Dr. Femke Roosma is an Associate Professor at the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences , affiliated with the Department of Sociology . Her research focuses on public opinion, welfare state legitimacy, and political discourse dynamics. Current courses: Soc. Movements in Contemporary Societies, Social Problems, Hybrid Organizations. Email: F.Roosma@tilburguniversity.edu Research Interests : Welfare state attitudes and deservingness theory Universal Basic Income (UBI) policy debates Impact of radical right discourse on welfare chauvinism Democratic interventions for societal discontent Recent Publications analyze multidimensional UBI support, welfare chauvinism during crises, and Dutch Twitter discourse networks. Scientific Recognition : Fellow, Wetenschappelijk Bureau GroenLinks (2022–present) External Roles : Chairman, Stichting Straatalliantie (2023–) Professor by Special Appointment, Dr. J.M. Den Uyl Chair, University of Amsterdam (2023–) Member, Stichting De Waterheuvel (2022–) Former Boardmember, Stichting Pro Juventute (2016–2021) Former Member, Amsterdam City Council (2014–2022)
Dr. Julia Swart is an Assistant Professor of Economic Sustainability at Utrecht University's Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, specifically within the Department of Economics. She is also a board team member of the interdisciplinary Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) bachelor program at Utrecht University. Her academic home is the Utrecht University School of Economics, where she contributes to research within the Institutions for Open Societies (IOS) and Pathways to Sustainability (PtS) frameworks, particularly the PtS - Future Food Utrecht initiative. Dr. Swart holds a PhD in Economics from Erasmus University Rotterdam and Tinbergen Institute, with her thesis titled 'Natural Resources and the Environment: Implications for Economic Development and International Relations.' She also earned an MPhil in Economics from the Tinbergen Institute and an MSc in Economics from the University of São Paulo. During her doctoral studies, she was a visiting scholar at Oxford University's OxCarre. Her research focuses on the intersection of international economics, development economics, and environmental economics, particularly examining how climate change impacts socio-economic outcomes such as economic growth, well-being, and employment. She also investigates necessary adaptation investments to mitigate climate-related costs. Her work on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) explores how it contributes to development in countries, particularly in Latin America and Brazil, and its environmental impacts. She has also conducted research on Social Technologies, Economic Complexity, and Climate Change Control. Dr. Swart's publication record shows a consistent focus on sustainability, development, and environmental economics across numerous high-impact journals. Her work spans theoretical and applied research, with strong policy implications. She has published on topics including climate change mitigation technologies, sustainable oceans, green investment, FDI in developing contexts, and the relationship between economic complexity and sustainability. She has earned teaching qualifications including the Senior University Teaching Qualification (SKO) in April 2021 and the Basic University Teaching Qualification (BKO) in June 2018. She has supervised 10 bachelor theses and 18 master theses, demonstrating her commitment to student development. Dr. Swart has been actively involved in multiple research projects including 'Gaming for Change' aimed at increasing sustainability knowledge among students, the Delta Climate Center focusing on 'Flexible deltas: nature-based solutions,' and the Signature Project on 'Tackling gender inequality and sustainability in agribusiness' where she serves as Research Leader. She has also contributed to the 'Zero Footprint Campus' initiative and collaborated on the 'Shapes of Thinking' project with the Dutch Ministry of Defense.
Erik Dietzenbacher is a Full Professor of Interindustry Economics at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Economics and Business. He specializes in input-output analysis, climate change, and regional economics. He holds honorary positions at institutions like the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and has been a visiting professor at Rutgers University and UIBE in Beijing. Education: MSc in Econometrics (1982) and PhD in Economics (1991) from the University of Groningen. His academic career spans over three decades, with leadership roles including Chair of the Board of Examiners at FEB and former President of the International Input-Output Association (2013-2018). Research focuses on global value chains, environmental impacts of trade, and structural decomposition analysis. He coordinates large projects like the WIOD (World Input-Output Database), funded by the EU. Notable awards include the Ricardo Torres Gaitán Chair (2023), Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau (2021), and An Zijie International Trade Research Award (2014). Teaching contributions include pioneering courses on academic writing and research methodology. He has supervised 15 PhD students and developed modular courses on input-output analysis worldwide. His work bridges academia and policy, influencing EU trade and climate policies through frameworks like the FIGARO MRIO database. Leadership roles include Chair of the University Committee for Academic Practice and past Head of the Global Economics and Management department. His research extends to ecological economics and sustainability, with over 100 refereed articles and 15 books, reflecting a H-index of 30 (Web of Science) and 48 (Google Scholar).
