معرفی
Tom Van Puyenbroeck serves as Full Professor at KU Leuven's Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) with dual leadership roles as Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Diversity Policy and Academic Director of the Brussels Campus. His academic base resides within the Economics Research Group at KU Leuven's Brussels campus, where he directs research on knowledge economy dynamics and public sector economics while maintaining significant administrative responsibilities across university governance structures.
His research portfolio demonstrates deep specialization in quantitative economic methodologies, particularly Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for constructing composite indicators in social inclusion measurement, human development indexing, and cultural benchmarking. Recent investigations focus on Brussels' knowledge-based economy structure and impact, while earlier work spans sports economics (cycling expenditure analysis), public sector efficiency, and welfare measurement. Methodological innovations include benefit-of-the-doubt weighting systems and frontier difference indices for multidimensional welfare assessment.
Analysis of his publication trajectory reveals consistent methodological advancement in DEA applications since the early 2000s, with increasing focus on urban economic systems after 2015. The 2022-2024 Brussels knowledge economy studies represent the culmination of this urban economics specialization, integrating regional development theory with practical policy evaluation frameworks. His work bridges theoretical econometrics with actionable insights for metropolitan policy-making, particularly in knowledge-intensive urban economies.
He has supervised doctoral research including P. Verbunt's multidimensional analysis of EU social inclusion (2019) and E. Thibaut's examination of sports expenditure determinants (2017). His administrative leadership extends across multiple governance tiers as member of the University Council, Academic Council, Executive Board, and specialized committees including the Diversity Council and Disciplinary Committee for Students.
As core faculty within FEB's Economics Research Group, he contributes to teaching in Economics, Macroeconomics and Policy, and Economics of the Public Sector. His institutional influence spans campus operations as Head of Finance for Brussels Campus and leadership within the KU Leuven Urban Studies Institute (LUSI), positioning him at the intersection of academic research, urban policy development, and university administration.