Off the charts Blog
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Does history repeat itself?
Author: Joost Haddinga
Date: 08-03-2023
On whether China could be the next Soviet Union
There was once a time when even people in the US solemnly feared – and expected – that the Soviet Union would become the leading economic superpower of the future. As we all know, history took a different path and today the Soviet Union is a relic of the past. Simultaneously, a new giant began to rise: China, the Empire of the Middle. While also communist in political nature, it showed a miraculous growth path over the last decades – which only recently began to slow down. Given their institutions, might China be the next Soviet Union or is this a situation where “it is different this time”?
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meet the function: external affairs officer
Author: Max van den Hurk
Date: 03-03-2023
Since past September I have had the opportunity to have responsibility for all external affairs of Asset | Economics. These past months have been filled with meeting companies, forging a bond with my fellow board members, developing and executing several formal events and getting to know a whole lot of new people. All in all, a wonderful experience to say the least.
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MEET THE FUNCTION: treasurer
Author: Emma Kuhne
Date: 24-02-2023
For about half a year now, I have been the Treasurer of Asset | Economics, which has been such a wonderful and educational experience. If you asked me a year ago, I never would have known how much I could learn in such a short period, let alone that I would be doing a board year that Summer. It has been quite a ride for me, but I am very happy with my decision and grateful for the wonderful experience that I have already had.
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MEET THE FUNCTION: vice-CHAIRMAN/secretary
Author: Sophie van Hest
Date: 15-02-2023
On September 6th, I was officially voted in as the Vice-Chairman/Secretary of Asset | Economics. Since then I had the opportunity to develop myself, my work and last but not least have a lot of fun. In this blog I want to share more about my first half year as a board member of Asset | Economics with you.
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Meet the Function: Chairman
Author: Bram Bakker
Date: 10-02-2023
Since September 6th, I have the opportunity to be the chairman of Asset | Economics and fulfil a role in the board of Asset | Tilburg. In this blog, I will tell you more about my experiences and give you an overview of what I do.
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Good and bad taxes
Author: Joost Haddinga
Date: 08-02-2023
Is there anything like the perfect tax?
Today there exists a multitude of different taxes taxing all kinds of commodities in various different ways. From income to wealth taxes, from lump-sum to flat all the way to progressive taxes. Taxes on commodities, on flows or stacks of goods, there is probably no tax that wouldn’t exist anywhere in the world. And while more than half of the tax literature is German, this does not mean that Germans would have figured out the perfect tax system. Surely some taxes must be better than others, depending on the country and circumstances they are levied under. This is an investigation into decision criteria that could help administer the right taxes.
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Machine learning in economics: do or don't?
Author: Jens Buurveld
Date: 26-01-2023
The intersection of Machine Learning with econometrics has become an important research landscape in economics. Whereas standard regression techniques are more focused on inference, where attention is mostly limited to sign and statistical significance, the data scientist’s Machine Learning approach proves to be better at predicting instead of describing. Nonetheless, applying Machine Learning to economics requires finding relevant tasks. Despite the growing interest in Machine Learning, not a lot of progress has been made in understanding when Machine Learning can be applied to economics; be it micro-, macro- or applied economics.
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The Doom and Gloom of Consulting
Author: Joost Haddinga
Date: 30-11-2022
Debunking the myths of a prominent profession
The job goal of many Economics or Business students is to become a consultant: management consultant, strategic consulting – you name it. The big firms are of course prominent everywhere, recruiting on campus online but also smaller and local firms try to have their shot. Consulting is popular, very popular to say the least. Therefore, it is time to investigate the facts of what it entails – and what not.
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NOt the end of the world
Author: Hristina Saparevska
Date: 18-11-2022
Do you wake up optimistic about the world? For most people, the answer to this question has gotten more and more negative for the past couple of years.That is not even a little bit surprising given the latest events.
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Trussonomics: the biggest U-turn in British economic history
Author: Jens Buurveld
Date: 02-11-2022
On September 5th 2022, Liz Truss was elected Leader of the Conservative Party, following Boris Johnson's resignation. This also shifted the position of Prime Minister directly to her, a nice added benefit. However, after only 45 days in the office Truss announced her intention to resign, granting her the title of the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the United Kingdom. The collapse of Truss’s economic project, dubbed ‘Trussonomics’, would seal her fate and deal a lasting blow to the Conservative party’s reputation for fiscal responsibility.
