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When I was in secondary school, the political debate was dominated by the power struggle between Den Uyl and Wiegel. I thought it was quite exciting. 

I decided to study Economics, since money often plays an important role in politics. Of course, I did opt for general Economics, while your average Rotterdam student enrolled in Business Economics. Later on, I also studied Business Administration in addition to Economics. This combination laid an excellent foundation for my future career at the Ministry of Finance – you’re not only expected to outline the various policy options; but also how they can be realised.

Rotterdam no-nonsense approach

I continue to benefit from the knowledge I acquired as a student at Erasmus University every day – from employment market economics to exchange rates; from macroeconomics to budgetary policy. In addition, the Rotterdam no-nonsense approach has always appealed to me. I still live in Rotterdam, and in my day-to-day work, a straightforward, fact-based approach proves to be most effective.

In the central hall of the office of Staffyou one object stands out: a gong. ‘We ring it every time we land a client’, founder and CEO Pavle Beslic clarifies. Does the gong ring often enough? ‘Never enough!’, he says, with a generous smile. The location of the office is impressive: it is situated in the Maastoren on the 33rd floor, a couple of floors above Beslic’s former employer Deloitte, with spectacular views on the Erasmus Bridge and beyond. 

Staffyou is a digital temporary agency platform that matches temps and employers through smart algorithms. The location matches the success of the company: in a couple of years Staffyou became a million-dollar business that is active in both the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

How did you come up with the idea of Staffyou? 

Around 2008 I was working as a student for a temp agency myself. I noticed that a lot of colleagues turned up late or were high. I had started a small business before and thought: I can do this too. I addressed the client on the spot, who replied: ‘Well, this is going so bad… If you turn up next Saturday with eight employees, you will be my new supplier.’ I succeeded and started my new business. It was typical for me: seeing opportunities everywhere, without being limited by any expertise. That also meant that I made all the mistakes you can make. I failed to arrange essential things, like taking care of the right acquisition and credit control. My client started paying later and later, and then the financial crisis happened. I could not get a loan and my client went bankrupt. It made me take a different approach. I finished my studies and started working as an accountant, aiming to move up on the corporate ladder that way. After a couple of years, I saw the opportunity to work for myself and eventually to also start my own business again. From the mistakes I made when I was younger, I learned to really take the time to develop a proper idea first. That idea turned out to be the digitalisation of the temp agency. When I was a student, the workflow of these agencies was very cumbersome: there were no smartphones yet, you always had to call people and email directions. I realised that the sector had not changed that much ever since. Why not digitalise your workflow, since we already do everything else online as well? At first, employers were hesitant when I pitched this idea to them. They preferred to call their temps and were not very keen on working with reviews of employees. But I was still convinced of all the advantages of digitalisation and was determined.

Did you learn things during your studies that are still helpful now? 

In retrospect, definitely. When you are a student, a topic like financial accounting is quite abstract. But when I started to expand my business, I recognised the theory behind what was happening and knew what sources to consult to refresh my knowledge.

Are there also topics that you wished you learned more about when you were a student? 

Yes. Communication would be on top of the list. Of course you study languages and you write a thesis. But I am talking basic communication: how to communicate, how to read people and how to interact with different types of people. It will be a huge part of everything you will do after graduation. Another theme would be certain financial knowledge: what taxes entail, how capital works and how to raise money. I would recommend students to read books from successful entrepreneurs who share their experiences. For example, I learned a lot from Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters, the biography of Elon Musk and Amp it up by Frank Slootman – an alumnus from Erasmus. But besides that and focusing on your studies, I think it is also important to do something else that you are passionate about. That can be sports or something creative, as long as it is something that you can completely dive into and that helps you take your mind off other things.

When you were young, your family experienced hardships because of the war. Does that play a role in how driven and motivated you are? 

After being born in Rotterdam, my parents and I moved to then Yugoslavia. After four or five years we left because the war was coming. The economy was turning bad slowly and you could predict it was going bad. My parents sold everything to start a new life in their motherland. When that life fell apart, they lost everything. I realised that things did not work out as we hoped. Being back here, I had the feeling that I stood behind and that I had to make up for something. It felt like I had something to prove. That was definitely a drive to achieve things.

