote ondernemingen. Een specialisatie binnen de btw heeft hij bewust (nog) niet gekozen, waardoor zijn klantenportefeuille vrij divers is. Tot nu toe bevalt de afwisseling hem heel goed: “Zo kan ik in de ochtend een overleg met een tax manager van een beursgenoteerd uitzendbureau hebben, gevolgd door een data analytics project voor een farmaceut in de middag”.  

    Wat doet een Indirect Tax Consultant?

    Aangezien de klantenportefeuille van Jelle vrij divers is, zijn de vraagstukken dat ook. “Mijn werkzaamheden als Indirect Tax Consultant zijn onder te verdelen in: algemene advisering, M&A en data analytics”, legt Jelle uit.

    “Klassieke advisering betreft vooral het beantwoorden van korte vragen van klanten, bijvoorbeeld of de btw aftrekbaar is of welk tarief van toepassing is, en het voorbereiden van uitgebreidere adviezen zoals memo's en rapporten over de btw-behandeling van transacties of de btw-positie van een gehele onderneming”.

    “M&A staat voor Mergers and Acquisitions”, zegt Jelle. In opdracht van een potentiële koper moet Jelle de over te nemen onderneming controleren op btw-risico's. Deze risico’s schrijft hij uit in een rapportage voor de potentiële koper. Vervolgens kan de potentiële koper dat meenemen in de prijsonderhandelingen met de verkoper of doen besluiten af te zien van een overname. 

    Bij data analytics maakt Jelle gebruik van de grote hoeveelheid data die in de financiële administratie van klanten aanwezig zijn. Jelle noemt als voorbeeld goederenbewegingen: “Door onder andere te kijken vanuit waar de goederen worden verstuurd en wat de bestemming is, kan bijvoorbeeld worden afgeleid of het gehanteerde btw-tarief op deze leveringen logisch lijkt”. Zo doen ze bij Mazars tal van checks om te kijken of de btw-behandeling juist is. Op deze manier kunnen ze gedetailleerd onderzoeken of ondernemingen in lijn zijn met wet- en regelgeving.

    Naast het advieswerk is Jelle mentor voor studenten Fiscaal Recht en Fiscale Economie die naast hun studie, als werkstudent werkzaam zijn bij Mazars. 

    Een dag bij Mazars

    “Allereerst koffie! Vanaf 9.00 uur start ik vaak met het scannen van fiscale nieuwsberichten. Hierna bespreek ik lopende projecten of conceptadviezen met mijn leidinggevenden. Vervolgens bekijk ik welke vragen of mails erbinnen zijn gekomen. Tijdens de lunch vindt wekelijks een vaktechnisch overleg plaats waar relevante en interessante jurisprudentie, maar ook literatuur wordt besproken”,gaat Jelle verder.

    “Na het overleg staan telefonische besprekingen met klanten op het programma. Daarna werk ik aan adviesopdrachten. Meestal werk ik tot ongeveer 18.30 uur”.

    Studie toepassen in de praktijk

    “Fiscale Economie is bij uitstek een studie waar je de opgedane kennis in de praktijk brengt. Nog steeds pluk ik dagelijks de vruchten van de basis die is gelegd op de Erasmus Universiteit. Vooral de btw- en overdrachtsbelasting colleges vond ik leuk en leerzaam. Maar ook het interpreteren van jaarrekeningen en journaalposten doe ik vrijwel dagelijks”.

    Geestige btw-colleges

    Het schrijven van zijn masterscriptie en de interessante en geestige btw-colleges zijn Jelle het meeste bijgebleven. Vooral door die collegecyclus is Jelle zich gaan oriënteren op btw.

    De werkcolleges vond Jelle het meest uitdagend. “Voor de werkcolleges deed je veel literatuuronderzoek. Je kreeg een cijfer voor het actief deelnemen aan een discussie, een paper en voor het voorbereiden van een presentatie, waarop andere studenten commentaar leverden. Dit riep regelmatig pittige vaktechnische discussies op”!

    Advies aan toekomstige studenten

    “Ik wil graag aan studenten meegeven dat ze goed moeten nadenken over de richting die ze op willen. Dit kan uitstekend door het volgen van een werkstudentschap. Op deze manier krijg je een goed beeld van de praktijk en ontdek je waar je voorkeur ligt, zoals directe of indirecte belastingen, werken voor een groot of klein kantoor. Ook de middelgrote kantoren zijn vandaag de dag op zoek naar indirect tax specialisten”, zegt Jelle.