Dr. Inge van den Bijgaart is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University School of Economics, specializing in environmental economics with a focus on climate policy. She is affiliated with the Department of Economics within the Law, Economics and Governance faculty at Utrecht University. Her research examines the economic repercussions of climate policy, how policy design affects outcomes, economic justifications for climate policy choices, and appropriate policy mixes for different contexts. Her research interests span environmental economics, climate policy, green innovation, carbon taxation, sustainable development, industrial decarbonization, and firm heterogeneity. Van den Bijgaart has published extensively on climate policy for emission mitigation, green innovation, the economics of meat taxation, health considerations justifying higher fuel taxes, and green industrial policies for basic materials industries. Her recent work includes analyzing how adapting fuel taxes could benefit health by reducing diabetes, dementia, and depression risks, and examining whether wealthier households disproportionately benefit from fuel excise duty reductions. Her publications reveal a strong focus on policy-relevant economic analysis that bridges environmental concerns with economic efficiency and social equity. Key trends include examining consumption-based versus production-based emissions accounting, analyzing distributional effects of climate policies, and exploring the intersection of health and environmental benefits in policy design. NWO Vidi grant (2025-2030) to study firm heterogeneity and climate policy FORMAS grant (Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development, Dnr: 2020-00174) for research on green industrial policies Van den Bijgaart actively engages with policy debates through media commentary in outlets like Trouw, Nu.nl, RTL News, and international platforms like the Potsdam Institute. She teaches courses on sustainable growth in Intermediate Macroeconomics, economics of climate change in the Climate and Society course, Advanced Macroeconomics for Research Masters, and Environmental Economics and Policy at the MSc level. Prior to joining Utrecht University, she served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2016-2021) and earned her PhD from Tilburg University in 2016.
Menno Pradhan is a Full Professor of Project and Program Evaluation for International Development at the Department of Economics , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) . He has held this position since 2007. Additionally, he serves as a co-academic director of the Amsterdam Institute for International Development and a research fellow at the Tinbergen Institute . His research focuses on basic education, early childhood development, community empowerment, and health , employing empirical methods such as household surveys and impact evaluations. Teaching includes courses on International Trade and Development Economics (BSc) and Microeconomics for Development (MSc). He has supervised 5 PhD theses , though student names are not listed here. Professional Contributions include roles at the World Bank in Indonesia and Washington, and prior academic positions at Cornell University and the VU. He has led projects such as the Innovative Partnership for Universal Sustainable Health and contributed to policy research via datasets like the Health Insurance in Kenya study (2019-2021). Awards & Grants : Received the MFS II Evaluations at Country Level - Indonesia grant (2012). Research Themes : Over 100 publications span topics like education quality, health equity, and poverty measurement. Recent work addresses pandemic impacts, digital health interventions, and rural infrastructure effects.
Dr. Annika Mueller is an Associate Professor (with ius promovendi) at the Department of Economics, Econometrics and Finance within the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Groningen. She serves as an EEF Fellow at the FEB Research Institute, Program Coordinator for the MSc International Financial Management, and holds membership on the Board of Examiners and GrEELab Committee. Her research affiliations include being an Affiliate of the CESifo Research Network, Member of CoRE-IPD, and Member of the Dutch Development Economics Network (DUDE). Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Michigan (Awarded December 18, 2011) Dr. Mueller's research focuses on Development Economics, Experimental Economics, and Behavioral Economics, with particular expertise in financial inclusion, Islamic microfinance, and field experiments in developing countries. Her work examines how financial services can be structured to better serve marginalized populations, with specific attention to religious and cultural factors that influence financial behavior. She investigates savings behavior, intergroup relations in economic contexts, and the effectiveness of development interventions, particularly in Pakistan, Uganda, Ghana, and Malawi. Her research contributes directly to Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty reduction and economic development. Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on field experiments in developing economies, with recent work examining cash-transfer programs in Uganda, Islamic finance mechanisms in Pakistan, and survey methodology innovations. Mueller frequently collaborates with researchers including Lensink, Ahmad, and van Dongen, producing rigorous empirical work that bridges theoretical economics with practical development applications. Her articles appear in top journals across economics, finance, and development studies. Scientific Recognition: Impact Case - Financial Inclusion in Pakistan (2024) - recognized by 2 news outlets, referenced in 1 policy source, and widely discussed with 229 readers on Mendeley Dr. Mueller actively supervises research and has advised on multiple projects, though specific student names are not listed in available documentation. She leads current research projects including an Information Transparency system for farmers' access to credit in Ghana and the Nebbi Inclusive Development Project in Uganda, which demonstrates that universal basic income proves to be an effective method of development aid. Her work combines rigorous experimental methodology with practical applications for development policy. She is affiliated with the Development Economics Research Unit and contributes significantly to the understanding of how financial systems can be adapted to cultural contexts in developing countries, particularly through her work on Islamic finance mechanisms and their comparative effectiveness against conventional microfinance approaches.
