Why economic growth cannot continue forever
When checking my bank account, I was surprised by the interest I had received over the year of 2017. It was not much – as the interest rate has been set close to zero by the ECB to stimulate the economy – but it was at least something. If I do not withdraw any money
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Why the equal treatment of men and women still seems far away
After three weeks ago the World Economic Forum published 2017’s Global Gender Gap Report, the ongoing debate about gender inequality erupted again. Apparently, the wage gap between men and women hasn’t even slightly closed and therefore action is still needed. Females earn less than males, even if they have the same qualifications, or sometimes even
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Determinants of the online television producer’s success
Have you already watched the new Designated Survivor-episodes? The new season of Orange is the New Black? All six seasons of House of Cards, and probably even Stranger Things? Over 103.95 million people have subscribed to Netflix, the popular streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) service which accounts for 125 million hours of streamed movies and series
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The circular economy explained
While ordering a fresh orange juice for lunch or flushing toilet paper through the loo, most of us do not really think of the destination of the waste we are creating by doing so. The same holds for more bulky products, such as electronic devices and plastics. What happens to these orange peels, fibres, batteries,
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The Importance of Wine for the Biggest African Economy
While you are enjoying your chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc or merlot in the sun, you probably do not realize the importance of this refreshment for the South African economy. In almost every restaurant in Amsterdam, they serve wines from the southern country, since South Africa is the producer of 4.1% of the world’s wine, and
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The South African struggle to success
I believe that almost everyone I had a conversation with over the past two months now knows that I went to Cape Town in April this year. Together with 29 other students from the faculty, I explored the city in the two weeks we had. Apart from the nice (touristic) activities we did — we
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Why we don't all invest
Last week I received a message from my bank about the interest rate on my savings account. The bank announced that it would go down. Again. Since the credit crisis in 2008/2009, interest rates have been kept low by the European Central Bank to stimulate economic activity, and the interest rates on saving deposits are
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The economic benefits of a national day off
Last Thursday, a lot of children woke up really early to sell their old toys and clothes on the street, while others ate orange tompouces, and everyone was dressed in the national Dutch colour. Admittedly, it may seem a bit strange to foreigners. On the 27th of April, the Dutch celebrate the birthday of King
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Does the shifting of time make any sense?
As a real morning person, getting up early is usually not a problem at all. When my alarm clock rings, I need about half an hour to take a shower, get dressed, and have breakfast. I love to cycle to work or university when Amsterdam is awaking, and the sun has just risen. The easy
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Probably more exciting than ever
There are nine days left for the Dutch to decide which party they want to vote for in the upcoming general elections. These will take place the 15th of March, and the decision appears to be harder than ever. The Dutch elections are being closely watched by other European countries, as the Netherlands is the
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How studying appears solely to be fun, but in practice causes mental health problems among students
Lately I’ve been hearing more and more students complain about stress, deadlines, fatigue or sleeplessness, and the fact that there are only 24 hours in one day. We want to study, build an extensive network, create a good resume that will differentiate us from all the other students that will apply for the jobs we
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How we affect the process of global warming ourselves
It can be considered common sense that our way of life affects our planet in a bad way. We know the sea level and temperature are rising, both woods that are unnecessarily being burnt and fossil fuels drive up the level of CO2 in our atmosphere, and our ecological footprints are bigger than they should.
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From Economics & Business to Business Administration and Economics & Business Economics
As of September 1st 2017, UvA Economics and Business (FEB) will split up the bachelor’s in Economics & Business into two separate bachelor’s programmes: Business Administration and Economics & Business Economics. Both new bachelor’s degrees will focus on the international position of the University of Amsterdam and will therefore be in English. There will no
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Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is about to become the first female President of the United States of America. After a long political career, Clinton seems to have proven that she has got all it takes to lead the country. She is familiar with worldwide politics and cares about the American people: at the age of
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The excitement we derive from the announcement of our favourite music artist coming to our country to perform is one we have probably all experienced. After the announcement, you immediately check whether you are able to go, if the venue is nearby, which of your friends would be willing to join, and how much the
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