My name is Arjan Non. I work as an assistant professor at Erasmus School of Economics, and I am also a teacher at the Teacher Academy. In my spare time, I enjoy road cycling and football. One of my other passions is watching vintage cars. In Rotterdam, my favourite activity is walking along the river. The skyline provides a beautiful view, and it is a great way to get some fresh air. On campus, my favourite place is my office. This room feels like an extension of my home, providing a comfortable and personal space.
When I was a student, I did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to do after my studies. I could envision myself working for the government, as I am interested in public economics, but my career path turned out differently. While studying at Erasmus School of Economics, I was exploring opportunities in government organisations. Then, my thesis supervisor, Robert Dur, asked if I would be interested in pursuing a PhD. I thought about it that night and told him the next day that I was excited about the opportunity. That is how I began my PhD at Erasmus University.
Field of interest
In my teaching career, my favourite subject to teach was macroeconomics, which studies the overall economy and large-scale economic factors, rather than focusing on individual markets or businesses. While it is not my primary research area, I find it fascinating. I view macroeconomics as one of the most classical forms of economics. It is all around us, so it is hard to avoid. Even in other areas of economics, macroeconomic implications often emerge. I find various fields interesting and see a lot of overlap between them, so I don’t have one favourite economist.
Interesting new ideas
I come up with research ideas by reading extensively or discussing topics with my colleagues. Sometimes, the magic happens, and I come up with a new idea to explore. Unfortunately, there is no cookbook recipe for getting great ideas, because it is often the idea that makes the difference. One of the most interesting findings from my research is that workers’ performance improves when they see that colleagues receive recognition for good performance. In our study, we also examined whether recognition should be given to all workers or only to a subset of the best performers. Surprisingly, we found that even workers who did not receive recognition but observed their colleagues being recognised improved their own performance. For me, this was an intriguing discovery.
Twenty years ago, it was more acceptable to conduct research with few observations and leave some open ends than it is today. Methodology has become much more rigorous, and I believe we are making significant progress. This trend will likely continue, leading to an overall increase in the quality of research in the future.
A word of advice
I would advise students to try out many different things. I mean discovering what you like and exploring it, for example through internships. Your student years are the perfect time for this, as it becomes much harder to switch careers later in life. So, take your time now to figure out what you want to do.
- Assistant professor
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This item is part of Backbone Magazine 2025. The magazine can be found in E-building or Theil-building for free. Additionally, a digital copy is available here. Backbone is the corporate magazine of Erasmus School of Economics. Since 2014, it is published once a year. The magazine highlights successful and interesting alumni, covers the latest economic trends and research, and reports on news, events, student and alumni accomplishments.
