The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has awarded research grants to two Affiliated Professors at the UBS Center for Economics in Society. Maya Eden and Andreas I. Mueller, both members of the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, will each lead four-year projects beginning in 2026, with a combined budget of over CHF 1.25 million. Their research addresses foundational questions in normative economics and one of the most persistent labor market challenges of our time.

Anti-liberal movements are gaining strength, including within open societies. Cass Sunstein explains in an interview on the sidelines of his keynote at the University of Zurich why liberalism must be more than an ideology, why freedom requires “freedom from fear,” and where its greatest dangers now lie.

Political decisions often create winners and losers. This can’t always be avoided, but as research by economist Maya Eden shows, predictable and transparent criteria can help minimize unfairness.

There’s no easy way to achieve fair taxation. It takes a bundle of pragmatic measures to close loopholes, minimize false incentives, and tax work and capital evenly. Ultimately, however, taxes are the product of political negotiation, according to historian Matthieu Leimgruber and economist Florian Scheuer.