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Ernst Fehr has always seen what others missed – the connections between disciplines, the institutions that research needs to thrive, and the partnerships that make lasting impact possible. As he celebrates his 70th birthday, the UBS Center takes this as an opportunity to highlight a career that has shaped behavioral economics as a field, and Zurich’s Department of Economics as a world-class institution. Explore a selection of work, conversations, and tributes that reflect the breadth of his contribution.
Ernst Fehr has always seen what others missed – the connections between disciplines, the institutions that research needs to thrive, and the partnerships that make lasting impact possible. As he celebrates his 70th birthday, the UBS Center takes this as an opportunity to highlight a career that has shaped behavioral economics as a field, and Zurich’s Department of Economics as a world-class institution. Explore a selection of work, conversations, and tributes that reflect the breadth of his contribution.
Ernst Fehr ist in den Orden Pour le mérite für Wissenschaften und Künste aufgenommen worden – eine der höchsten Auszeichnungen für Wissenschaft und Kunst in Deutschland, zu deren rund 70 Mitgliedern auch die Nobelpreisträger Herta Müller und Svante Pääbo zählen. Geehrt wird Fehr für seine bahnbrechende Forschung darüber, wie Fairness, Vertrauen und soziale Normen menschliches wirtschaftliches Verhalten prägen. Die feierliche Aufnahme findet am 30. Mai 2027 im Konzerthaus Berlin statt.
Wir freuen uns bekannt zu geben, dass David Yanagizawa-Drott per 1. August 2026 zum UBS Foundation Professor of Economics ernannt wurde. David ist seit 2016 am Department of Economics der Universität Zürich tätig und seither mit dem UBS Center affiliiert. Seine Forschungsinteressen umfassen Entwicklungsökonomie und politische Ökonomie, mit einem aktuellen Schwerpunkt darauf, wie Kultur und Normen die Arbeitsmärkte für Männer und Frauen prägen, sowie auf der Rolle sozialer Medien für die Gesellschaft. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ist das Social Catalyst Lab, in dem David und sein Team mithilfe von KI nach skalierbaren Lösungen für drängende Herausforderungen in Entwicklungsländern suchen. Davids akademische Affiliationen umfassen J-PAL, BREAD, EUDN und CEPR. 2025 wurde er mit dem Yrjö-Jahnsson-Preis für seine wegweisende Forschung zur Rolle der Medien in der Politik ausgezeichnet.
Which development project delivers the greatest benefit to local communities? How should a program be designed to achieve lasting impact? And into which projects should a foundation invest to maximize impact relative to cost? To answer these questions, foundations and other actors in development cooperation worldwide are turning increasingly to scientific evidence.
Which development project delivers the greatest benefit to local communities? How should a program be designed to achieve lasting impact? And into which projects should a foundation invest to maximize impact relative to cost? To answer these questions, foundations and other actors in development cooperation worldwide are turning increasingly to scientific evidence.
Friedrich Merz has been German chancellor for one year. His approval ratings are at rock bottom, and the coalition is in turmoil. Security policy expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) calls for a tougher stance — both from the German government and toward the enemies of democracy.
Friedrich Merz has been German chancellor for one year. His approval ratings are at rock bottom, and the coalition is in turmoil. Security policy expert Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) calls for a tougher stance — both from the German government and toward the enemies of democracy.
Four structural fault lines have widened the gap between the system's original design and the policy challenges it now faces: Unresolved development bargains from the failed Doha Round, China's state-driven economic model, sustainability-related regulatory spillovers, and the rapid digitalization of trade.
Four structural fault lines have widened the gap between the system's original design and the policy challenges it now faces: Unresolved development bargains from the failed Doha Round, China's state-driven economic model, sustainability-related regulatory spillovers, and the rapid digitalization of trade.