Andrew Fischer is a Full Professor at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Netherlands , specializing in Development Studies and Social Policy . His research interrogates the political economy of global development , focusing on Global South issues, demographic transitions , debt crises , and the ideology of poverty measurement . Key research interests include reparatory justice , socioeconomic transitions , and ethnic demography . His recent work analyzes 21st-century global reparations , debt dynamics in developing countries , and structural inequality in Tibet . He has edited special issues on social policy under right-wing populism and post-neoliberal development . His 2018 book Poverty as Ideology critically examines poverty metrics in global development agendas . Fischer's publications span peer-reviewed journals , working papers , and multidisciplinary chapters , often addressing systemic vulnerabilities and policy alternatives . He has supervised postgraduate research on topics like cash transfer programs and ethnic labor dynamics . His work frequently engages with international organizations and policy debates on social justice and economic redistribution .
Maximilian Kasy serves as Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, having joined after academic appointments at UCLA and Harvard University. He holds a PhD from UC Berkeley. His educational background includes: PhD, University of California, Berkeley Professor Kasy's research pioneers the social foundations of statistics and machine learning, challenging traditional single-agent decision theory frameworks. His work critically examines economic inequality alongside policy-focused studies on universal basic income and job guarantee programs. At Oxford, he teaches a dedicated course on machine learning foundations within the Department of Economics, bridging theoretical statistics with socioeconomic applications.
Amin Sinichi serves as a Research Associate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences with multiple specialized affiliations including Clinical Developmental Psychology Research Associate, IBBA Research Associate, and APH Research Associate positions in Digital Health, Mental Health, and Global Health. Based at the university's Amsterdam campus, Sinichi contributes to interdisciplinary research bridging psychology, neuroscience, and health technology. Research interests focus on self-regulation mechanisms, memory consolidation processes, and the application of wearable technology in psychophysiological research. Sinichi's work particularly examines hippocampal function, resting-state physiology, measurement error in physiological monitoring, and the intersection of rhythm analysis with psychological processes. The research portfolio demonstrates strong connections between basic cognitive neuroscience and practical applications in mental health assessment. Publication trends reveal a strategic progression from fundamental memory research toward applied health technology validation, with recent work emphasizing methodological rigor in wearable device assessment. The 2025 publication on heart rate wearable accuracy represents the cutting edge of this trajectory, building upon earlier work in memory consolidation and self-regulation. This evolution demonstrates increasing focus on translational research with direct clinical and public health implications, particularly regarding adolescent mental health interventions in diverse global contexts. Sinichi actively collaborates across international boundaries, with research extending to Colombia, Nepal, and South Africa through the ALIVE interdisciplinary research collaboration. The work demonstrates strong methodological expertise in both experimental psychology and technological validation approaches, with particular emphasis on ensuring measurement accuracy in real-world settings. Current research directions suggest continued development of open-source tools for physiological data analysis alongside expanded applications in global mental health contexts.
Dr. Gerrit Koop is an Associate Professor at the Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University , where he has worked since April 2023. Previously, he served as a University Lecturer (2013-2023) and Junior University Lecturer (2011-2013). His research focuses on udder health in ruminants (cows, sheep, goats, buffalo), using (molecular) epidemiological techniques to address practical questions in both the Netherlands and low/middle-income countries, contributing to food security and safety through sustainable ruminant health management. Education : DVM (2007), Utrecht University MSc Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (cum laude, 2009), Utrecht University PhD (2012), Utrecht University Diplomate, European College of Veterinary Public Health (2017) His team, Sustainable Ruminant Health , emphasizes preventive health strategies and translational research. He leads courses like the Prep Program for master's admissions, Basic Clinical Rotation in Farm Animal Health , and Small Ruminant Health . Scientific contributions include diagnostic test evaluation for mastitis, pathogen genomics , and decision support models integrating test data with farm-specific context. Awards include specialized certification in Veterinary Public Health (2017).
Dr. Marleen Damman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Her research focuses on older workers and the transition from work to retirement in an ageing society, with particular attention to labor market flexibility, self-employment, and retirement processes. She also serves as an Affiliate Researcher at the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW) in The Hague since 2019. Dr. Damman earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam in 2014 with the dissertation titled 'From employee to retiree: Life histories and retirement in the Netherlands.' Prior to joining Utrecht University, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Radboud University and the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI-KNAW). Her research expertise spans multiple dimensions of retirement studies, with a distinctive focus on solo self-employed workers ('zzp'ers' in Dutch). She investigates retirement preparation, the work-to-retirement transition, and postretirement adjustment processes through longitudinal studies that track changes in work patterns, values, and social participation. Her work examines how different employment arrangements affect retirement timing and post-retirement activities, including volunteering, caregiving, and grandparenting. Dr. Damman's publication record shows consistent scholarly output from 2010 through 2025, with a marked increase in productivity since receiving her Veni-Grant in 2017. Her work appears in interdisciplinary journals spanning sociology, gerontology, labor economics, and social policy, reflecting the multifaceted nature of retirement research. Veni-Grant from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) in 2017 for research on retirement processes of solo self-employed workers in the Netherlands As an educator, Dr. Damman serves as Coordinator of Basic Sociology Tutoring, Coordinator of Advanced Sociology Tutoring, and Coordinator of Sociology of Organizations. She teaches Introduction to Sociology and Essentials of Care while supervising bachelor's, master's, and research master's theses. She is actively involved in Utrecht University's Bachelor's program in Sociology and Master's programs in Sociology and Social Research and Sociology: Contemporary Social Problems. Dr. Damman contributes to the Institutions for Open Societies (IOS) research theme at Utrecht University, specifically within the 'Future of Work' initiative, where she examines how demographic shifts are transforming labor markets and retirement systems. Her affiliation with NIDI-KNAW facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration on demographic changes and their societal implications.
