Wilco van Dijk gave his inaugural lecture "Understanding Mental Budget" yesterday as he officiallycommenced as Professor by Special Appointment of the Psychological Determinants of Economic Decision Making. The Professorship is a collaboration between Leiden University and the National Institute for Budget counseling (Nibud). Wilco presented a psychological perspective on financial behavior discussing what we can do to gain a healthier approach to managing our finances.
After the ceremony, we moved to a bar for drinks and dinner where a big surprise awaited Wilco: A band made up of his musical colleagues performing a "Money Medley" that was especially arranged for this occasion. The band included Eric de Kwaadsteniet on base, Lotte van Dillen on synthesizer, Daan Scheepers on drums, and Edwin Boezeman on guitar. Marijke van Putten, Said Shafa, Pascalle Tamis and myself provided the vocals. Songs included in the medley: Money for Nothing (Dire Straits), I Need a Dollar (Aloe Blacc), Material Girl (Madonna), and Money Money Money (Abba).
It sounded pretty good but was most of all extremely fun to do! And Wilco's surprised face was worth millions (or a thousand to be precise)...
