My name is Michiel Gerritse and I am an associate professor at Erasmus School of Economics. I am also the Director of the Urban, Port and Transport Economics Programme. I have lived in the Netherlands for my entire life, with a few academic exceptions: I have lived in London and Milan for a while, which gives you some contrast to Dutch life and academia.
What I enjoy particularly about the Netherlands, are the people that I have around me here: my friends and family. Apart from economics, my hobbies are mostly sport related. Recently, I have been playing tennis. Other than that, I enjoy cooking; and eating as well. I have a ton of favourite dishes, but the Italian kitchen is generally my favourite. That, however, also has to do with the fact that I lived there for a while and tried to understand the local cuisine.
Student experience
As a student, I did not really see the point of economics in the first years. I was busier making friends and trying to figure out life or doing sports. In my second year, I sort of realised that I needed to set myself goals or deadlines. I decided to do extra courses because with the pressure of having extra exams, I found myself willing to work a little harder. During the fourth or fifth year of my study, I really started to see the point of economics; I started enjoying it and was really getting into it!
Teaching
Personally, I never try to over-prepare for lectures. I try to just talk to the students and to explain the material in a natural way, because I feel the social part is important when learning. If I give students a very scripted lecture, I do not think that the message will land very well. To me, it is thrilling when my students master an analytical or intellectual skill. Often, they think it is difficult at first, but they think it is obvious only a few weeks later – sometimes without even realising how much progress they made.
'During my study I decided to do extra courses because with the pressure of having extra exams, I found myself willing to work a little harder'
Research
My research is mainly focussed on urban, international and geographical economics. I am an international economist by training, but I quickly realised that these fields are very connected, as they all deal with trade and location. However, a lot of this trade is done by firms, which simply try to organise themselves as best as they can. They may choose to ship their products somewhere or to invest in a new plant. Hence, these firms will also make location choices. In my research, I often break down the aggregate trade and investment flows to understand the consequences of how individual firms make choices. For instance, firms may hold inventories as buffers against the uncertainty of a globalising world. If you want to understand how a pandemic or the shutdown of a major international trade route affects you, you need to understand how long firms’ buffers can weather disruption and how they manage those buffers.
- More information
This item is part of Backbone Magazine 2023. The magazine can be found in E-building or Theil-building for free. Additionally, a digital copy is available here. Backbone is the corporate magazine of Erasmus School of Economics. Since 2014, it is published once a year. The magazine highlights successful and interesting alumni, covers the latest economic trends and research, and reports on news, events, student and alumni accomplishments.