Willem de Koster is a Full Professor at Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, specializing in Governance and Pluralism. His research examines how social groups interpret social issues and how these interpretations influence actions and responses to information and urban environments. Research interests focus on cultural conflict, political attitudes, voting behavior, populism, and health behaviors. His interdisciplinary approach combines quantitative and qualitative methods including survey experiments, implicit association tests, and in-depth interviews. Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on social stratification, political attitudes, and experimental methods. Key patterns include examinations of educational inequalities in climate skepticism, legitimacy of health interventions, and EU attitudes using population-based experiments. Awards and Honors: BJS Prize 2022 Best PhD Supervisor Award NWO VENI, VIDI and Conflict & Security Grants EUR Fellowship As PhD supervisor and co-founder of the Politics & Society master specialization, he advises graduate students and develops curriculum for the Research Master in Sociology of Culture, Media and the Arts.
Dr. Sascha Füllbrunn is an Associate Professor in the Economics Department at the Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University. He holds a Diploma in Economics and Management (2004) from the University of Hannover and a Dr. rer. pol. (2009) from the University of Magdeburg. Previously, he served as a research fellow at the Luxembourg School of Finance (2008–2012) and the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena. His research focuses on experimental methods applied to decision-making, sustainable finance, unconditional basic income, and interdisciplinary projects like the Healthy Brain Study. Research interests include experimental economics/finance, behavioral economics, and interdisciplinary studies. Notable projects include the 2024 Experimental Sustainable Finance Symposium (funded by Fritz Thyssen Stiftung) and the Healthy Brain Study collaboration with Radboudumc and Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. He has received awards for research excellence (2015) and teaching (2014). Teaching includes courses on behavioral economics, experimental finance, and societal challenges in economics. He is an editor of the Handbook of Experimental Finance (2022) and has secured grants from the British Academy and others. His work addresses complex topics such as agency-driven misreporting and non-bank financing for SMEs.
Dr. Barbara Brink is a researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Groningen, specializing in empirical legal studies and public trust in public law. Her work explores intersections between governance, social policy, and administrative law. Key Research Areas: EU multi-level governance, social assistance systems, digitalization in public administration, and transparency in decision-making. Recent publications focus on the role of humans in automated administrative processes, risks of digitalized risk assessments in social domains, and universalism in social security systems. She collaborates on topics like youth care reforms and household constraints in welfare policies. Her scholarship spans peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and policy-oriented contributions. Collaborative work includes contributions to books on rekenkamers (audit institutions) and youth care governance, alongside critical analyses of legislative trends in social assistance and fiscal systems. Her studies often integrate historical and comparative perspectives, particularly in Dutch policy contexts.
Peter Achterberg is a Full Professor at Tilburg University's Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (TSB), Department of Sociology. His research focuses on the intersection of sociology, politics, and cultural dynamics in contemporary society, with particular emphasis on Dutch social structures and public opinion. Professor Achterberg's research interests span multiple dimensions of contemporary social life: Sociology of Religion and secularization trends Cultural Sociology examining popular culture and cultural participation Populism and political cultures Public opinion research on welfare attitudes and institutional trust Religion and politics in modern Western societies His recent publications reveal a strong focus on multidimensional aspects of social phenomena, particularly examining the structure of public support for universal basic income, vaccination intentions, and the relationship between democracy and populism. Achterberg employs sophisticated quantitative methods to uncover nuanced patterns in public opinion that challenge simplistic interpretations of social attitudes. Professor Achterberg serves as Principal Investigator for research projects including 'Career mobility of non-European full-time master's graduates from European higher education institutions' and has contributed to multiple significant datasets including the UNDPOLAR survey on political polarization and the Basic Income Netherlands survey. His work has been published across 73 research outputs spanning from 2006 to present. He holds an external position as Member of the developmental council (Brabantkennis) since July 2019 and his work contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to reducing inequalities and promoting just, peaceful, and inclusive societies.
