Experts of the future: ”I wish to understand what drives the difference between the financial assets of men and women”
Why did you become a researcher?
It was partly an old dream. I considered doing a PhD after earning my master degree in economics. I was offered a PhD scholarship but was offered a job at the Danish National Bank too and chose that instead, so I worked there and in the private sector for many years. However, I still thought about doing a PhD because I love to investigate things, become deeply absorbed and learn. Finally, I reached a decision and started on my PhD studies in November 2022.
What is the focus of your thesis?
There are significant differences between the pension assets of men and women. My project will investigate the factors that explain these differences. One of the questions I wish to answer is whether women and men tend to have different behaviour towards investment and savings. By applying register data, i.e. micro-level data, I can monitor people's investment and saving decisions from youth until they retire. Large gender differences in pension savings are not a Danish phenomenon. OECD and the World Economic Forum are also looking into this, and it does matter which options you are faced with in the third part of life, as I like to call it.
How can your knowledge benefit others?
I hope that my research can make a difference and place focus on pension savings inequality. My research is relevant for society and may lead to political change and action in the long term.
Which other researcher do you admire most?
Before I started my PhD, I read a lot about the Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann, which inspired me to get started. She was studying Earth’s inner core, so a somewhat different field than mine. Despite living in a time when it was exceptionally challenging to be a female researcher, she achieved international recognition and played a crucial role in discovering that Earth's inner core is solid.
Above all, what is the one question you are most eager to answer in your career?
I want to understand what drives the difference between the financial assets of men and women, including, obviously, pension assets, which are my primary field of research, but I also wish to learn more about what causes the differences in other assets such as real property and shares between men and women.
What do you consider the most important discovery within your field of research?
I want to say Claudia Goldin, an economic scientist who received the Nobel Prize in Economics. She investigated the central drivers for the continued inequality between genders on the labour market. She is also the third woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Economics.
What is your greatest strength – and weakness?
I think perfectionism is a trait commonly found in the world of research. The desire to perform at your best can sometimes lead to things getting a little out of balance. It can be hard to decide when something is finished and ready to be published, so I think that perfectionism is my biggest weakness and my greatest strength.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I have kids, so a lot of my spare time is spent with them, but I like running, going to museums and knitting. If I have time, I like to read or listen to books.
Which historical person do you admire the most?
Probably the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren. She has written remarkable children’s books that captivate adults too.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I have always wanted to be a researcher. When I was a kid, I had a book about a professor who had a housekeeper and a dog. He got to immerse himself in all kinds of things and had this housekeeper who took care of everything. To me, that sounded wonderful – I have always been drawn to the idea of sitting quietly in an office, immersing myself in study.