Maximizing human developmental
potential

VU University Amsterdam (VU) is a leading European research university and covers all major academic fields. Ever since it was founded in 1880, VU University Amsterdam has been known for its distinctive approach to knowledge. VU University Amsterdam employs many researchers who are among the best in their respective fields, at both national and international level, and for several years has been one of the leading academic research centers in Europe. Social relevance is the guiding principle. The VU houses 12 faculties, 14 interdisciplinary research institutes, participates in two national research centers of excellence of which one as coordinating institution and is participant in 40 accredited research schools, of which 6 as coordinating institution. In total, the VU employs over 1.750 research FTE and yearly more than 6.650 academic articles, monographs and books are published and more than 300 doctorates are honored.

The Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (FEWEB) is the largest faculty at the university and states as its research mission “to make high-quality contributions, both theoretical and empirical, in the fields of economics, econometrics and business.”. FEWEB hosts 12 research programs, 4 undergraduate teaching programs and 8 graduate teaching programs. The Faculty ranks among the best economics and business Faculties in the country and several research groups are considered to be world class by consecutive assessment committees. It provides its researchers with the necessary support to conduct their research.

Within the faculty, the Department of Economics combines an ambitious research profile in a targeted set of fields, including macroeconomics, industrial organisation, labor economics and health economics. The research combines rigour and relevance. The department is known for its fundamental research on microfoundations of macroeconomics, market regulation and competition policy, mechanism design, big data and microeconometrics. The new insights have been applied in recent projects about the design of optimal school-pupil matching mechanisms and the empirical evaluation of public policies in the field of development, labour and health. Members of the department have published in major journals including American Economic Review, Review of Economic Studies, Econometrica, Review of Economics and Statistics, International Economic Review, Economic Journal, Journal of the European Economic Association and other top field journals.