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THE BASIC GRANT: WHY DID IT DISAPPEAR IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Author: Jeffrey Ma
Date: 19-10-2022
There's not much longer to wait. The basic grant will be back in a year! This means that Dutch students and students with a resident permit receive a monthly grant that helps with financing the costs of studying in the Netherlands. If you’re an international student, please check on duo.nl if you qualify. Most Dutch students know how this system works, but few of them know why the basic grant has disappeared and why it is coming back. So why did it actually disappear?
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The seeming dichotomy between labor and leisure
Author: Joost Haddinga
Date: 07-10-2022
Is there really a choice between income and leisure?
There seems to be the trade-off between consumption and labor that all employees face. In reality, labor choices are not varying with income and hourly wages.
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THE ECONOMICS OF EVERYTHING IV: THE UNKNOWN, THE KNOWN AND THE UNEXPECTED
Author: Joost Haddinga
Date: 22-09-2022
We have gone a long way from modeling the Wealth of Nations to modeling the behavior of people – at least partly and sometimes better than at other times. Is that everything or are there fundamental things that need to be discovered still? Further, will we ever be able to explain everything or will gaps remain just because of what the discipline entails? Even if not, following the topic is still necessary for everyone. We will end just as we began, with an outlook on how economics enters your own life – if you want it or not. So, let’s take a last deep dive into The Economics of Everything. This is the fourth of four parts of this mini-series.
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tHE ECONOMICS OF EVERYTHING iii: tHE MATH
Author: Joost Haddinga
June 14, 2022
Nowadays Economics is Math, or at least Math for a good part. You can sure, what can be formalized is formalized, with rare exceptions – even behavior as much as possible. But the fathers of Economics would turn in their graves if they got to hear that and other today follow that same path: Economics as a social science, not a natural science. This battle between Mathematical Economics and Philosophical (or Behavioral) Economics deserves its own place, just as to resolve some old misunderstandings and bring some light into the darkness of who is right and who is wrong. So, let’s take a deep dive into The Economics of Everything. This is the third of four parts of this mini-series.
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The Economics of Everything II: The Big Picture
Author: Joost Haddinga
June 7, 2022
Not everything is about you, even if we would like that. Sometimes others rule and decide, and still it affects us in different ways. Most of these decisions are abstract and might seem odd – at other times we do not understand why we deserve such good. On international floors a lot happens – again we meet markets, supply and demand and negotiations – and we try to make sense of it. So, let’s take a deep dive into The Economics of Everything. This is the second of four parts of this mini-series.
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The Economics of Everything I: The Basics
Author: Joost Haddinga
May 30, 2022
Could you answer the question “what is economics actually”? Turns out, it is more than just “a study of the (optimal) allocation of scarce resources which have multiple uses – and that there is not even a final answer to that problem. Behavior, human qualities and biases, mathematics, philosophy, and sociology are all part of this study as well. The fundamentals are clear to most, though: Most have heard of Adam Smith as the grandfather of Economics, disregard the homo economicus as a useless prick, understand that somehow there are supply and demand (although the workings are not always clear) and that pure Economics are not Economics – and especially not life. So let’s take a deep dive into The Economics of Everything. This is the first of four parts of this mini-series.
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tHE WAR AND EUROPE'S ENERGY SHOCK
Author: Hristina Saparevska April 25, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused great distress across the world and especially in Europe. Right when the COVID pandemic was about to end and the expectations of economic growth had overtaken the western world, the escalation of tension between Russia and Ukraine destroyed every remaining positivism. Europe has once again been witnessing the devastating consequences of war after almost 80 years of peace. The immigration crisis, energy crisis, inflation and fear has struck EU leaders and led them into the discussion of the continent’s dependency on Russia’s natural resources.
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Meet the board: chairman
Author: Shaye Olij
March 23, 2022
For the past 7 months, I have had the opportunity to be the chairman of study association Asset | Economics. In this blog, I will tell you more about this exciting experience and try to explain what this position is like.
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THE FINANCIAL NUCLEAR WEAPON
Author: Vayam Chauhan 22-03-2022
As I begin writing this blog, we have entered the eighth day of Russia's appalling invasion of Ukraine. In response to this despicable war, one of the economic sanctions on Russia proposed by leading Western Nations is a pledge to prohibit several Russian banks from using the SWIFT system. Bruno Le Maire, France's Finance Minister, dubbed this ploy a "financial nuclear weapon". Let's try to see and understand why it could be so.
