As strong advocates for inclusive prosperity, Professor Martin de Jong and researcher Kees Krul see eye to eye on many topics. Their backgrounds also share striking similarities: neither grew up in an academic environment, and both have personally experienced the gap between academic theory and the practical realities of everyday life. That experience turned out to be a key influence in shaping their views on broad prosperity.
Bridging a Gap
Martin begins: “During my public administration studies, I learned that policymaking is complex, and successful government interventions are more the exception than the rule. After graduating, I focused on spatial and infrastructure issues—mainly in China. Broad prosperity wasn’t yet a core concept in my work, but when I found myself living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in The Hague, it changed my perspective. I saw people struggling with daily life—some needed help, while others made choices that deepened their problems. That kept me grounded. I’ve always been interested in Marx, and I still believe that a modest tax on the ultra-wealthy could solve many of our issues.”
Kees fully agrees—and recognises much in that story. “I started out with a recommendation for vocational secondary education, but eventually earned my PhD at TU Delft. Not something anyone around me expected. But in a way, that path reflects how I see broad prosperity: translating abstract concepts into something the average person can understand.”
Explaining Broad/Inclusive Prosperity to the Public
According to Martin, broad prosperity is a vague term—something that’s both a strength and a weakness. “The advantage is that people generally support it, as long as it isn’t tied to a specific political ideology. The basic idea is to ensure economic needs are met for everyone—but it goes beyond money. What people need to live happy lives includes more than just material wealth. Broad prosperity is also about well-being and life satisfaction—and how we define that depends on political choices.”
Kees adds that it’s crucial to clearly explain those definitions and choices to the public. “When I try to explain it to my parents, I use the concrete example of South Korea. That country enjoys a high level of economic development, but also has the highest suicide rates in the world among both young people and the elderly. This shows that economic growth alone doesn’t guarantee a good life. Broad prosperity takes a more holistic view—one that looks beyond material wealth.”
The Role of the University
The university is making promising efforts to connect more closely with society. More and more projects are being launched in collaboration with social partners. “Still, I wish these initiatives were rolled out more quickly and decisively,” says Martin. “It’s encouraging that societal impact is becoming more valued, but decision-making at Erasmus University Rotterdam can be extremely slow, and the direction is often inconsistent. I believe we need to improve this to keep staff motivated.”
Kees takes it a step further. “Academia is still far too preoccupied with publishing,” he says. “That leads to research that is socially disconnected. Martin and I believe the impact of our work should go beyond writing articles for a small, elite audience. Last year, for instance, we were commissioned by the Rotterdam The Hague Metropolitan Region to study the impact of the new Blankenburg tunnel on regional broad prosperity—a project we thoroughly enjoyed. We’re also involved in initiatives like Convergence, where TU Delft, Erasmus MC and Erasmus University Rotterdam collaborate to tackle societal challenges together.”
Martin is professor at Erasmus University and Scientific Director of the Erasmus Initiative ‘Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity’. He brings 25 years of international experience in governance, infrastructure, and urban development.
Kees is postdoctoraal onderzoeker aan Rotterdam School of Management. In zijn huidige werk richt hij zich op het ontwikkelen van een thematische en datagedreven benadering van brede welvaart.
Resilient Delta: putting broad prosperity into practice
A powerful example of Convergence in action is the Resilient Delta Initiative, a programme that focuses on designing real-world solutions for the global challenges we face. Within ‘Regio Deals’, municipalities, societal partners, and knowledge institutions join forces to promote broad prosperity in collaborative projects. These initiatives range from zero-emission inland shipping and fast cycling routes to tackling urban poverty, health inequalities and social challenges.
“These kinds of partnerships are incredibly promising and genuinely fascinating,” says Kees. “We recently met with all the partners in one Regio Deal—not just to ask what they plan to do, but to reflect together on the challenges they’re facing. That sparked valuable insights. We now have a clearer picture of the knowledge needed to further support regional development. It’s a great example of reciprocal knowledge exchange—the way it should be.”
Challenges Ahead
Many economic and financial issues are being ignored by politicians. Statistics on purchasing power often paint a misleading picture and fail to reflect the true financial reality many people face. This is driving inequality—and we cannot afford to look away. “There’s clearly growing discontent in society,” Kees notes. “You see it reflected in the political landscape. Many people no longer feel at home in their neighbourhoods or cities due to rapid changes. That’s not an irrational feeling, even if the political response sometimes is. We have to try to understand where these emotions come from—and engage in real dialogue.”
“What we must avoid at all costs,” he continues, “is letting broad prosperity become a polarising or ‘contaminated’ term, the way concepts like ‘diversity and inclusion’ have become politicised in the United States. That’s unfortunate. These terms are meant to unite, not divide.”
Martin agrees. “The rise of far-right politics in countries like the U.S. is alarming. We thought American democracy would hold firm, but recent years have shown how quickly things can unravel. It’s a wake-up call for the Netherlands. Democracy and the rule of law are not guaranteed. If we’re not careful, we could face the same kind of erosion. In the Netherlands, broad prosperity must remain a politically neutral concept—it’s a broader vision that doesn’t belong to the left or the right. Everyone should be able to support it.”
Social Cohesion Under Pressure
Martin points to the healthcare sector as a telling example of what happens when financial and social capital fall out of balance. “The government has delegated many healthcare responsibilities to local authorities and care institutions—along with the accompanying budget cuts,” he explains. “This has hollowed out key services that are vital to communities, and we’re now beginning to feel the effects. More and more people are losing their way—literally and figuratively—which is a direct consequence of underfunding essential care. If we don’t take this problem seriously, it will only worsen, and we’ll see even more people fall through the cracks. To preserve social cohesion, we must adopt policies that genuinely contribute to broad prosperity—not just to economic growth.”
Restoring Balance
In the end, Kees says, it’s vital to step outside the academic bubble and regularly conduct reality checks. “Too many aspects of life are still analysed through a purely economic lens. That has put pressure on our social and natural capital. We need to restore that balance—because that is what broad prosperity is all about. It starts when we dare to look beyond the obvious.”
