After graduating from CERGE-EI, Mária Valachyová returned to Slovakia and built a career in private banking that led her to her current role as Head of Strategy at Slovenská sporiteľňa (Erste Group). In this interview, she reflects on the key turning points that shaped her path, the real-world impact of research and strategy on households and businesses, and the innovations her team is delivering. Continue reading Meet our alumni: Coming home to build impact
Category Archives: Alumni
Meet Our Alumni: Regulation, Competition, and the Digital Economy
Our Phd alumnus, Viliam Druska, is Senior Director of Regulatory Economics at Ooredoo in Doha, Qatar. After starting out in a technical field, he transitioned to economics during the region’s shift to a market economy and went on to build a career in telecommunications. In this interview, Viliam shares the key choices behind his journey, explains what regulatory economics looks like in practice, and reflects on why balancing short- and long-term incentives matters for investment. Continue reading Meet Our Alumni: Regulation, Competition, and the Digital Economy
Investing in Excellence: Five Years After the Alumni Excellence Fellowship
The Student Support Fund was created to attract talented students to CERGE-EI and enable them to focus fully on their studies. In 2019, two students became the first recipients of the Alumni Excellence Fellowship—one of them was Maksim, who is now completing the PhD program and entering the international academic job market.
Five years later, we look back at what the Fellowship meant for him, how it shaped his development at CERGE-EI, and why alumni support continues to play a crucial role for future generations.
Continue reading Investing in Excellence: Five Years After the Alumni Excellence Fellowship
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
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
Meet Our Alumni: Bridging Economics, Research, and Public Service
Karin Jõeveer, a CERGE-EI PhD alumna, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Economics and Finance at Tallinn University of Technology. She also plays a central role in shaping Estonia’s economic strategy as a member of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian Central Bank and the Estonian Fiscal Council. In this interview, Karin reflects on the academic foundations that launched her career, the economic challenges Estonia faces today, and the decisions that will shape the future of the Eurozone. Continue reading Meet Our Alumni: Bridging Economics, Research, and Public Service
Talking Economics: Inside the Household Wallet
What determines the financial decisions we make throughout our lives—like choosing a mortgage, saving for retirement, or deciding whether to invest? In the latest episode of Talking Economics, we explore these questions with Marta Cota, a CERGE-EI PhD alumna and Assistant Professor of Finance at Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon. Continue reading Talking Economics: Inside the Household Wallet
Meet Our Alumni: Building Inclusive Economics
In this alumni interview, we speak with Emiliya Lazarova, Head of School and Professor of Economics at University of East Anglia. She reflects on how her training laid the foundations for her academic career. She also shares her views on making the field more inclusive and offers advice for young economists navigating academia today. Continue reading Meet Our Alumni: Building Inclusive Economics
Highlights from the #AlumniLive Seminar with Jaroslav Borovička: On the Role of Expectations in Monetary Policy
On Friday, May 30th, we had the pleasure of welcoming back alumnus Jaroslav Borovička, now a professor at New York University. His talk, titled “Monetary Policy and Inflation Expectations,” focused on how households’ and firms’ expectations influence key macroeconomic outcomes. The event was organized as part of the CERGE-EI #AlumniLive series, which aims to create networking opportunities for CERGE-EI students and alumni while providing insights into successful career paths. Continue reading Highlights from the #AlumniLive Seminar with Jaroslav Borovička: On the Role of Expectations in Monetary Policy