Assistant Professor
Department of Economics and Finance
Video Format: wmv | Duration: 00:05:06 | Link to Video
Particular teaching experiences & strategies to share
A players:
When the students start taking my course I tell them I prefer my students to become A players with basic models rather than B players with advanced models. I got convinced that this is the right approach not just from my own market experience and research but also from talking to market participants and our own alumni. More often than not, relatively simple techniques that are well designed and executed outperform more complicated models. I want to convey the same idea to my students. I therefore fill my class with practical examples and hands-on work, and design assignments and assessment around this theme.
Networking:
I tell my students one of the main benefits of enrolling in a program is the ability to network. Therefore in my classes I use a variety of interactive techniques including in and out of class group work where students learn to work together as a team. So, in each of these activities I encourage the students not only to interact with me but also with one another and if possible even wider with colleagues or alumni.
My teaching philosophy
The classroom as a window to the world.
The main task a teacher faces is to transform the classroom into a window to the world. The teacher’s role is to be the student’s guide, to give the students the opportunity to interact, gain experience and fully develop their skills. I believe there are three layers of ingredients that provide for optimal learning.
The first layer contains the tools that initiate learning: case studies, role play, discovery, analysis, synthesis.
The second layer contains the agents the student interact with: their peers, colleagues, friends, alumni, professionals and who act as an accelerator in the learning process.
The third layer contains the elements and environment that widen the view of the student: other curricular activities but also co-curricular activities, exchange programs, internships, and activities to build clear career goals. Only when all these elements are present will students optimally benefit from the learning experience.
Special thanks
I am particularly proud of the students that venture out of our own university walls to study abroad or take up an internship. I honestly think that a year of studying abroad counts for three. They get the ordinary year of experience you would get by staying home, plus a second year of experience from taking courses at another institution, and a third year of experiences from making new friends and appreciating a new culture. We are working hard with a great team at the FB to make this possible for the students, and it is always encouraging to see how the students have matured immensely after spending a couple of months abroad.
Comments or suggestion for the university’s support and promotion of teaching.
Keep up the good work. We are a very student oriented university. Let people experiment with different methods and ideas. The TEA is an excellent idea to encourage the staff of course!