I have always stayed in Rotterdam since. It is the place I know best, where I know everyone. I have an emotional connection with the city. When we were in the middle of upscaling, I bought a small boat. When I was under a lot of pressure, I went speedboating across the Maas to wind down. It also created head space for new ideas. 

I would have liked to live abroad for a year, but that never happened. That is something I regret: I should have had a little bit more fun before I fully took on my entrepreneurship. I underestimated how intensive and time consuming it is. I just started and once you have, you cannot step out that easily. So I would advise future entrepreneurs to think it through beforehand and make a conscious choice. Also: know that everything is possible. I also started in a paid employment situation without a lot of connections. But, and I cannot stress this enough, be realistic at the same time. Not everything can be an instant hit. Do not listen to influencer coaches who promise you golden mountains with minimal effort. If your attempts keep ending up in failure, you will risk giving up your dream. Read, learn, think in scale and take your time. When you will eventually come up with the winning idea, you have made it.

More information

Pavle Beslic (1985) studied Economics at Erasmus School of Economics. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Accounting, Auditing & Control. After his studies he first worked as an auditor at Deloitte, and later as an accountant on a freelance basis. In 2016 he made his first turnover with his company Staffyou.

This item is part of Backbone Magazine 2023. Backbone magazine is the corporate magazine of Erasmus School of Economics. A digital copy can be found here.

Hey! My name is Richard Pols, a Double Degree student in Economics and Law. As a student, it is important to take time to relax and explore what the beautiful city of Rotterdam has to offer. Aside from its many shops, parks, bars and cafes, Rotterdam is also the place to be for fans of visual art. It is not unusual to have your eye caught by one of the world's most famous sculptures when walking through our beautiful city. Here are my favourite public sculptures!

Hey! My name is Natalia Matuszczyk and I am studying Economics and Business Economics at Erasmus School of Economics. Although Rotterdam is known for its modern design, skyscrapers and large port, Rotterdam also has plenty of nature to offer. In fact, the city has over 615,000 trees, more than one tree per resident!

I recently visited one of Rotterdam’s best (and biggest) recreational areas: Kralingse Bos and Kralingse lake. Come rain or shine, this area draws people year-round. It is the perfect place to relax, visit a restaurant or practice sports such as running, cycling, horse-riding, golf, rowing, and sailing. 

History of the Kralingse Bos and Plas

The Kralingse Bos is a forest and encircles the Kralingse Plas lake. The whole area covers 200 hectares northeast of Rotterdam center. Originally, the Kralingse Bos was created around the Noorderplas lake, as the Kralingse Plas was previously called.

The Kralingse Plas is a 100-ha lake. One trip around the lake is approximately 4 km, depending how close you stick to the shoreline. Like most Dutch water-features, it is not natural and was created by farming peat. The 17th century saw an increased demand for fuel in Rotterdam, resulting from the brick and gold pipe industries and population growth. The peat was a dense and readily available fuel source; the Rotterdam people literally burned the ground out from under themselves (at other locations in the Netherlands the ground sank because the marshes were drained, and then oxidised when exposed to air, or because of groundwater withdrawal). 

Soon they found themselves surrounded by more and more water, with the lake growing ever larger due to edge erosion and less space to develop. Eventually, they even had to move the town of Kralingen to its current location because of the encroaching erosion. The lake was named Kralingse Plas when Kralingen was integrated into Rotterdam in 1895. The Kralingse Bos was constructed in 1906 using dredged material from the Rotterdam harbour.

On 14 May 1940, the Germans bombed and destroyed the city centre of Rotterdam. Only a church, post office, trade centre, and town hall remained. That's why Rotterdam looks and feels so different compared to other cities in the Netherlands - the city was completely rebuilt, taking advantage of this opportunity to better plan the city. Some of the rubble excavated from the destroyed city centre was deposited in the Kralingse Plas, creating the broad green stretch and islands along the south edge of the lake.

Two windmills stand on the east edge of the lake: De Lelie (The Lily, 1740) and De Ster (The Star, 1886), both of which are still used to grind spices. A beach lines the west side of the lake, with the northernmost corner a designated nude beach!

