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Jochem de Bresser

Assistant professor Department of Econometrics and Operations Research

Jochem earned his PhD in 2013 based on a PhD thesis entitled Between Goals and Expectations. Essays on Pensions and Retirement, which won him the Christiaan Huygens Science Award 2017.

If I finally succeed in developing a model that can play a role in policy making, that would really be super.

What is the main goal of your research?

I develop models that can predict how people will behave if pension or tax rules are changed. Will it affect the amount they save, will they increase or reduce their working hours? Based on questionnaires, I model people’s expectations on health, life expectancy, etc. I subsequently enter those data into a working and saving model that will hopefully help me to better predict the effects of certain policy measures. If pension accrual changes, how will this affect job seekers aged between 58 and 61?

My research builds directly upon the research I conducted for my PhD, in which I studied people’s subjective expectations concerning their retirement income. One of the things I investigated was the reliability of expectation data. I can now apply the results of that study in the models that I develop as part of my current research.

How does your research contribute to solving societal problems?

It is my hope that my research contributes to policy development. My prediction model can help policy makers to anticipate the effects of the measures they develop. Now that the current pension system is under such pressure, my research is of great topical interest. Thus I hope to contribute to solving this complicated issue.

Netspar’s presence in Tilburg makes it easier to bring this research to the attention of policy makers.

What is your main motivation?

An important part of my work is solving puzzles, which I like tremendously. Developing the models involves a lot of programming. You hit snags all the time, so I have every opportunity to indulge my passion for puzzle solving. It is great to watch the code grow. And if I finally succeed in developing a model that can play a role in policy making, that would really be super. Then I would have built something that truly benefits society.

Who is your role model?

Arthur van Soest, without a doubt. He was one of my PhD supervisors and a really wonderful person to work with. He has certainly inspired and motivated me, and continues to do so.

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