Lans Bovenberg

Infobox_Scientist
name = Lans Bovenberg


image_size = 100
caption =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1958|6|15|mf=y
birth_place = Oosterbeek, Netherlands
death_date =
death_place =
residence =
nationality =
field = Economist
work_institution = Netspar
Tilburg University
alma_mater = University of California, Berkley (Ph.D.) Rotterdam University (drs.)
doctoral_advisor = Laura Tyson
doctoral_students = Ruud de Mooij, Bas Jacobs
known_for = Population aging
Environmental economics Public finance Life Course Saving Scheme
prizes = Spinoza Prize (2003)
Honorary Doctorate from University of Ghent (2008)
religion = Christian, Pentecostal
footnotes =

Arij Lans Bovenberg (born June 15, 1958) is an important Dutch economist, known mainly due to his contribution to the Dutch debate on population ageing, pension reforms and public finances. Lans Bovenberg was awarded the Spinoza Prize in 2003.

Education

Bovenberg was born and raised in Oosterbeek in the Netherlands. Between 1976 and 1981 he studied econometrics at the Erasmus University. From 1981 to 1984 he studied at the American University of California, Berkeley. He obtained his PhD in economics there at the end of 1984 for dissertation "Capital Accumulation and Capital Immobility: Q-theory in a Dynamic General Equilibrium Framework" [cite web|url=http://center.uvt.nl/staff/bovenberg/education.html|title=Education|last=Bovenberg|first=Lans|publisher=Tilburg University|accessdate=2008-07-07] .

Work

After graduation he lived in the USA, working at the IMF. In 1990 he returned to the Netherlands and after a brief period at the Ministry of Economic Affairs he became a professor of economics at the Tilburg University and Erasmus University. Between 1995 and 1998 Bovenberg was deputy director at the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis. Since April 2004 he has been scientific director of research institute Netspar, which he has founded [cite web|url=http://center.uvt.nl/staff/bovenberg/profexperience.html|title=Professional Experience|last=Bovenberg|first=Lans|publisher=Tilburg University|accessdate=2008-07-07] .

Bovenberg is considered to be one of the most influential living Dutch economists. He is an independent member of the Dutch government's Social-Economic Council's committee for Social-Economic Policy and Life-Course Policy. In 2003 he won the prestigious Spinoza prize [cite web|url=http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/NWOP_5VNCW6_Eng#2003|title=NWO/Spinoza prizes|publisher=Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research|accessdate=2008-07-07] , which allowed him to start the Netspar research institute. Also thanks to these activities he was declared to be one of the 100 most influential Dutchmen by HP/De Tijd magazine in 2007 [ [http://www.universiteitvantilburg.nl/faculteiten/feb/nieuws/archief/2007/11.html HP/De Tijd elects Bovenberg one of the 100 most influential Dutchmen] ] . In 2008 Bovenberg got a honorary doctorate by the University of Ghent, Belgium for his scientific contributions.

The early work of Bovenberg focussed on tax competition in open economies [The Effects of Capital Income Taxation on International Competitiveness and Trade Flows, American Economic Review, Vol. 79, No. 5, pp. 1045-64, December 1989. ] . Later he contributed on optimal taxes and environmental economics ["Environmental Levies and Distortionary Taxation," American Economic Review, Vol. 94, No. 4, pp. 1085-1089, September 1994 (with R.A. de Mooij). ] . Recently he focusses on population ageing and pension economics [Financing Retirement in the European Union, International Tax and Public Finance, Vol. 10, No. 6, pp. 713-734, November 2003. ] . In this area Bovenberg advocates more flexible employment contracts, which would allow employees to combine work with care duties and life-long learning. To keep older workers in the labor force, he suggests to offer them more vacation and shorter working hours. [cite web|url=http://www.nrc.nl/wetenschap/article423072.ece/Vergrijzing_is_goed_nieuws|title=Interview with Lans Bovenberg|date=August 19, 2006|publisher=NRC Handelsblad|language=Dutch|accessdate=2008-07-07] He is the architect of the Dutch Life Course Saving Scheme, which allows workers to save parts of their income to finance longer period of leave. [cite journal|last=Delsen|first=Lei|coauthors=Jeroen Smits|date=31 May - 1 June 2007|title=Ins and out of the Dutch Life Course savings scheme|journal=Seminar on the Life Risks, Life Course and Social Policy|publisher=Organisation for economic co-operation and development|location=Paris, France|issue=Paper 3|url=http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/19/19/38621188.pdf] In 2008 Bovenberg was a member of the Commission Labour Participation, led by P. Bakker. [http://www.naareentoekomstdiewerkt.nl/pers-materiaal/Press%20Release%20Commission%20Labour%20Participation.pdf Press release Commission Labour Participation] . The commission advised the Dutch government on how to increase labor force participation in the Netherlands to 80 %.

Bovenberg believes that people have be given incentives to make full use of their capacities and that people also have duties, not only rights. He argues that also disadvantaged social groups should be expected to participate to work. He is often considered to be a Christian Democratic Appeal ideologist, but he himself states that his view (partly) differs from those of the party in some areas. [http://financieel.infonu.nl/diversen/15314-interview-lans-bovenberg.html Interview with Lans Bovenberg by infonu.nl] (in Dutch)] . Together with other Dutch economists like Johan Graafland and Eric van Damme, he thinks about the connection between Christian thinking and economics ["Christelijke Traditie en Neo-Klassieke Economie in Gesprek,"(Dialogue of Christian Tradition and Neo-Clasical Economics) Economisch Statistische Berichten, Vol. 84, No. 4230, pp. 848-852, November 1999 (with Th.C.M.J. van de Klundert). ] .

Personal

Lans Bovenberg is married and father of two children. He was originally a member of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. When he lived in the United States, he was touched by the faith and the practical living of evangelic christians. When he returned to the Netherlands he became a Pentecostal.

He is a member of the charismatic Evangelic Church Jefta in Breda, which is a part of the Pentecostal denomination Rafael Nederland. Twice a year he preaches in his church [ [http://www.jefta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=38 One of Bovenberg's sermons] ] . He plans to study theology and become a part time preacher around 2013.

References

External links

* [http://www.uvt.nl/webwijs/show.html?anr=148199 Education, publications and activities] , Tilburg University
* [http://ec.europa.eu/comm/employment_social/events/2005/demographic_change/bovenberg_txt_en.pdf Balancing work and family life during the life course ] (a policy paper)
* [http://www.eo.nl/programma/briefaangod/2006-2007/page/Brieven_aan_God__Lans_Bovenberg/articles/article.esp;jsessionid=E8F1026C21AAC1FF712DA2CDC28F420A.mmbase01?article=5720051 Bovenberg's Letter to God (in Dutch)]