    Bij het advies geven over btw-vraagstukken is bij uitstek sprake van een combinatie van economie en recht. Om een juridische beoordeling te doen, moet je veelal eerst weten hoe het businessmodel van de onderneming werkt. Neem bijvoorbeeld het hele productieproces van grondstof tot levering aan klanten. Vaak heb je te maken met (bedrijfs)economen die bij de klant werkzaam zijn en die kennis hebben van de bedrijfsprocessen. Daarbij komt een economische achtergrond goed van pas. Daarna volgt de juridische analyse voor de btw”, legt Jelle uit.

    Jelle sluit af met het volgende advies voor toekomstige studenten: “Wanneer je de combinatie van recht en economie leuk vindt, zou ik de indirecte master van Fiscale Economie serieus overwegen.

    Mocht je twijfelen tussen indirect of direct, doe dan een werkstudentschap indirect tax in de laatste fase van je bachelor. Dan kun je erachter komen of het bevalt. Dit heb ik zelf (zonder studievertraging) ook kunnen doen omdat het curriculum die ruimte bood. De echte diehards kunnen natuurlijk ook voor de combinatie van beide masters gaan”! 

  • Dr. Shuo Xia

    Dr. Shuo Xia - PhD in Finance

    The finance department in Erasmus School of Economics is really strong, and the research project is exciting and relevant
    Dr Shuo Xia
    The finance department in Erasmus School of Economics is really strong, and the research project is exciting and relevant
    Dr Shuo Xia
  • Wolter Brinks

    W. Brinks - Alumnus of Societas Studiosorum Reformatorum Roterodamensis (SSR)

    We represented a broken generation. In sociological terms, we were a hiccup in the curve. But for many of us, the University and the association formed a solid foundation for a successful life.
    We represented a broken generation. In sociological terms, we were a hiccup in the curve. But for many of us, the University and the association formed a solid foundation for a successful life.

    Interviewed by Charles Hermans, 7 September 2010

    “Of course, we were a bit naughty, weren’t we…” Wolter Brinks is a prominent alumnus of Societas Studiosorum Reformatorum Roterodamensis (SSR). Born in Haarlem in 1946, Wolter grew up in Bennekom, where he went through at least three secondary schools and ran into ‘enormous’ trouble – not in the last place with his parents.

    An Economics degree seemed to offer good prospects. But to be honest, he couldn’t really say. While Wolter didn’t have any examples in his own family, a number of his friends decided to enrol in that programme. They were all going to Amsterdam, but Wolter’s parents wouldn’t allow for that. In their eyes, the Dutch capital was a den of sin; Rotterdam was a more serious place altogether. And since Father was paying for it, he got to decide – meaning that in 1965, Wolter left for Rotterdam. He had only visited the city once before, for the opening of the Euromast during the E55 exhibition. The typical Rotterdam atmosphere felt in the air on that occasion has drawn Wolter ever since.

    He comes from a business background. His father worked as a sales representative in building materials. As was so often the case with people of his generation, there was a generation gap between Wolter and his parents. In the post-war years, the Netherlands busied itself with rebuilding, which involved a great amount of physical labour. And it was precisely around 1965 that most of this work had been rounded off. Countless members of the younger generation chose a different path than their parents: they saw new horizons and went off to study. In many families, parents and children ultimately lived in two different spheres, worlds in which they did not understand each other. In Wolter’s experience, he too could never talk about matters that interested him when he visited his parents back home. The world of construction materials and economics proved to have little in common. While this frustrated him, he did find support among his fellow students, and these years led to some very close friendships.

    It took many years until he started sharing affinities with the older generation. But ultimately, Wolter himself also ended up in the world of real estate, the port and transport, as well as developing a love for old cars. Incidentally, as he remembers it, Wolter was the only driver besides Professor Slagter on Pieter de Hoochweg. Professor Wiek Slagter had a green Spitfire, and Wolter had a green 2CV delivery van. He had bought the vehicle for 150 guilders.

    We are talking in a restaurant directly on the Nieuwe Waterweg in Vlaardingen, which had been built at the time with money from the Marshall Plan. We look out on massive ships gliding in and out of the port; the area thrives with activity. Wolter is clearly in his element.

    He remembers the Business Economics programme as being strict, with demanding subjects. You weren’t allowed to make many decisions for yourself, but nevertheless, what he learned in Rotterdam came in very handy later on when he started working. According to Wolter, Rotterdam was different to Amsterdam and Tilburg, in that you acquired a lot of knowledge. In his mind, there was a strict divide between academia and student life: the University was over there; we, the students, were here. They rarely visited the professors at home. But he does remember the sitting rooms of Professors Slagter, Kuhlmeijer and Diepenhorst.

    The four Sons of Odin on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Rotterdamsch Dispuut Wodan in 1975: economists Luit de Haas, Pieter de Nooy, Wolter Brinks and Rolf de Folter. Wolter: "This is exactly how we’d do it today – because we haven’t changed in that respect.”