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Meet the board: external affairs officer
Author: Lisa Meulblok
March 18, 2022
Are you interested in what it will bring you to be the External Affairs Officer of Asset | Economics? In this article, I will tell you all about what it entails to be the External and I will give you insight into my life as part of the board.
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Football Economics II: Salary caps
Author: Joost Haddinga 18-03-2022
In America salary caps are as normal as anything in professional sports. Whether it is about a predefined budget for every club or certain spending rules, no club is exempt from it – in any sport. Even football – or in America “soccer” have a salary cap. The exact opposite is still true for European football: unfettered competition, ever rising salaries for their top players, with rising discrepancies between the clubs. The questions this inevitably rises is: wouldn’t it all be fairer if we had a salary cap as well in Europa and wouldn’t it bring back more excitement and balance during the season?
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Meet the board: vice-chairman
Author: Tarn van Eijk
March 3, 2022
The main function of a Vice-Chairman of Asset | Economics is maintaining contact with members. In this article you will discover why a Vice-Chairman is extremely important in these times in combination with my activities and responsibilities.
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Football Economics I: Growing wealth disparities
By: Joost Haddinga March 3, 2022
While some clubs are under the reign of wealthy owners, others still pursue the traditional way of self-ownership – while running the risk of becoming uncompetitive. Over the last decades, the power in football has been more and more centralized in a few major countries, and even there in a few major clubs. While on the one hand, this might be the natural lifecycle development, it still raises the question of whether sports have been industrialized too much…
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An economic outlook on the new German government
Author: Joost Haddinga February 18, 2022
The era of Angela Merkel (CDU) as a leading politician in both Germany and Europe has officially ended with her handing over the position of chancellor to Olaf Scholz (SPD). Now the question arises what will change in Germany, whether this change will have any influence on Europe or Germany’s economic relation or whether anything will in the end remain as it was under Merkel for the past 16 years.
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Meet the board: Treasurer
Author: Koen Hiemstra February 11, 2022
Hello everyone, my name is Koen Hiemstra and I am this year’s Treasurer of Asset | Economics. As Treasurer of our association I have a wide range of responsibilities and tasks. In this article, you can read more about what these are!
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Meet the board: secretary/external affairs officer
Author: Victor Westgeest January 19, 2022
Hi all, my name is Victor Westgeest and this academic year, I am the Secretary/External Affairs Officer of Asset | Economics. As the Secretary/External Affairs Officer of the board, you have a variety of responsibilities and possibilities. In this article, you can read more about what these are!
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end of the year
Author: Shaye Olij 24-12-2021
Since 2021 is coming to an end, I want to thank you for all your hard work and your involvement in our beautiful association.
At the beginning of the year, we had a flying start and began the new academic year highly motivated. We started a new committee which turned out to be a great success, organised an extra event especially for second year students which led to several new members and a stunning number of 20 people became an active member at our association.
End of the year
The reasons of rising inflation
Author: Joost Haddinga November 25, 2021
After years of low inflation and relative price stability we suddenly see rising prices again. Do we now have to fear the worst, are we on the brink of a new deep recession or is it a one-time event passing quickly? Let’s find out more about the reasons behind the currently increased price growth.
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Making money with jokes
Author: Ivo Knorr
June 14, 2021
If you are even slightly interested in the stock market, there's a good chance that you have heard about the gamestop story a few months back. But what exactly happened?
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No more coffeeshop holidays to Amsterdam
Author: Ashita Khandelwal
June 1, 2021
It might be time for Amsterdam to bid farewell to cannabis tourism. The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema wants to ban foreign tourists from buying cannabis from coffeeshops in Amsterdam to tackle the nuisance and crime. But regulating the cannabis industry in Amsterdam requires careful thought.
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The Future of the Euro
Author: Daan Schrage
May 25, 2021
The European Central Bank is experimenting with a digital Euro. what is it that makes a digital Euro so special, and why would you use it over just stuffing cash under your mattress?
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The world of NFT explored
Author: Daniël Asselbergs
April 28, 2021
Many of you probably do not know what NFT stands for and what it’s uses are. Read this article to find out more!
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Does a stockpile of consumer savings offer hope for post-Covid spending?
Author: Daniël Asselbergs
April 20, 2021
This week's edition will update you on economic outlooks. More specifically, how consumer savings will influence the upcoming period.
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Get to meet the two student parties
Author: Daan Schrage, Ivo Knorr & Daniël Asselbergs
April 13, 2021
The elections are very near, it will take place on the 28th, 29th and 30th of April. Representatives of SAM and FRONT are interviewed about what they would like to change within the university.
