Ha was attracted to the programme for its strong link between academic knowledge and real-world application. “The programme may be short, but it still provided solid insights into all key aspects of economics. The curriculum covered topics I was passionate about and that I knew would help me develop my economic problem-solving skills for the future.” While researching master’s programmes, she was impressed by VU Amsterdam’s high rankings, the reputation of its economics courses, and the positive feedback from alumni about the multicultural environment and teaching quality.

One of the courses she found particularly valuable was Industrial Organization and Competition Policy. “It gave me essential skills to analyse competitive market structures and strategic behaviour—knowledge I now use to assess how our bank’s digital initiatives compare to competitors and global trends.” Even though she specialised in Development Economics, Ha appreciated the wide range of perspectives she gained from both logic-based courses like Microeconomics for Development and Globalization, Growth and Development, and quantitative ones like Econometrics. “The knowledge I gained is a strong foundation for my career—not just in development or globalisation, but in any field of economics.”

Her master’s equipped her with analytical and critical thinking skills that are crucial in her current work. For example, in the redesign of NCB’s banking app, she identifies customer pain points and gaps in competitor offerings to ensure the new version is user-centred and competitive. She also applies the problem-solving approach she honed during her thesis—breaking down complex challenges into manageable steps, mapping processes, comparing benchmarks, and presenting ideas clearly for review.

Her advice to prospective students? “This Master’s programme equips you to analyse complex problems from multiple perspectives and apply academic concepts to real-world challenges. It’s the perfect launch pad for a future career in any area of economics.”