General
Every year, the University of Amsterdam is hosting the Econometric Game, one of the most prestigious projects organized by the study association for Actuarial Science, Econometrics & Operational Research (VSAE) of the University of Amsterdam. The participating universities are expected to send delegations of four students majoring in econometrics or relevant studies with a maximum of two PhD students. The teams will be given a case study, which they will have to resolve in two days. After these two days, the ten teams with the best solutions will continue to day three. On the third day, the finalists have to solve a second case while the other teams can go sightseeing in Amsterdam. After the teams have explored the city, all the participants will listen to each other’s presentations about their findings. The solutions will be reviewed by a jury of qualified and independent professors and they will announce the winner of the Game.
The Econometric Game 2018 took place on the 11th, 12th and 13th of April 2018 in Amsterdam. The theme of this edition was ‘Economics of Happiness’.
The Case and The Jury
This year’s casemaker is Paul Frijters. He is currently a Professorial Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Wellbeing programme at the London School of Economics and he is also a Project Director of the World Wellbeing Panel.
Economics of Happiness
This year’s case evolves around happiness economics. As economists are essentially concerned with human welfare, this is a topic that has spiked the attention of many researchers over the years. Usually, happiness is measured simply by asking people. Surveys ask people, “Taken all together, how would you say things are these days, would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?” Or “How satisfied are you with your life as a whole?” Sometimes they’re asked on a zero-to-ten scale, either about happiness or about life satisfaction. The economics of happiness is the quantitative and theoretical study of how happiness affects well-being, quality of life, life satisfaction and related concepts, typically combining economics with other fields such as psychology, health and sociology. It typically treats such happiness-related measures, rather than wealth, income or profit, as something to be maximized. To understand the growth and impact of this area of research, consider that the 2002 Nobel Prize in economics was awarded to a psychologist, Daniel Kahneman, “for having integrated insights from psychological research into economic science, especially concerning human judgment and decision-making under uncertainty.” Research into the topic of happiness economics has yielded many implications for policy in several areas, including public finance (government expenditure and taxation), welfare policy and labour law.
The Jury
Bernard van Praag
Erik Plug
Bas van der Klaauw
Finalists and findings
The University Carlos III Madrid won the 2018 edition.
The top 3:
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University Carlos III Madrid
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Harvard University
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Aarhus University
The other finalist were:
The findings:
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University Carlos III Madrid
2018_CaseB_Madrid -
Harvard University
2018_CaseB_Harvard -
Aarhus University
2018_CaseB_Aarhus
Committee
Hi! My name is Casper Hoogenboom and I am currently in the third year of my bachelor Econometrics at the University of Amsterdam. I am really proud to be the chairman of this year’s Econometric Game committee. As the committee, we arrange the facilities, acquisition, participants (universities), case study, media, promotion and magazine. Especially for me as chairman, I will lead the meetings, acquire and maintain important relations and I will have the final responsibility for the event. I am really looking forward to the 2018 edition and I wish all participants good luck with the case and a great time in Amsterdam. Hope to see you all in April 2018!
Hi, my name is Eveline. Currently, I am working on my master in Econometrics at the University of Amsterdam. As the person in charge of providing the case, I make sure that the academic level of the game is up to par, as well as that it challenges you in other ways, like creativity. I myself try to develop myself apart from my studies as well, in rowing and coaching. I am very much looking forward to this year’s Econometric Game and I wish you all good luck on the case!
Eveline Duyster
treasurer and case
My name is Vien. Currently, I am a third-year bachelor student at the University of Amsterdam, studying Econometrics. When I’m not studying you can find me in the city chilling somewhere. I will be the contact person for the universities and participants for the coming edition of the game. We look forward to giving you an unforgettable time in Amsterdam!
Hi, my name is Eleanoor Polder. Currently, I’m in my third year of the bachelor Econometrics & Operation Research at the University of Amsterdam. This year I will focus on the acquisition for the Econometric Game. I’m looking forward to the event, it will be another 3 days full of passion, tension, focus and fun. Good luck with the preparations and most of all enjoy the event!
Hi! I am currently a third-year econometrics and first-year law bachelor student at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Besides that, I teach calculus at an undergraduate foundation programme linked to the UvA. I will be concerning myself with the PR and media for year’s edition of the Econometric Game. I am really looking forward to seeing you at the Econometric Game 2018!
Hi! My name is Luna and I am currently in my third year of the bachelor Econometrics at the University of Amsterdam. This year I will be in charge of all the facilities and necessities needed to make the Econometric Game a success. I am very excited to make this an unforgettable event for you. The best of luck with the preparations and I’ll see you guys at the Econometric Game in 2018!
