The Dutch cabinet has named three University of Amsterdam (UvA) professors as Crown-appointed members of the Social Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER). Barbara Baarsma, Aukje Nauta and Evert Verhulp will serve as council members from 1 April 2012 to 1 April 2014. Rector Magnificus Dymph van den Boom welcomed the message: "I am proud that no less than three of the six new Crown-appointed members are UvA professors. It highlights the fact that the UvA plays an important role in our society. "

Prof. Barbara Baarsma is professor of Applied Economic Research at the UvA and director of SEO Economic Research. In her work, she deals with topics in the fields of market forces, competition and regulation. She was also involved in the development of a competition test for legislation and issues relating to accession. Baarsma also advises in competition cases, such as mergers, cartels and state aid.

Prof. Aukje Nauta is professor by special appointment of Employability in work relationships at the UvA. She is co-founder of management consultancy firm Factor Vijf . Nauta publishes work on topics in the fields of occupational and organisational psychology and HRM, including prosocial behaviour, conflict, employability, age-related personnel and social innovation. In 2011, she published her most recent book, Tango op de werkvloer. Een andere kijk op arbeidsrelaties (Tango on the workfloor: a different look at labour relations). Nauta also advises companies and organisations on issues relating to employability, labour relations and social innovation.

Prof. Mr. Evert Verhulp is professor of Labour Law at the UvA. He is also a member of the SER’s Labour Market, Right of Dismissal and Employee Participation committee ( commissie Arbeidsmarkt, Ontslagrecht en Medezeggenschap) and deputy in the District Court of Amsterdam. Verhulp is also Director of Labour Market Research UvA BV. In 2008 and 2009, he has conducted research at the request of the International Labour Organisation in Kyrgyzstan, and made recommendations to improve cooperation between employers and employees in that country.

About the SER

The SER is the main advisory body to the Dutch government and the parliament on national and international social and economic policy. The SER also conducts administrative and supervisory tasks. Independent Crown-appointed members, employers and employees work together in the SER. The Crown-appointed members of the current SER affiliated to the UvA are: Prof. Alexander Rinnooy Kan (Professor of Policy Analysis in the private and public sectors), Professor Arnoud Boot (Professor of Corporate Finance and Financial Markets), Dr. Jet Bussemaker ( member Executive Board UvA), Prof. Louise Fresco (University Professor), Prof. Mirjam van Praag (Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organisation), Prof. Coen Teulings (Professor of Economics, in particular government and labour ) and Prof. Casper van Ewijk (Professor of Macroeconomics).