NETHERLANDS - Netspar, the new pensions network at Tilburg University, has got the backing of three senior pension industry figures: Dick de Beus, Jean Frijns and Jan Nijssen.

De Beus is the former chairman at health care fund PGGM, while Frijns is the former head of investments at civil service scheme ABP. Nijssen was formerly global head of pensions at ING. They have joined as fellows.

“Netspar… expects to benefit from the advice of three fellows who have substantial experience in the Dutch pension and insurance sectors and who were instrumental in getting Netspar off the ground,” the group’s first ever annual report stated.

“One of their roles is to give their views on how Netspar can best facilitate interaction between academia and practitioners.”

Netspar added that it plans to improve its channels to disseminate knowledge, and increase involvement of international researchers.

“International interaction will be improved through an active visitors program, and the organisation of major international academic conferences,” Netspar said.

The network has established an MSc program in the Economics and Financing of Ageing, aimed at “raising awareness of practitioners at financial institutions of implications of ageing, and the policies of their institutions”. The one-year program will start in September.

Furthermore, Netspar plans to expand its pension workshops – currently two-days events – in order to encourage international researchers to participate and present their work. Longer and more intensive meetings will be part of it.

An additional event planned at Netspar, is an international academic conference in cooperation with the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), it said. The annual policy conference will focus on the future of the welfare state. The 2007 conference will address pension supervision.

This year, Netspar is focussing on three themes: value and risk management for insurance companies and pension funds, income, health and work across the life cycle, and private retirement provision. Each year, three new themes will be introduced.

The network currently employs 60 researchers and seven PhD candidates. In addition, 20 prominent scientists are associated with Netspar and its research, it said.


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