Interview

“We want to remain among the global top”

Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM) is doing well, say Vice-Dean Joost Driessen, Professor of Behavioral Economics Sigrid Suetens, and Bart Bronnenberg, Professor of Marketing. “TiSEM is the leading European player in research and education in the field of Business and Economics.”

Text: Jim Jansen Image: Bob Bronshoff

TiSEM is in good shape and our research performance is excellent,” says Sigrid Suetens. “Our economics programs are the best in the Netherlands. And we’re among the top in Europe and the rest of the world as well.” Bart Bronnenberg adds: “Two of our main tasks are education and research. Our ranking on both fronts is excellent. According to the NSE and Elsevier, our educational programs are highly rated. In the field of research, we are among the international top, according to the ShanghaiRanking (fifth place) and U.S. News & World Report Ranking (seventeenth place). This is something we can be very proud of.” Joost Driessen: “Walk into MIT or Harvard and ask an economist there about Tilburg. They will know us and recognize us as a major player in the research areas of Business and Economics.” “

How is the research climate developing in Tilburg? Suetens: “The university and TiSEM are internationally renowned for their research climate and PhD

“Even more than before, we want to conduct research that has a real impact, both scientifically and socially.”

Joost Driessen (1974) is Professor of Finance at Tilburg University and Vice-Dean of Research at the Tilburg School of Economics and Management. His research focuses on financial markets, in particular bond markets and the financial derivatives market.

programs. This is the main reason why top researchers from abroad want to come to Tilburg.” Bronnenberg: “I am very proud of our graduate school, CentER, where young researchers are trained in a small-scale setting for a career in academia. A unique program. And I’m very happy with how our graduates are developing in the national and international university world.” Driessen: “We’re growing. In quantity – with more students and more scientists – but also in quality. Even more than before, we want to conduct research that has real scientific impact, and ultimately has social impact. So, we are not concerned with numbers of publications: good research takes time and, therefore, takes longer, but ultimately yields more.”

What is the biggest challenge for the future? Suetens: “We must continue to focus sufficiently on high-quality research, including fundamental research, which is not necessarily carried out because of a specific application but because it has many possible applications.” Bronnenberg: “A university is as good as its best academics. It is our ambition to remain among the global top and, if possible, to improve. That’s why we need to attract, train, and retain very good people.” Driessen: “News and information seem to be increasingly transitory in today’s society, while science is developing gradually and slowly. Demonstrating the value and importance of good research is, therefore, a major

“I want to understand how people behave in social dilemmas.”

CV

Bart Bronnenberg (1963) is Professor of Marketing at Tilburg University. He researches how consumers make choices and how brand loyalty is created. He is also a research fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in London.

CV

Sigrid Suetens (1977) is Professor of Behavioral Economics at Tilburg University. Her research focuses, among other things, on understanding trust and reciprocity.

challenge. This issue of New Scientist is an example of the way in which we want to do this.”

One last personal question: why is it so much fun to work at the Tilburg School of Economics and Management? Suetens: “I enjoy working in a climate where there is a lot of room for discussion. Working with inspiring and critical colleagues from various backgrounds and from different countries gives you energy. TiSEM gives me every freedom to conduct research. Trying to understand the behavior of people in social dilemmas and what the consequences are for some social problems motivates me in my research.” Bronnenberg: “Our faculty is a place where many young people come together, that radiates energy, and where students are educated to a high standard. That alone makes it fun to work here and to walk across campus. As a researcher, I can work on subjects of my own choosing almost without restriction. This offers a high degree of intellectual freedom. Finally, it is pleasant and exciting to work in an ambitious organization, with people who always want to improve.” Driessen: “The combination of ambition and a good and collegial working atmosphere, and the international environment, with colleagues and students from all corners of the world. What generally motivates me to do research is that many issues are always more nuanced and complex than they seem at first.”