Three weeks at NIDI in Den Haag

I am a researcher at the Institute of Public Finance in Zagreb, Croatia, where I specialise in public sector economics. My research interests centre around microsimulations of taxes and social benefits, economic

analysis of family policy, poverty, and income inequality. I was awarded a bursary under the COORDINATE TAV programme to visit the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) of

the Netherlands Academy of Science and Art, affiliated with the University of Groningen. My research visit aimed to conceptualise and use the Gender and Generations Survey data to study child well-being.

My stay in Den Haag lasted for three weeks, from 27 February to 17 March, and my host was Dr. V.J. Deimantas. During my visit, I had the opportunity to participate in regular weekly meetings of the Generations and Gender Programme (GGP) team and other formal and informal activities at NIDI. During the second week, I had a chance to exchange ideas with Prof. Moreno-Mínguez, who also visited NIDI under the COORDINATE TAV programme. In the third week, I presented my research findings to the GGP team and received insightful feedback on how to refine my work. The GGP team's support and guidance were instrumental in shaping my research. I benefited greatly from exchanging ideas with Prof. Gauthier, the Director of the GGP and a world-renowned expert in family policy research. As a result of my visit, I have developed an initial outline and prepared do-files for a research paper that compares households with children by breadwinner type and differences in values, opinions, duties, and economic deprivation across selected countries.

Beyond the professional benefits of my stay, I was also able to explore the beautiful city of Den Haag, thanks to the GGP team's recommendations. Overall, my experience with the COORDINATE TAV programme was invaluable, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in researching child and youth well-being at participating institutions. Working with local experts like those at NIDI provides a unique opportunity to collaborate with diverse researchers and gain fresh insights into the field. The entire GGP team and NIDI staff were warm and welcoming hosts who made me feel at home, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have been part of their community during my visit.