    They also regularly attended lectures on Saturday morning: as an exception, they were allowed to wear a sweater instead of a sports jacket.

    After graduating in 1972, he was actually expected to do something “respectable” with his life, but since he “had time enough” and had earned the necessary exemptions for Law, he decided to read Law in addition to doing consultancy work, which trickled in from time to time. Fellow students in his year went off to “fancy” jobs at big companies like DAF, regularly travelling abroad on business, but Wolter never actually became a company man. When after a few years, he organised a joint event for his clients, this was tremendously appreciated. The button factory, car dealer, jewellery factory all turned out to run up against the same issues. They enjoyed meeting one another. And thus was born Wolter’s idea to set up a convention bureau. After Wolter sold this flourishing enterprise in 1990, it didn’t take long before he started a new company – not far from his old firm – with a slightly different focus.

    However, he never forgot his time as a student. Even after 45 years. And this is mainly thanks to SSR, which he joined right at the start of his studies, together with around 100 other first-year students. He served as the president of his year, and became a member of the Rotterdam debating society Wodan. While they intended to go to Paris in 1968, they never made it due to a few too many drams. He doesn’t regret it. After graduating, he remained an active member of SSR’s alumnus association Maurits. He recently stepped down as board member of the Club van 100, who provide SSR with financial support. He does still sit on the board of the new Geurts Rietberg Fund, however, which matches the funds raised by the Club van 100 for SSR’s anniversary celebrations in 2018. But first, the association has to focus on its 95th anniversary in 2013, which coincides with the centenary of Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR), by the way. And in the meantime, he remains in close touch with his friends in the investment club ‘t Stockpaert. This club, which was co-founded by Jan Knol, currently has 55 active Maurits members. For 40 years already, they have been meeting four times a year for excursions, meetings and social events with their partners. But ultimately, the groundwork for the high returns enjoyed by this group of friends was laid at SSR and EUR.

    He enjoys sailing on the Zeeland waters with his partner Helma and their daughter Iris. One of the sails of their yacht proudly displays Captain Haddock, one of the protagonists of The Adventures of Tintin. His years as an Economics student in Rotterdam have played a key role in his life, and given a chance, he would choose exactly the same programme. He still regularly meets members of the current generation of students. Asked which advice he would give them, Wolter says: “Don’t hesitate to become an entrepreneur if you have the opportunity!”

    Wolter Brinks passed away on the 10th of September 2021. We, at Erasmus School of Economics, will miss him dearly.

  • Pieter Van Zuuren

    P. van Zuuren - The oldest alumnus of ESE and the Erasmus Alumni Vereniging (EAV)

    From a posting to Santander thanks to the A.A. van Beek Fund, via lecture summaries, ‘thee and thouing’ fellow alumni to – after an interesting, fruitful life – becoming Erasmus School of Economics' oldest alumnus!
    From a posting to Santander thanks to the A.A. van Beek Fund, via lecture summaries, ‘thee and thouing’ fellow alumni to – after an interesting, fruitful life – becoming Erasmus School of Economics' oldest alumnus!

    Interviewed by Charles Hermans, 6 November 2009

    Although Frits Visser (Economics 1948) frequently makes quite an impact when he attends our meetings, we would first like to hand the floor to the oldest alumnus of ESE and the Erasmus Alumni Vereniging (EAV):the late Mr Pieter van Zuuren. He was born on 27 December – “the day after Boxing Day” – in 1913, the founding year of our university. We are proud to have been welcoming him to the EAV’s meetings for 70 years (no less) – lately in the greatly-appreciated company of Pieter Heykoop, the son of his fellow year student, the late Willy Heykoop.

    After passing his final HBS B exams in Rotterdam, where he excelled in History and Geography, Pieter went to talk with the personnel manager of the Holland America Line about a job at a travel agency specialised in sea voyages. It was a most enjoyable conversation until the point where the personnel manager told him that for the first three years “any kind of pay was out of the question”. It was 1933! A rude awakening.

    Friends from the HBS told him about the Economics programme at the Nederlandsche Handels-Hoogeschool on Pieter de Hoochweg in Rotterdam. He decided to do his ‘kandidaats’ examination there. After completing this phase of the programme, Van Zuuren worked for a ship’s agent, but a leopard can’t change its spots, which is why shortly after, he could be found working at Santander for two months with a grant of 250 guilders from the A.A. van Beek Fund. That was quite an experience. Among other things, he once redeemed an entire ship. During the weekend, he piloted slender little sailing boats with other young people in the Bay of Santander. Boys and girls threw flowers at each other as a gesture of appreciation: echar flores. They called him Pedro. Unfortunately, he had to leave when the Spanish Civil War broke out. Back in the Netherlands, the poor situation in the employment market led him to decide to pursue his doctorate after all. This decision gave him an opportunity to attend Professor Tinbergen’s very first lectures. And that’s how in early 1940, he obtained his doctorate at what, by now, was known as the Nederlandse Economische Hogeschool (NEH).

