Gender gap, development economics, and nudges

Dear LinkedIn community,

In this issue, we are thrilled to announce that Lorenzo Casaburi has been appointed to an UBS Foundation Professorship. Furthermore, we delve into captivating research in Ghana and reflect on recent events exploring the dynamics between Europe and Switzerland and the challenges of behavioral public policy interventions.

We look forward to staying in touch with you and hope to see you very soon at one of our events.

Ernst Fehr (Director) & Hans-Joachim Voth (Scientific Director)

Lorenzo Casaburi appointed UBS Foundation Professor

?? Read interview

Lorenzo Casaburi?is joining the UBS Center as?UBS Foundation Associate Professor of Development Economics. Professor Casaburi studies economic development in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on agricultural markets. His research combines extensive fieldwork, rigorous identification methods, and insights from behavioral economics, industrial organization, and contract theory. In this interview, he talks about his passion for his work and about the challenges and opportunities of conducting research in sub-Saharan Africa.

Closing the microcredit gender gap in Ghana

?? Learn more

What started out as an intriguing idea for a research seminar of Prof. David Yanagizawa-Drott , developed into an insightful research project in Ghana. The project addresses the topic of small loans which can help people establish and expand their small businesses. The field study in Ghana has now revealed that men ask for and receive more money from microcredit companies than women. However, if women are better informed, they are more likely to apply for higher amounts.

Florian Scheuer appointed to AER Board

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The?American Economic Review (AER)?has appointed?UBS Foundation Professor Florian Scheuer to join their esteemed Board of Editors. The AER is one of the most prestigious and oldest peer-reviewed academic journal in economics worldwide. The AER actively seeks out candidates from various institutions, backgrounds, demographics, and geographic regions. Congratulations on this accomplishment!

Opportunities and challenges for Europe and Switzerland

?? Highlights Van der Bellen

?? Rede Cassis

We look back on two insightful events at which we addressed current developments in Europe and Switzerland and discussed Switzerland's relationship with the European Union. The first speaker was?President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, who described the European Union in his speech as a constant construction site, but as indispensable despite its weaknesses. At the subsequent?Wirtschaftspodium Schweiz, economists, public servants and politicians discussed key issues relating to Switzerland’s relationship with its neighboring countries – migration and competitiveness being key aspects at the heart of the debate.

Enhancing our lives with nudges

?? UZH article

Douglas Bernheim?of 美国斯坦福大学 has been a key figure in the field of behavioral public policy. In acknowledgment of his significant research contributions, he was conferred an honorary doctorate by the University of Zurich on April 27. Prof. Bernheim’s work focuses on the study of human choice mistakes and their implications for public policy. At the heart of this are questions such as: When should the government correct people’s mistakes? And when are such interventions improving people’s welfare? Two days before the university’s?Dies Academicus?festivities Bernheim gave a public lecture at the University of Zurich. In it he explained some of the daunting challenges that economists face when they try to evaluate whether behavioral public policy interventions make people better off.

University of Zurich UBS UZH Department of Economics UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics