SBE Professors appointed to Dutch advisory councils

The Dutch Productivity Council (Productiviteitsraad) advises the government and parliament on policies related to labour productivity, drawing on scientific insights while taking broader societal challenges into account. For Fouarge, the council comes at an important moment. “Productivity growth is declining towards zero,” he explains. “That is concerning, particularly because we are facing major societal challenges and our long-term prosperity depends in part on how productivity develops.”

Fouarge sees his role as an opportunity to bring the perspectives of labour and education into a broader discussion about productivity. His research at ROA focuses on issues including study and career choices, changes in the labour market, and the impact of technological developments such as artificial intelligence on work and skills. “These are precisely the issues that are connected to productivity,” he says. “It is a valuable opportunity to bring scientific knowledge about education and labour into the wider discussion about Dutch productivity.”

He also sees the broad range of expertise represented within the council as an important strength. “The eight council members have very different backgrounds, from business and academia to the technology sector. I think I am well suited to an environment where different perspectives come together and where you jointly try to look at complex issues from multiple angles.”

According to Fouarge, this breadth of expertise is also a strength of ROA and SBE. Research across the School covers education, labour, technology, innovation and productivity, providing different perspectives on how the Netherlands can strengthen its productivity growth. “Ultimately, productivity is not only about how much we produce, but also about how people work, which skills they have, and how education and the labour market develop,” Fouarge says.

For de Wolf, her appointment to the Education Council (Onderwijsraad) is equally an opportunity to connect research, policy and practice. “It is an honour to be appointed. I also see it as recognition of a scientific career in which I have worked closely with schools and policymakers as a team,” she says. “It is also recognition of my focus on impact, which is something that is very deeply rooted in me, as someone who grew up in a family with a strong connection to education.”

The Education Council advises the government and parliament on educational policy and focuses on challenges at the intersection of education policy, research and practice. De Wolf is particularly looking forward to working on complex educational issues together with the diverse group of council members. One of the challenges she hopes to contribute to is reversing the decline in pupils’ learning outcomes, particularly in primary and secondary education. “How can we make the teaching and school leadership professions as attractive as possible, especially in places where good teachers and school leaders are needed most?” she asks.

De Wolf hopes to contribute both her broad experience and her scientific expertise. During the academic work at SBE, she worked in a range of national and international positions, including at the Inspectorate of Education, the OECD and the World Bank. Her academic work spans education economics, sociology and political science.

She also sees a direct connection between her new role and the work of Education Lab and ROA. Through the LerarenLab Ontwikkelkracht, for which ROA is the lead organisation, the team has built a strong scientific evidence base around teachers and school leaders. “I would very much like to use these insights to help achieve the best possible quality of teachers and school leaders,” de Wolf says.