What do you like most about your job?

I’ve been working at universities for quite a while now. What I like most is when teaching and research feels like it did when I first started. By that I mean it feels like it did during my studies: reading about a subject, thinking about it, discussing it with others, encountering obstacles, and gradually making progress.

Which research from the past year are you most proud of?

Difficult question, because things can be important in different ways. One project that comes to mind is a paper that I spent a lot of time working during the past few years. It’s now on the verge of being accepted in an academic journal. It’s not even an especially high-ranking journal, but I’m still proud. That’s because we didn’t give up on our work and I felt it was worthwhile to conduct the research. Sometimes you just have to put the rankings aside for a moment and do what’s important to you.

What do colleagues probably not know about you?

I work part-time at the UvA. Most of my time is spent working for a large German university, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. I’ve been the dean of the Department of Economics and Management since last year. I feel just like the chair of a football club: someone who was never actually prepared for the role and does it on top of their other work. Formally I don’t have a lot of authority but I still try to get things done.