Category Archives: Interviews

Meet Our Alumni: The CERGE-EI experience has stirred up my long-lasting passion for economics and doing research, says Teodora Paligorova

Teodora Paligorova, a Ph.D. graduate from 2007, started her career at the Bank of Canada. Four years ago, she became the Principal Economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. What does she see as the biggest challenges in the field of finance? And what are the three messages she has for CERGE-EI students? We are happy she shared her thoughts with us in a blog interview.

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MEET OUR ALUMNI: I AM ALREADY IN THE FOURTH GENERATION OF TEACHERS IN MY FAMILY, SAYS KREŠIMIR ŽIGIĆ

Krešimir ŽigićCitigroup Endowment Associate Professor with Tenure at CERGE-EI, and a Ph.D. graduate from 1996, studied in the first CERGE-EI cohort. How does he remember the atmosphere of the first years of our institution and why did he decide on a career in academia? We asked Krešo several questions for our Blog interview.

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MEET OUR ALUMNI: THE APPLIED FEATURE OF THE MAE PROGRAM IS A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF ACADEMIC THEORY AND BUSINESS PRACTICE, SAYS KAREL MUSIL

Karel Musil, our MAE graduate from 2014, already held a Ph.D. degree when he decided to apply to the Master in Applied Economics program at CERGE-EI. In an interview with Karel, we discussed his career of 12 years at the IMF as a Policy Advisor, his position at the Czech National Bank as Head of Macroeconomic Forecasting, and why he decided to pursue studies in the MAE program despite his previous college success. Continue reading MEET OUR ALUMNI: THE APPLIED FEATURE OF THE MAE PROGRAM IS A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF ACADEMIC THEORY AND BUSINESS PRACTICE, SAYS KAREL MUSIL

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Meet Our Alumni: The start-up spirit of CERGE-EI from the early 90s has stayed with me throughout my career, says Libor Krkoška

Only two years after CERGE-EI was founded, Libor Krkoška enrolled in the PhD in Economics program. Following his graduation, he was the first graduate from Eastern Europe hired by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Chief Economist Office in 1997. Ever since then he has been an active employee of the ERBD for some 24 years, working in multiple positions all around the world. How different of an experience was it for him back then at CERGE-EI? What from his student years has influenced him the most in his career? What is his role now in the EBRD as Country Strategy Deputy Director in London? Find out the answers to these and some other questions in a new interview with Libor. Continue reading Meet Our Alumni: The start-up spirit of CERGE-EI from the early 90s has stayed with me throughout my career, says Libor Krkoška

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Meet Our Alumni: The International Monetary Fund is a great place to work, says Martin Čihák

Martin Čihák, one of CERGE-EI’s early PhD graduates, recollected his student memories with us and the impact the studies at CERGE-EI had on furthering his career. Having worked for the International Monetary Fund in multiple areas for about two decades, Martin is currently involved in overseeing IMF operations in several countries. How has the IMF responded to the COVID-19 crisis? And what does Martin wish CERGE-EI on the occasion of its 30th birthday? Continue reading Meet Our Alumni: The International Monetary Fund is a great place to work, says Martin Čihák

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Vladimír Novák: My Research as a Postdoc at Universita Bocconi

One of our recent graduates, Vladimír Novák, has already achieved a great deal in the field of economic research. Last year, Vladimír successfully defended his dissertation under the supervision of Filip Matejka and lent his hand to participate in the IDEA Anti COVID-19 initiative, which issued many studies on matters related to the coronavirus outbreak. How has his research focus shifted after he joined the team of professor Eliana La Ferrara (former president of European Economic Association and 2020 recipient of Brigid Grodal Award for the best European-based female economist) at Universita Bocconi?* What are his current research projects? We asked Vladimír several questions for our blog interview. Continue reading Vladimír Novák: My Research as a Postdoc at Universita Bocconi

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In Need of Support Funds to Keep the Competitive Edge

Our PhD in Economics graduate from 2003, David Vávra, founder and managing partner of OGResearch, is until today strongly connected to CERGE-EI. He was one of the initiators to establish the CERGE-EI Student Support Fund, and as of 2020, sits on the Board of Nadace CERGE-EI as its Chair. What was it like for him as a student? What is his vision as Board Chair at Nadace CERGE-EI? Read an interview with David to learn more about his contributions to the CERGE-EI community and his career achievements.

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Interview with Filip Matějka, Second Time ERC Grant Receiver

Filip Matějka, a researcher and member of the CERGE-EI faculty, has received the prestigious Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council. The Council selected Filip for the second time in the international competition of applicants for ERC grants. In 2015, he was the first to receive an ERC Starting grant for social science research in the Czech Republic. His project Attention continues to explore the imperfections of human decision-making and its impact on society, and we asked him a couple of questions regarding it.

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Meet Our Alumni: Our attention is limited, says Andrei Matveenko

Read an interview with Andrei Matveenko, our PhD in Economics graduate from 2019, who now works as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Copenhagen. We spoke about Andrei’s positive influences during his studies at CERGE-EI, and his research interest in studying the role of information in Economics, namely the subfield Rational Inattention theory.

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