“We want to cluster the SBE research by theme,” says Mark Sanders, professor of International Economics and one of the leaders of MORSE where it is all about major social issues. Things like the climate, technological developments, corporate HR policy. Preferably in collaboration with businesses and other parties. Each spearhead will receive extra funding to set up or support research. Five hundred thousand over the next five years.
Sanders is very clear about what he doesn’t want. “Not more statistical techniques or theoretical discussion on highly detailed topics.” MORSE focusses, for example, on sustainable care. The ageing population is increasing the demand for care. There is already a shortage of care staff. “Will we have to make choices about who we will and won’t treat in the future? Or are there ways to organise care more efficiently, so that we can continue to help everyone?” Researchers who – together with carers and other involved parties – want to look into this, can receive help from MORSE. This can be support in the form of funds or expertise from one of the 76 scientists who have – voluntarily – joined up with MORSE.
Sanders’ own research focuses on the economic effects of extreme weather in various regions in Europe and the role that entrepreneurship can play in that. The professor is researching whether regions with a good entrepreneurial climate are more resilient (the impact is less hard and the areas recover faster) when they have been hit by a natural disaster, compared to areas with little industriousness. In addition, he would like to work together with the Faculty of Psychology to look at whether there are similarities between people who deal well with crises and successful entrepreneurs. “Interdisciplinary research is important.”
In education, Sanders also wants to focus more on ‘real’ problems. “With problem-based learning you are already in possession of gold. Already, many examples from practice are being used that connect with the teaching material.” For a new elective course at SBE - ‘Economics of Transition and Resilience’ - Sanders even went a step further. No teaching material, but a case in deliberation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. “The assignment for the students was to come up with new ways to reduce CO2 emissions in response to climate change. The students completed the course with a conference at the ministry and presented their package of economically substantiated proposals. They went from standards for biofuel in the international shipping trade to the production of more sugar beets to be used as green raw material for the chemical industry. For next year, I would like a case from Brussels.”
Most of the MORSE researchers are economists, says Sanders. “From business economists to statisticians to general economists. But researchers from other faculties are welcome too. If you look at the problems in the world, it is impossible to stay within your own discipline.” This also means that MORSE research will most likely not end up in the top economic journals, he warns. But economic analysis can provide a relevant contribution to an article in a journal for climate research. An example: “In the economic models that are used by climate researchers to predict the average rise in temperature, it is assumed that investments in various technologies can be financed in all countries for approximately the same cost. That is not the case. A financially stable country such as Germany lends money at a lower percentage than Greece, for example. What happens when you include these differences in the analysis? This will undoubtedly produce different scenarios.”