    During the war years, he served as Secretary of Stichting tot behartiging van de belangen van de door de oorlog getroffen bedrijven (foundation for the protection of the interests of war-affected companies). He found it difficult to adapt to the customs of the business community: “If you didn’t argue your point on every occasion, you couldn’t get anywhere.” This was followed by a variety of jobs, during which he benefited a great deal from the skills acquired during his time as a student. For example, he was an active member of RSG: the Rotterdamsch Studenten Gezelschap. He made a lot of friends there, and learned a great deal from his fellow students. Pieter was not only a member of the Eloquence debating society, but also served as Editor-in-Chief of the RSG publication Skald. His writing skills came in handy when he was required to make lecture summaries, known as excerperen in Dutch. He took notes during lectures, mainly for members of the Rotterdamsch Studenten Corps – who liked to sleep in at the time.

    Pieter married and had two children. His hobbies were swimming, cycling and 60-km walks from Rotterdam via Schoonhoven and de Vlist back to Gouda and Rotterdam were by no means exceptional. Later on, he spent many years working for the Nederlands Instituut voor Efficiency, ultimately retiring at the age of 65 in 1978 as an adviser at the Veiligheidsinstituut in Amsterdam, a pioneering centre that informed the public about safety in and around the home.

    After his retirement, his knowledge of languages and love of writing meant that he continued to ‘work’ until 1998. He was particularly interested in the inland shipping sector. He was appointed an honorary member of Scheepvaartkring Rotterdam, which he himself helped found, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. In gratitude, he wrote a booklet about this circle, entitled Strength through Discussion.

    Looking back on his student years, he recognises it as a special phase in his life. The broad education provided by the Economics programme in Rotterdam served him very well in his later work: it meant he could be deployed in a wide range of capacities and was well-rounded. His membership of the EAV is in line with this versatility. Incidentally, Pieter confirms that as a rule, alumni ‘thee and thou’ each other: known as tutoiement in Dutch. As he puts it, the meetings are often “friendly, convivial occasions”.

    Still, he’s not sure whether he would choose Rotterdam if he were to enrol in an Economics programme again: he would have to examine his options, but there’s a good chance it would be Rotterdam. His advice to the current crop of students is to definitely do other things besides their studies. It’s very useful. In the meantime, Pieter is already looking forward to his next EAV meeting.

    Charles Hermans

    A lot of things are still the same. What struck me most during my interview with Pieter van Zuuren on 11 January 2010:

    • When Pieter was a student, the Hoogeschool had 12 professors; today, the University employs just under 400 professors.
    • As he remembers it, the share of female students was 10% at most!
    • Around 150 of the some 300 first-year students passed their ‘kandidaats’ examination. Of their number, 50 subsequently pursued their doctorate, and 90% of the 50 students who continued their studies made the finish line. This means that 45 students out of an original intake of 300 ultimately obtained their doctorate. Both the ‘kandidaats’ stage and the doctoral programme that followed lasted approximately two to three years. In other words, quite a few people dropped out in the old days too. And today, most of the students in the master programme also obtain their degree. In addition, at first glance the ‘kandidaats’ and the bachelor programme are strikingly similar: at the time, the ‘kandidaats’ diploma was already seen as a valuable piece of paper.
    • The University already offered an interesting mix of characters in Pieter’s day. You could not only find numerous students from both the region and the Netherlands as a whole, but also quite a few ‘foreign’ students. Up to 15% in his estimate – most of them from the Dutch East Indies. For example, Pieter was friends with Sumitro Djojo Hadikusumo, the later Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia. As well as the ethnic Chinese Tjoe Bian An, known informally as An, and Tenku Mamud Hanafia from Aceh. They found it interesting to join Pieter on his visits to his parents. This way, they could see what Dutch homes looked like on the inside.
    • In response to the economic crisis of the 1930s, Pieter decided to quit looking for a job and continue his studies. This is a move we still see people making today.
    • Pieter had heard about the Economics programme in Rotterdam from friends in secondary school. In other words, word of mouth was as important then as it is today. Erasmus School of Economics will need to keep making an all-out effort!
    • With his lecture summaries that he offered for sale, Pieter was an early example of a student working his way through university.
    • Pieter’s horizons were broadened by his posting with the support of the A.A. van Beek Fund. This situation is the same to this day! 

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