The lake began to be used for recreational purposes around the 1900s; the first water sports club also dates from this era. Today there are as many as five water sports clubs near the Kralingse Plas and the area has evolved into one of Holland's best recreational parks.

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Woudestein campus or the Rotterdam metropolis, why not visit the lake and forest? And if you have brought your running shoes with you, you might want to give the famous ‘Kralingse Plas tour’ around the lake a try.

This story is part of Backbone Magazine 2023. The magazine is free and can be found in Theil Building and E-Building. additionally, a digital copy can be found here.

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.”

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 Erasmus School of Economics has, I found all programmes offered by Erasmus School of Economics 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 offers.

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

I currently work as a Data Analytics Engineer for a fintech based in London. My job is to provide clean and reliable data sets to end users and empower them to answer their own questions. That means ensuring the data is ingested, transformed, scheduled, and ready for analytics. The finance and accounting courses during my studies proved to be useful while working in a payments company. Also, the multiple group projects during my bachelor improved my teamwork and communication skills. 

What advice would you give to potential students?

You may feel lost, not have a clue of what’s going on or even suffer from the imposter syndrome at the beginning. You are certainly not alone in feeling that, and as you advance in your studies you will get to enjoy it more and will feel at ease.  

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.

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.

During my bachelor I’d followed several types of courses. Of all these courses the accounting, analytical and finance courses interested me the most. Based on these topics I narrowed down the wide range of MSc programmes available and have visited the accounting, auditing and control, financial economics and Strategy Economics master programmes during an Open Day. Based on the presentations and interactions during these days, and additional information obtained I felt like this MSc programme would fit me best. The Audit track would therein provide me both knowledge on the academics around accounting, financial accounting as well as auditing. 

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

I initially choose Erasmus School of Economics at the moment of my decision for a BSc programme. The main factor for me at this moment was “where do I feel home”. I visited Erasmus University Rotterdam since it was highly ranked, and at the time of my visit immediately liked the city of Rotterdam. I already knew I was going to follow a BSc at the Economic faculty, so with my choice for the city of Rotterdam, and thus the highly ranked Erasmus University, Erasmus School of Economics was the result. 

What is your current job and what does it entail?

I work as a Junior Manager in the Audit Department at Deloitte. My client portfolio consists of International, listed and American listed companies. Auditing them means that we perform procedures to test managements assertions on their financial information, such as a financial statements or an quarterly earnings release. Furthermore I investigate the business processes within the organisation to get an understanding of how transactions flow through the organisation. Based on investigating their internal control we can assess whether there might be any flaws in their processes or controls, and whether these could lead to additional risks. Auditing is teamwork, hence for each client I work for there is a separate team. Next to teamwork being fun and educational, it also gives room to grow and take on more complex topics over the years and to grow to a project leader. Therewith you also work on your communication and people skills. These are also highly trained through interactions that you have with your clients.

"The basic theory from the courses taught during my Masters, I still use on a daily basis."

In what way do you use the skills and knowledge obtained during your bachelor and/or master in your professional life? 

The BSc programme has provided me with basic knowledge of economics and business economics, analytics and problem solving. The most direct link I can find between my day to day work and the BSc programme would be theory from the Financial Accounting courses. In the MSc programme I got more theoretical background on what auditing entails, on IFRS rules and on process management and internal control. The basic theory from the courses as taught during my Masters, I still use on a daily basis.

Since the start of her career in fund management Masja Zandbergen-Albers has been advocating sustainability. However, in the nineties neither clients nor colleagues were particularly interested. Now she is Head of Sustainability Integration at Robeco in Rotterdam, which she has seen transforming into a leader in sustainable investing. She works with a team of fifty people that has been developing a wide range of green investment strategies that is matched by very few other asset managers.

Originally, I was considering an Economics study, but since math came easily to me, I opted for Econometrics. My father told me that the best place to study this subject was Erasmus School of Economics and with hindsight I think he was absolutely right. The fact that I have continued to live in Rotterdam ever since is no coincidence. The city’s hands-on-mentality really appeals to me. In addition, it is a very international place with people from all walks of life.

