Welcome to Rethinking Economics NL
Rethinking Economics Netherlands is a network of students and academics calling for new economic thinking.
Underneath the multiple crises of today, ecological breakdown, extreme inequality, increasing mental health issues and the deterioration of democracy, lies one common factor: an economic system that is based on exploitation and appropriation, and dependent on perpetual growth for its stability, in expense of people and planet.
Still, the Economics taught in schools and universities remains largely unchanged. Students learn a narrow and Eurocentric version of Economics, heavily dominated by neoclassical economics, under the implicit assumption that it is neutral and scientifically superior over other schools of thought. But to build an equitable and sustainable future, we are in urgent need of a more diverse toolkit of ideas, that is pluralist, real-world, decolonized and interdisciplinary.
Rethinking Economics Netherlands unites people who want a different Economics education. With our community, we aim to spread and increase knowledge on alternative economic ideas and to grow the call for curriculum change.
Event February 3rd:
The (In)credibility of Monetary Economics
Together with journalist platform Follow the Money, we organize a presentation of the book Geld genoeg, maar niet voor jou (Plenty of money, but not for you) by Thomas Bollen, followed by a panel discussion in which we explore the role of Economics and academic education.
How is the nature of money taught in universities, and does it explain current financial instability? Thomas Bollen’s recent book argues that post-crisis monetary reforms have been hijacked by the private sector. As the Digital Euro approaches, we gather at the university to discuss whether current Economics education is impeding or supporting necessary change.
💬 The panel
* Thomas Bollen: Financial economist and journalist at Follow the Money, known for challenging economic dogmas and sparking debate on the monetary system with his book.
* Prof. Arnoud Boot: Professor of Corporate Finance and Financial Markets at University of Amsterdam. A leading critical voice in the public debate, bridging the gap between Dutch academic context and research to policy-making.
* Stef Kuypers: PhD researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He studies the psychological impact of monetary systems on individuals and society, while providing insights on concrete alternatives to the current monetary system.
📆 Practical info
Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
Doors open 19:30, start 20:00.
University College Utrecht, Dining Hall, Maupertuusplein 1, Utrecht.
Free entrance
Reading club on the topic on the 30th of January:
To prepare for our Feb 3rd panel discussion about the book "Geld Genoeg (maar niet voor jou)", We will be reading the translated introduction together on January 30th at 17:00
For this reading club, we will meet online. You can join at meet.jit.si/RethinkingEconomicsNL
You don't need to read in advance, but the more you do, the better the discussion will be! Hope to see you there
RE NL in the News.
Read our column (dutch) about why economics education needs pluralism in the Economisch Statistische Berichten.
Upcoming events
Upcoming events
We have a lot of exciting events coming up! In January, we have a Pub Quiz, Lectures with important academics, and our 10th anniversary!
We are also excited to announce our event with Follow the Money on February 3rd!
All the details can be found in the button below or by clicking on the calendar.
We think working interdisciplinary is essential for a better Economics.
Therefore we welcome students and academics from different study fields to join our network.
