Pro-social evolution, historical benefits, and illogical mistakes
UBS Center for Economics in Society
Enabling world-class research in economics on all levels, to be conducted at the University of Zurich.
Dear LinkedIn community,
In this issue, we’re excited to highlight innovative research and introduce our newest scholarship holder. Stay tuned for captivating insights into the intersection of economics and society.
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)
Super-additive cooperation
One of the great unresolved mysteries of human evolution is how pro-social, cooperative behavior could have evolved. What led to the establishment of a behavior that prioritizes the benefit of the community over that of the individual in a world where materially successful individuals reproduce, and others slowly perish?
A new study by?Ernst Fehr?and other researchers, published in Nature Portfolio , challenges two prevailing explanations – repeated interactions on the one hand or group competition on the other. Instead, they conclude, both mechanisms synergistically contribute to fostering cooperation effectively.
The benefits of a historical approach
We are delighted to introduce Marcel Caesmann as our new?UBS Center Scholarship?holder. Marcel is currently a visiting PhD Researcher at? 美国加州大学伯克利分校 . In our interview, he reveals what inspired him to pursue research in economic history and he talks about his research showing that religious identity is surprisingly malleable over time. A finding that challenges the notion of religious identities as static, highlighting their potential for remarkable transformation.
Better not to listen to your gut
领英推荐
Many people who invest their money make extremely illogical mistakes. In a recently published article of the Swiss magazine Beobachter , 瑞银集团 Foundation Professor Sandro Ambuehl tells us which mistakes are typical. And how to avoid them.
Thinking, fast and slow
In the latest edition of our?Nobel Opinions?series, The Nobel Prize laureate Daniel Kahneman of 美国普林斯顿大学 talks about the economic consequences of decisions made by risk-averse and risk-taking individuals, drawing on his famous book?Thinking, Fast and Slow. Kahneman who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, dedicated his academic career to the psychological phenomena around judgement and decision-making, establishing a new way of thinking about human errors based on heuristics and biases.
In recognition of his groundbreaking work, Austrian broadcaster ORF recently launched a podcast series (in German) highlighting some of his findings. Ernst Fehr?is one of the featured guests. He underlines the importance of Kahneman’s research for behavioral economics.
Die Schweiz am Scheideweg: EU, Migration und Wettbewerbsf?higkeit
What path is ????Switzerland taking in its relationship with the ????EU? Is Switzerland only growing horizontally? And what makes Switzerland a strong place for work and innovation? These are key questions for our upcoming?Wirtschaftspodium Schweiz?on April 16 at the Kongresshaus Zürich / Zurich Convention Center .
Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will give the keynote speech and will discuss Switzerland’s relationship with the EU, immigration, and its impact on productivity with politicians and economists.
The podium follows this week's event with?Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen?at the University of Zurich . Both events are in German.
University of Zurich UBS UZH Department of Economics UZH Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics