Professor Harry Commandeur holder of the F.J.D. Goldschmeding chair

Frits Goldschmeding (1933), who studied economics at the VU Amsterdam, is mainly renowned as the founder and president of Randstad Holding. In 1985, he received the Royal distinction Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau. Upon the 35th anniversary of the Randstad Group, he was also ap-pointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion. For his contribution to socio-economic developments in Belgium, in 1999 he was appointed Commander in the Order of Leopold II. In 1994, he received an honorary doctorate from Rochester University in recognition of his contribution with Randstad to the Dutch economy and society. In 2006, he received an honorary degree from Nyenrode Business University.

The F.J.D. Goldschmeding chair will aim to explore the interfaces, cohesion and added value be-tween economics and philosophy and social sciences. From the chair, Professor Harry Commandeur will make connections between the economic sciences and other disciplines such as philosophy, theology, law, history and the social sciences. The work of the Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organisation (EHERO) relating to the theme ‘happiness’ is a great example of where this interdisciplinary approach can lead. The same applies to the ERGO initiative, also partly facilitated by Frits Goldschmeding, in which economists, theologians, philosophers and lawyers meet on the Stad Amsterdam clipper each year to discuss ideas about opportunities to ‘promote a professional and philosophical attitude based on a real connection with another person’. Harry Commandeur helped develop both initiatives.

For Erasmus School of Economics, the chair reflects its desire to incorporate contributions from other subject areas into research, education and the economic and social valorisation in the field of economics. The aim hereby is to strengthen the contribution of the discipline to solving complex social and economic issues, to respond to the needs of business and government organisations for knowledge, to train leaders of the future and to enrich its own discipline.