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Return to the good old gold standard? Better not
Author: Bas van de Mortel
April 6, 2021
This week’s edition is an opinion piece about the implementation of the gold standard.
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Let’s make the Netherlands green
Author: Ashita Khandelwal
March 23, 2021
When thinking about pollution you might think of countries like India and China. However, you might be surprised to find out that the Netherlands is also currently facing a big pollution problem. Major Dutch cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague and Maastricht all have air quality below European standards. When compared to other countries, Dutch carbon emissions are among the highest in Europe. We will take a closer look at where this pollution comes from and what we can do about it.
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The new stimulus bill and updates on economic recovery
Author: Daniël Asselbergs
March 16, 2021
This week’s edition covers the specifics of the third stimulus bill, the stock market shocks and the updated outlook on economic recovery.
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Interview with a Professor: David Schindler
Authors: Daan Schrage, Ashita Khandelwal & Daniël Asselbergs
March 9, 2021
We interviewed professor David Schindler, from the Economics faculty, about his current research, and his journey of becoming a professor.
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Friedman was right; stakeholderism is still not the answer
Author: Bas van de Mortel
March 2, 2021
Corporate social responsibility is the focal point of this blog. Moreover, was Friedman right about whether firms should enforce CSR policies.
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A Crypto World
Author: Ivo Knorr
February 23, 2021
The Bitcoin price has surpassed any previous all time high, while many thought that the 2017 peak would remain unchallenged. This article will cover the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies.
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Hybrid education is the future
Authors: Bas van de Mortel, Ashita Khandelwal & Daniël Asselbergs
February 16, 2021
In this interview we will interview three professors of the TiSEM faculty about online education.
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Understanding SPAC’s
Author: Daniël Asselbergs
February 8, 2021
The popularity of SPAC’s has been increasing. This article explains why and what SPAC’s are.
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Has the minimum wage reached its maximum?
Author: Ivo Knorr
January 29, 2021
The federal minimum wage in the United States has been stuck on $7.25 per hour for over 11 years. Is it time for an increase?
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Electric Cars: Climate Savers or Wallet Drainers?
Author: Daan Schrage
January 22, 2021
If you follow the stock market, you will have probably heard of Tesla’s meteoric rise. Meanwhile in Europe, Norway became the world’s first country where electric vehicles reached a larger market share than traditional cars. But are these electric cars actually better for the environment? Or are there hidden costs involved that go ignored?
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Winners in Corona
Author: Ashita Khandelwal
January 15, 2021
We are about to complete one year of living amidst this pandemic. As the country extends the lockdown period, numerous businesses have come to a near-standstill. Shopping streets remain empty, as the government is forced to close stores in order to maintain a grip on the virus. But, not everyone is losing out as a result of this pandemic.
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6750 USD per newborn, a good or bad idea?
Author: Daniël Asselbergs
January 8, 2021
The retirement schemes of developed nations are outdated, what could be a solution?
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A Christmas for the trees
Author: Ivo Knorr
December 18, 2020
Christmas is coming! Do you have a Christmas tree up this year? Read more about these trees in this Christmas themed blog article!
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Universal Basic Income: Fact or Fiction?
Author: Daan Schrage
December 11, 2020
Universal basic income or UBI for short. A system where everybody receives a stipend by the government on a regular basis. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, it might be closer to reality than you think.
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András Bohák: “The key to a finance job is good analytical skills”
Authors: Bas van de Mortel & Daniël Asselbergs
December 8, 2020
This weeks edition features an interview with an executive director of MSCI. András Bohák works in the Budapest office and provides us with insights and tips and tricks.
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Black Friday - Savings or Scam
Author: Ashita Khandelwal
November 27, 2020
Today is the biggest discount event of the year - Black Friday. Here are some tips for scoring the best deals.
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Running a study association during the Covid-19 pandemic
Authors: Marcel van Hoorn & Jeroen de Smet
November 26, 2020
A board year is a year that should always be an unforgettable time of your life. Due to the pandemic, everything is different compared to previous years. As the new board, we have been thrown into the unknown and need to decide what is best, despite having never experienced something like this and not being able to use playbooks from previous years. In this article we take a look at some challenges and opportunities that arise.
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The rise of online shopping
Author: Ivo Knorr
November 20, 2020
Online shopping is bigger than ever. There is a pandemic going on and physical retailers are having difficulties. What is happening to the landscape of the retail industry?