How did it feel to be one of very few women during your study? 

It was not an issue. During many of the seminars I would be the only female student, but I was there to study so it did not matter. Being a member of SSR, offered me plenty of opportunities for a nice social life. At work, I have often been in predominantly male environments as well and actually I view it as something positive. Men are a bit more direct, which suits me fine. Sustainable investing is traditionally an area where you will find more women. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that it is because we put our money where our mouth is. For a long time we have had different priorities than men and it is great that these have now become more mainstream in the investment world.

Can you describe your career?

I joined Robeco in 1997 as a trainee. I have always been convinced of the necessity for shareholder engagement and attention to sustainability. However, there was not any real demand for that yet from our clients so it was difficult to generate interest within Robeco. When we started Robeco’s engagement team in 2005 our activities were mostly limited to voting and engaging with companies. In 2008, I felt it would be good for my personal development to gain some experience with management. At the time, that opportunity was not available within Robeco so I left to become an interim manager. Back then the group of people involved in sustainable investment was still very small and I was able to find interesting assignments. One of my clients was Syntrus Achmea, now Achmea Investment Management, where I was initially asked for a maternity cover of the Head of Sustainable Investment. Later I joined them as Head of Equities and (temporarily) credits, which gave me the opportunity to learn about the whole investment chain including back office and IT. I had a great time and stayed for 4 years, but when they moved to Zeist my commute from Rotterdam became so time-consuming that I decided to leave. It was great to come back to Robeco as Head of Research for the Global Equity team, but I did indicate that I would like to be involved in sustainable investing. When the post of Head of Sustainability Integration became vacant, I was able to realise this goal. 

'I have always been convinced of the necessity for shareholder engagement and attention to sustainability.'

What is it like to work for Robeco?

Founded in Rotterdam, the company is now owned by Orix of Japan. We have offices in 16 countries, but the investment department in Rotterdam is also very international with colleagues from all over the world. My team enjoys doing things together; recently, we went ice-skating. Even the ones who have not grown up with skates put on a brave face. The sustainable investment center of expertise now has 50 people and they embody a wealth of experience. In turn, this knowledge attracts young talent that is eager to learn and committed to add value to what is already there. 

What distinguishes Robeco’s approach in sustainable investing?

We have now been active in this area for so long that we have already been through a very thorough thought process to get to where we are. People who are new to this type of investing are still debating what it actually means. I am convinced that we can help our clients better because we have charted the way to different types of sustainable investing and the consequences for the selection of investable stocks (the universe). Yes, such choices may have an impact on potential returns, but we can guide newcomers to informed decisions, based on our experience. There are few asset managers that offer such a broad choice in sustainability strategies, ranging from equities to bonds and everything in between. Analysis of financially material ESG issues is part of the investment process for 96% Robeco’s assets under management, we apply exclusion criteria for all our funds and for 22% we are going even further by looking at the carbon footprint of investments or the contribution to the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In terms of assets under management in funds that adhere to the strictest regulation on sustainability we find ourselves in the top 10 in Europe, according to Morningstar Fund Research.

When we participate in groups of institutional investors that are trying to make a difference, we only do so if we can play an active role. We are a founding member of the Net Zero Asset Managers Alliance and play a role in various initiatives regarding biodiversity. Another example is our membership of the Climate Action 100+. Together we have been able to nominate a board member at Italian energy company Enel, which resulted in a more active dialogue on sustainability between the company and the investment community. These activities take a lot of time and effort, but supporting such initiatives in name only is just not enough.

What is the relationship with Erasmus School of Economics?

Many of my colleagues are alumni from Erasmus School of Economics or other faculties. Some of them still work part time at EUR: Guido Baltussen is Head of Factor Investing and Co-Head of Fixed Income at Robeco. He is also a Professor of Finance at Erasmus School of Economics. Joop Huij is responsible for Robeco’s sustainable index solutions and is an Associate Professor of Finance at Rotterdam School of Management where he teaches asset management. Conducting academic research is facilitated very well within Robeco. Several of my colleagues have (co)authored papers in scientific journals, which has helped us to develop our investment philosophy further.

