Meet...
Frank van oort
Which courses do you teach this year?
Introduction to Urban & Transport Economics (Bsc), Seminar Urban & Transport Economics (Msc). Outside UPT: UMD (IHS), MUG (ESSB), MCD (ESE).
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What do you like most about the course that you teach/your field of expertise?
The constant applicability in present day life, the capturing of complexity, the opportunity to create policy relevant research, the possibility to identify causal effects in urban and transport economic subjects.
What did you study and where?
Spatial Economics and Business Economics at EUR.
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What kind of student were you?
I liked working on my own, especially when doing a PhD, when was already working at the Ministry in The Hague. During my time as a student (not PHD) I was student assistant at EUR, helping out with large datasets and analysis. I worked with researchers at EUR, and learnt a lot from them.
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Looking back, is there anything you would do differently about your time as a student?
Nope.
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What do you like to do in your spare time?
Make 3-D puzzles. Read books (novels). Listen to music. Bicycle.
What are you most proud of?
Finishing my PhD in my spare time (while working somewhere full time).
What is your advice to this year's UPT students?
Keep up with the good work – talented students will survive, and find good career opportunities. The lockdown is temporary, keep interacting with each other and the teachers as much as possible. Celebrate personal successes.
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Can you tell us a fun fact about yourself?
My direct PhD-supervisor advised me to stop my research as he could not understand what I did. Two years later I defended it cum laude.