With over a decade of experience at the Ministry of Trade of Türkiye, Gökhan pursued the Master’s to refresh his academic foundation. “My responsibilities already included policy making and impact analysis, but I wanted to update my knowledge of economic literature and gain modern research techniques. VU Amsterdam offered exactly what I was looking for, a broad economics programme with strong academic rigor.”
Although the start of the programme was challenging, Gökhan quickly found its value. “The advanced economics and econometrics courses strengthened my quantitative skills, while the lectures in development economics gave me real-life policy examples that were directly relevant to my work. By the second half of the programme, I was applying what I learned in every assignment.”
He especially credits his thesis experience under Professor Remco Oostendorp as formative. “His guidance encouraged me to produce a solid policy analysis on the trade effects of the customs union regime between the EU and Turkey. A part of this thesis was later published in International Economics, which was an incredibly rewarding outcome.”
The Master’s prepared him well for his return to the Ministry and eventually for his diplomatic posting. “The skills I gained improved my productivity, gave me new perspectives, and contributed to my promotion to my current role. Today, I apply the same analytical and policy-oriented mindset when strengthening Turkey’s economic ties with Moldova.”
His advice for future students? “If you are looking for a place where you can learn both economics and policy analysis in a stimulating environment, I would strongly recommend the master’s Economics at VU Amsterdam.”