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Eco Friendly vs. Budget Friendly
Author: Ashita Khandelwal
November 13, 2020
Sustainability is a trend now. Let’s do a quick cost and benefit analysis of replacing cheap products with the durable ones.
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How the Pandemic Will Throw Millions into Poverty
Author: Daan Schrage
November 6, 2020
Corona is a problem for everybody. Perhaps you lost your job, or perhaps your study is not going well due to the subpar quality of online education, or maybe you are just bummed out that you cannot go out and party with your friends as you did before. But what if you live in poverty or are just barely able to make ends meet?
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A recruiters’ perspective
Authors: Ivo Knorr & Daniël Asselbergs
October 29, 2020
The job market is more competitive than ever. We decided to interview a FrieslandCampina campus recruiter to get some extra knowledge about the job application process.
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The disconnect between the stock market and the economy
Author: Daniël Asselbergs
October 23, 2020
The asset prices are high making all-time high's while the economy is still in a bad shape. How is this possible and what factors contribute to this situation. Are assets overpriced?
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Why we need to rethink free trade
Author: Bas van de Mortel
October 20, 2020
At the start of the pandemic, the world panicked about the supply face masks running out. A few months later, the whole world panicked about the supply of medical ventilators. How could these problems arise in such a well-developed globalized economy? Does our system of free trade need to be reconsidered?
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Housing crisis - the solution is vertical
Author: Ashita Khandelwal
October 9, 2020
If you are a student in Tilburg, you have probably either encountered housing issues firsthand or seen a fellow classmate struggling with it. Universities in the Netherlands do not own dorm rooms and thus it is one of the first things an incoming student has to secure besides admission itself. So, what is the way forward for students and the Netherlands as a whole?
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Partying or studying hard? The road to financial success
Author: Daan Schrage
August 2, 2020
If you are Dutch, you have probably heard the following statement in some form or another, be it from your parents, your uncle, or perhaps even one of your teachers: “Grades don’t matter, my employer has never asked to see my grade list.” The idea that, as long as you pass, the grades you received during your education will not impact your future career is one of the underpinnings of the Dutch “zesjescultuur” (“sixes culture”). But does this common wisdom of the Dutch actually hold true?
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Student loan: only A DISADVANTAGE?
Author: Mike Schapendonk
July 13, 2020
After the great years of living in your 10m2 room and sharing your shower, it is time for the next steps in your life. For some of us this means buying your own house, for others it means pursuing a professional career.
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Interview with a member: Jasper de Groot
Today, you can read an interview about someone who has been a part of our association for a full year now. Namely, one of our beloved members of the freshmen committee: Jasper de Groot!
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Diversity in the job market
Author: Jelle Veldman
June 10, 2020
Protests have started in the USA since the death of George Floyd and quickly have spread around the world. Not only do the protestors demand violence to stop; they demand equality in general. While this problem is too complicated to cover in a straightforward article, it might be interesting to discuss how diversity could be implemented in the job market.
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Opening borders: too soon or just in time for summer?
Author: Mike Schapendonk
May 29, 2020
Writing a new article today in the sun, my feet in a little swimming pool and slathered with sunscreen. All I can ask for is doing this at one of my favourite holiday destinations. A lot of countries are opening their borders for tourism, but is this the smart thing to do or is it too early?
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Birthday Asset | Economics
Author: Annelotte Vroon
May 20, 2020
11 years ago, Asset | Economics got established out of a fusion between all the existing economic study associations of Tilburg. In this article, I will tell you more about the developments we have been through and the growth we have experienced.
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Interview with a member: renee hekerman
May 14, 2020
For this month’s blog article, we have interviewed an alumnus of our association, namely our very own former Chairman; Renee Hekerman! Renee is currently a Corporate Finance trainee at FrieslandCampina, after finishing her Bachelor’s Economics and Business Economics in Tilburg and Master’s in Finance & Investments in Rotterdam.
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Crime in economics: Ponzi schemes
Author: Jelle Veldman
May 8, 2020
One of the well known crimes in economics is explained below. Read here how one trick became worth $65 billion dollars!
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Corona crisis in practice
Author: Mike Schapendonk
April 29, 2020
Hospitality employment agency Mise en Place went bankrupt, which caused thousands of students to lose their side jobs as a consequence of the corona crisis.
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chairman: annelotte vroon
The broad and mysterious side of being the Chairman is something I like and have cherished this year. You can achieve a lot and put a print on the association your heart is full of. In this article, I will tell you more about what it is like to be the Chairman of the board and give you more insights into the job.
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