I entered my profession for the love of the game, in the literal game-theoretic sense of the word. To date, I love the challenge from abstract fundamental research questions which my job offers. Yet, if we as theorists can contribute something to real-world markets, that is amazing, too. Market Design offers the best of both worlds. As a Research Associate at ZEW Mannheim and in collaborations with the hospital MUMC+, I try to use my knowledge to help in the restructuring real-world markets (allocation of childcare, social housing, schools, or (tennis) doubles; optimal scheduling of surgeries, ...).Â
Practitioners see the world quite differently from theorists. For instance, a childcare center might be reluctant to partake in a standard economic allocation procedure. Reasons include concerns for autonomy, an unwillingness to submit a public ranking of their criteria, or a preference for parents who themselves really want to have their kid at their childcare center. In my view, good market design takes a human-centered approach, which includes economic efficiency considerations as one criterion among many, focusing both on the procedure and the outcome of the procedure. Don't hesitate to reach out to me with your questions or requests for new projects!