Dr. Jan Verhoeckx is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at Radboud University, Netherlands. He teaches several introductory economics courses using his own combination of CORE modules. We spoke with Jan to learn more about his courses and why CORE’s materials are integral to his teaching style.
Hi Jan, thanks so much for joining us! Please start by telling us a little about your background.
I’m a lecturer at Radboud University, where I’ve been teaching for about 15 years. I teach a number of introductory economics courses: Introduction to Economics and the Economy, Economics for Business Administration, Economics for Political Science, and Economics for Geography, Planology and Environmental Studies. Before that, I worked in high school education before making the switch to university teaching.
I really enjoy teaching introductory courses, especially to non-economics students. They often see me as a stereotypical, profit maximising economist who’s come to tell them how the world works — and I like to play with that perception. That’s part of what makes these intro courses so enjoyable.
We call our introductory program Economics Plus. We try to look a little broader than the traditional, purely orthodox curriculum. We’re more pluralistic — both in economic perspectives and in the overall culture of the program. In that sense, CORE fits us very well.
When did you discover CORE, and what attracted you to it?
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when — it was quite a while ago — but there were two main things that drew me to it.
First, in these introductory courses, the first two or three weeks are the same across all programs. That’s where we cover the basics of economics — how economists view the world. After that, we specialise. Political science students move more toward Economy, Society, and Public Policy, while business students head toward institutional economics — topics like transaction costs and agency theory. I wanted textbooks that were free and flexible, so students wouldn’t have to buy multiple expensive books as we branched into different directions.
Second, I really like the philosophy behind CORE. It’s different from the hundreds of standard economics textbooks out there. It’s particularly effective for non-economics students, showing them that while economics has sometimes been accused of tunnel vision, economists aren’t just “evil capitalists.”
Which CORE texts do you use?
I still use a lot of The Economy 1.0, to be honest. There’s quite a bit of overlap with 2.0, of course, but I prefer the first edition. I usually mix and match — cherry-picking from different chapters. I also use parts of Economy, Society, and Public Policy. For some topics, it goes a bit too far for my non-econ students; for econ students, sometimes not far enough.
You’ve built your own mix of CORE units to suit your courses.
Yes. I always see a course as a story — and it has to be my story, otherwise it doesn’t feel natural. A story needs a storyline, and I’m the author of that storyline. The book is there to support it, not define it. I think that’s a bit different from how many other lecturers approach their courses. Often, they just follow the textbook without thinking about the story they’re telling.
What do you like about CORE compared to other textbooks?
It’s a mix of things. I like its use of context — it helps the material resonate with students. My job is to convince them that economics is interesting, and you do that by showing examples and sparking curiosity. CORE does that better than most textbooks. Occasionally, in my view, it focuses on context a little too early — I sometimes prefer to introduce the concepts first, to fit the flow of my story.
This broader context also invites critical reflection, which is especially important for non-economics students. It helps them see that the complex world around us isn’t some kind of perfectly functioning machine.
CORE also draws heavily on Our World in Data, which I love. Honestly, I could teach an entire course just using their graphs and tables. That’s a shared interest of mine, and it ties in nicely with my lecture slides.
Huge thanks to Jan for making time to speak with us. If you’d like to find out more about Jan, Radboud University or any of the books mentioned, see the links below.
Useful links
CORE’s The Economy
CORE’s Economy, Society and Public Policy
