From Prague to Berkeley, this interview traces the academic and personal journey of our PhD student Tereza Burýšková, who spent a study stay
at the University of California, Berkeley. Her experiences open a new interview series titled Places You’ll Go, sharing reflections on the decision-making process, cultural adjustments, and differences in academic environments. The interview aims to encourage other students to take a similar step. It offers an honest look at what it means to move beyond one’s comfort zone. Continue reading Confidence, Curiosity, and California: Reflections on a Study Stay
Who Pays for Policy? Find it out with Stephanie Ettmeier
Trained across disciplines and shaped by moments when economic policy moved from abstraction to real-world consequence, Stephanie Ettmeier, PhD, Assistant Professor at CERGE-EI, brings a distinctive perspective to contemporary macroeconomics. In this interview, she reflects on her unconventional path into the field, her motivation for joining CERGE-EI, and the questions that animate her research—from the effects of fiscal austerity to new methods for understanding how aggregate shocks are experienced across households, firms, and regions. Bridging historical insight with cutting-edge empirical tools, Ettmeier’s work highlights why looking beyond averages is essential for both economic research and policy today. Continue reading Who Pays for Policy? Find it out with Stephanie Ettmeier
Meet Our Alumni: Where Analysis Meets Action
From policy analysis at the Czech National Bank to corporate finance at Morgan Stanley — and founding one of Prague’s most beloved study cafés — our alumna Iva Martonosi’s career reflects a rare balance between analytical precision and creative drive. In this interview, Iva shares insights on agile management, lessons learned from her experience in central banking, and why critical thinking and curiosity remain the foundations of her work. Continue reading Meet Our Alumni: Where Analysis Meets Action
Understanding Discrimination Through the Lens of Behavioral Economics
Discrimination, as defined in economics, occurs when two otherwise identical individuals or groups are treated differently based solely on a group attribute. In economic terms, discrimination leads to real losses in productivity and efficiency. When talent is overlooked, firms lose potential profit, and society wastes valuable human capital. In our latest episode of Talking Economics, Vojtěch Bartoš, Associate Professor at the University of Milan and CERGE-EI alumnus, explains how behavioral economics helps uncover the mechanisms behind bias — and how evidence-based tools can help reduce it. Continue reading Understanding Discrimination Through the Lens of Behavioral Economics
Ružica Šimić Banović: Bridging Academia and Policy
Ružica Šimić Banović is a Full Professor and Head of the Department of Economics at the Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, where she also chairs the Career Development Committee. A CERGE-EI Foundation Fellow and member of CEPOR‘s research team, she holds advanced degrees from Harvard Kennedy School, the University of Ljubljana, and King’s College London. Continue reading Ružica Šimić Banović: Bridging Academia and Policy
Meet Our Alumni: Linking Information, Behavior, and the Environment
What comes after a PhD? Our alumnus, Rastislav Rehák, reflects on his postdoctoral journey at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods and the University of Cologne, where he explores new directions in behavioral and environmental economics, as well as the passion that keeps him balanced outside of academia. Continue reading Meet Our Alumni: Linking Information, Behavior, and the Environment
Matching Matters: The Hidden Economics of Who Works Where with Luca Mazzone
In our latest Talking Economics episode, we spoke with Luca Mazzone, Assistant Professor at CERGE-EI and Economist at the IMF, about the hidden dynamics behind wage inequality, employment policy, and how households shape labor market outcomes. His research looks into how people and firms find each other—and why this matching process matters for productivity, inequality, and growth. Continue reading Matching Matters: The Hidden Economics of Who Works Where with Luca Mazzone
Meet Our Students: Sook Yan Siew
Sook Yan Siew shares her experiences as a PhD in Economics student at CERGE-EI and her role as an international student ambassador at Charles University. Looking ahead, she is considering a future in academia while also running her own NGO. She believes this path will allow her to balance her passion for long-term theoretical research with short-term practical work. Continue reading Meet Our Students: Sook Yan Siew
Meet Our Students: Raul Enrique Zavala Sanchez
In this short interview, Raul Enrique Zavala Sanchez shares his experience as a PhD in Economics student at CERGE-EI. Originally from Central America, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from a university in Vilnius, Lithuania, and later earned a Master’s degree in Finance. His interest in macroeconomics grew from a desire to understand the economic challenges of his home region. After discovering CERGE-EI, he moved to Prague to pursue his goal of conducting economic research. Looking ahead, he is considering a future in academia or a research-oriented role at an international organization such as the IMF or the World Bank. Continue reading Meet Our Students: Raul Enrique Zavala Sanchez
Meet Our Students: Sofiana Sinani’s paper won the Best Poster Prize at the Royal Economic Society Conference
What if parental leave policies shape more than just short-term labor outcomes? While much of the existing research focuses on how such policies impact parents’ careers, Sofiana Sinani, winner of the Best Poster Prize at the Royal Economic Society Conference 2025, took a different angle: How do extended periods of maternal care influence children’s future aspirations — especially their choice of university studies and careers? Her project examines a 1995 policy change in the Czech Republic, where mothers were offered the option to extend their leave beyond the standard job-protection period. The results are following: boys exposed to longer maternal care were significantly less likely to apply to stereotypically “female” fields, such as education or healthcare. The research suggests that parental leave doesn’t just affect today’s workforce — it can shape the beliefs and ambitions of the next generation. In this interview, we explore the project that earned Sofiana Sinani the Best Poster Prize at the Royal Economic Society Conference 2025.