My name is Erik Kole, and I'm an assistant professor in the Econometric Institute. My research mainly lies within the field of financial econometrics, which is also what I teach. Moreover, I'm part of education management, meaning that I'm responsible for the Bachelor’s programme Econometrics and Operations Research, both in English and Dutch.
Meet your Professor: Erik Kole
Besides my activities in the university, I enjoy doing sports. I swim quite a bit, and I really enjoy skiing and being in the mountains. From a young age, I have always liked learning and teaching. Looking back at my time as a student, I was very eager and ambitious. Although I studied hard, I also really enjoyed the student life. Going out with friends and living on your own really made my time as a student one of the most valuable memories in my life.
I obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degree in Econometrics at Maastricht University, after which I did an internship at an investment bank in Amsterdam. For me, the internship consisted of fancy econometrics, but also quite some not-so-fancy econometrics. Therefore, I wanted to pursue my career in academia, to focus more on new advances in the field. In 2001, I started my PhD at Rotterdam School of Management. I started to really enjoy my time in Rotterdam, as well as the campus, which is why I eventually opted for a position at Erasmus School of Economics.
‘Being a student gives you a lot of freedom. You should really enjoy that, and make the most of it.’
What I value greatly in my job, is the combination of teaching and doing research. When I do research, I think about how I can integrate that in my teaching. Conversely, if I discuss things with students, that is also highly inspirational for my own research. Moreover, I think a lot about how I can improve my teaching. This reflection also helps me to present my research in a more efficient and compelling way. Hence, the combination of teaching and doing research is a very valuable one for me.
As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy spending time on campus. One of the nicest spots here is definitely the Erasmus Pavilion. It’s lovely to have a coffee there, especially since you feel the vibe of having students around. The Pavilion is particularly wonderful during the summer, when people are sitting outside and around the pond. Having all those people enjoying the warmth of the summer around you on campus really makes me feel like I’m in the centre of an academic community.
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You can watch the full interview with assistant professor Erik Kole above.
For more information, please contact Ronald de Groot, Media & Public relations Officer at Erasmus School of Economics: rdegroot@ese.eur.nl, mobile phone: +31 6 53 641 846.