How do you define sustainability?

Sustainable investing can take many different forms. It is very important that there is sufficient transparency to allow the client to understand what funds are really doing in this area. However, labels can also complicate things, especially if they vary from country to country. Sometimes it becomes almost impossible to market the same fund in different countries while complying with all local regulations. It is good that the EU has come up with the SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation), but it is still work in progress and should not lead to an emphasis on box ticking instead of intrinsically motivated decision-making. What I like about SFDR is its emphasis on double materiality. On the one hand integrating ESG criteria and mitigating ESG risks in the investment process will lead to better investment decisions. On the other hand ‘Money, money, money’ is not enough. To paraphrase Abba, we should also be encouraged to ask ourselves ‘Does your mother know?’. You want to be able to explain how the companies you select play their part in creating a sustainable future. 

Can you give some examples of engagement activities and their impact?

We have screened our portfolios for CO2 emissions and selected the 200 biggest emitters. For these companies we studied all the information regarding their 2050 targets. Some had no information at all and others just did not have credible plans. It has led to increased engagement with companies where we see room for improvement. In those cases where we considered the transparency subpar, we have decided to demand more openness through voting at AGMs, even if there were no proposals on this topic on the agenda yet. We voted against other items on the agenda and explained our stance to the company in writing. For the companies with the lowest scores in our climate framework and where the follow up is insufficient, this may lead to exclusion. When we started excluding tobacco one of the major companies in the sector wrote to us, stating that they would be smoke-free by 2050. We replied that we would gladly reconsider an investment if they could let us know by the time they had achieved this goal.

What is the benefit of your Econometrics study in your work?

I am no longer actively programming or developing models, but I have been trained to analyse data and other information very quickly. This mindset is something I use every day and I am very happy with the solid foundation that was built during my Econometrics study.

Irene Odile de Vries had lived on four continents before coming to Erasmus School of Economics. She enrolled in a premaster course and the master’s in international economics because she wanted to understand the countries she had lived in. Gradually she came to realise that connections between economics and other disciplines are often overlooked. It motivated her to surmount several challenges to get to where she is now: an economics teacher with a wide following because of the innovative ideas she presents.

You arrived at Erasmus School of Economics in a roundabout way. Can you tell us how?

I obtained the International Baccalaureate in Malaysia and Australia where my family lived as expats. After graduating High School in Kuala Lumpur, I did not fancy going back to the Netherlands by myself, so I studied Psychology and Business Administration on the Malaysian campus of Monash, an Australian university. After six months, I continued on their Melbourne campus where I completed my studies in Business Administration. Looking for work experience, I moved to the Netherlands and subsequently New York to do jobs in event management. There is always a lot going on in New York City so after two years I left because I was tired and wanted to enjoy some travelling. When I started working in the Netherlands again, I went back to event management, but it soon felt like more of the same. Recently, I was diagnosed with ADHD, which helps me to understand why I dislike repetitiveness, and enjoy moving and changing jobs every couple of years. Knowing I have ADHD does not make it go away, but it does make my life a bit easier. The diagnosis helped me to see what my biggest challenges are, how to tackle them and forgive myself when I get stuck.

'The most surprising outcome of the premaster is probably that I now actually enjoy maths!'

In search of the next step in my career, I was reading a lot of books such as Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth and a Dutch book that shows how market forces have come to determine everything from housing and labour to democracy and even love. When I attended a presentation by its author, Koen Haegens, I met people from a group called Rethinking Economics. This organisation, which is also very active in Rotterdam, is part of an international network of students and recent graduates that aims to build better economics education with the support of academic allies. These conversations, in combination with the books and my travels, inspired me to study economics. With an Australian Bachelor in Business Administration you cannot simply enter a Master’s programme in Economics so I enrolled in the premaster at Erasmus School of Economics. I chose this university because Rotterdam seemed like a nice city (which turned out to be very true). The premaster was certainly necessary for me because I lacked a foundation in mathematics, microeconomics and macroeconomics. The maths was particularly challenging initially, but thanks to other students I mastered concepts such as integrating and differentiating quickly. The most surprising outcome of the premaster is probably that I now actually enjoy maths!

