The research afternoon is an event for all academic staff with sessions on various topics and a keynote talk from a guest researcher. This Research Afternoon’s Keynote was given by Professor David Levine from the European University Institute and Washington University (St. Louis).
The pay-off of research in economics
The afternoon started with an introduction by dean Frank van der Duijn Schouten, who emphasized that we should stress the social impact of our research and increase its visibility. According to Van der Duijn Schouten, “impact is not just a buzzword” but something we always need to consider in our research efforts.
Social impact of academic research
The plenary introduction was followed by three parallel sessions. Pearl Dykstra, professor of Empirical Sociology at Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, explained how the ODISSEI platform could provide economists with easy access to micro data ODISSEI platform and stimulate collaboration with researchers in other disciplines.
Dr. Remy Spliet (Econometrics) discussed the challenges of working with third parties in a collaborative research project. Even when you have it all (relevant partners, strong commitment to joint investigation, data access, funding, opportunities for development and impact in society) such endeavors are far from trivial.
The third parallel session was a panel discussion on the potential benefits and need for multidisciplinary collaboration and the focus on societal impact within research. The discussion was moderated by Hans van Kippersluis, professor of Applied Economics. Several faculty members made their case, from different perspectives. The participants stressed the fundamental role that academia has to play in stimulating change and discussed various approaches to reach out to society at large.
David Levine keynote: “Special interest the main driver of populism”
The afternoon’s talk was given by professor David Levine, who discussed the issue of lobbyism, special interest groups, and their effects on populism. Professor Levine showcased several theoretical frameworks on for example the relationship between voter turnout and monitoring costs.
The afternoon ended with drinks and snacks.
Note: the research afternoon took place on 3 March 2020. The photos were taken before the RIVM measures were announced.
- More information
Would you like to learn more about the Research Afternoon? Contact Adhemare de Rijk for more information.