Why did you choose the Master in International Economics?

I had lived an international life and considered doing so in the future as well. The idea was that this degree would help me compare the places where I had lived so far. Why are some countries more developed than others? Why is the inequality in the US so much higher than in the other countries where I have lived? My study in international economics showed me where I have to look to answer these questions, while providing me with tools to analyse such information. What I missed, in my time at Erasmus School of Economics, was a comprehensive approach that takes into account how different disciplines are interwoven and how various economists approached the large issues of their time. Economic theories are the product of human thinking and, to a large extent, they are shaped by the assumptions and hypotheses used to formulate them. I believe it needs to be made very clear that economic theory is thus influenced by politics and idealism, and the broader historical context. Prospective students might be glad to hear that Erasmus School of Economics has recently expanded teaching on the ethics of methodologies and more perspectives are now included in the subject History of Economic Thought. I was happy with the structure of the course, which meant that the study was compartmentalised in several blocks, but writing a thesis was very hard for me. I now know that I need to engage in something new regularly. In-depth research, writing and rereading is very difficult for someone with my form of ADHD. I eventually managed to complete the process with the help of my friends.

'The debate behind every economic policy is a fascinating power struggle'

How has your view on economics influenced your career?

Upon graduating, I had various jobs in event management and journalism until I had a burnout. Looking back, I think this was partly due to a lack of boundaries between work and my private life. When I came back to work, I had a few talks with a career coach. During these sessions it became clear that editing opinion pieces for a newspaper, in which you have to work on long essays and stay on top of the news constantly, was not the right job for me. As a child I wanted to become a music teacher and during my master’s degree I enjoyed the classes so much that I could actually see myself teaching economics at some point in the future. This all came back to me when I was considering a career switch. A friend alerted me to an opening at a school in my neighbourhood and within no time I was standing in front of a class of exam students. I am studying part-time for a qualification as teacher at the highest level. In the Netherlands, you can use the knowledge gained at university to start teaching at this level immediately on the understanding that you will obtain the necessary diploma within three years. Part of my course is professional didactics, which I engage with enthusiastically. As a new teacher you bring your own external ideas and experiences to the field. I am actually surprised that there is no mandatory continuing education for high school teachers, something you see in many other professions.

What would you like to change in secondary education?

One of the reasons economics is interesting is that it can be applied in so many fields. The debate behind every economic policy is a fascinating power struggle. This is a subject that lends itself to examinations in the form of papers or discussions, not maths and multiple-choice questions. Now that I am teaching, I do understand better why it is difficult to offer such a comprehensive approach. Moreover, connecting with colleagues that teach a different subject and offer lessons that show how everything is linked, is proving difficult, even at a school where we are all in the same building.

I am critical of the emphasis on concepts such as GDP and sums in which there is no room for what is lacking in its calculation. There are opportunities to teach students about the boundaries to growth for example, but these remain fairly limited. The teaching methods tend to focus on giving the students enough practice with the mathematical side of the subject.

I would prefer an approach that shows students how economic concepts help us understand the way our world works. The required content of the curriculum is determined every four years, which makes it very difficult to include phenomena that are taking place in today’s society. I try to deal with this by inviting a guest speaker occasionally and following the news with my classes. When I read a newspaper article, I can see clearly the economic concepts that relate to each story and how to use it as an example in lessons. In my enthusiasm, it can be difficult to balance these real-world examples with explaining the theory and solutions to tricky questions. It was very reassuring to hear a student in the exam year say that the class discussion of news items helped them to understand the topic and see the practical use of economics lessons.

When I am not teaching or studying, I am also part of a team called Our New Economy. We advocate for better economics education at all levels and produce teaching materials that pay more attention to such things as sustainability and the balance of power on the labour market. I also publish ideas for economics teaching on LinkedIn and in a professional magazine for teachers, TEO. For example when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, I created and shared teaching materials, and wrote about the opportunity to use this as an illustration of game theory or the prisoners’ dilemma. Perhaps it is even more important that future generations understand the consequences of their actions during an unfolding bank run than whether or not they are capable of doing their sums correctly.