phd economics eth zurich

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Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics

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The Zurich Graduate School of Economics offers a set of courses taught in English by internationally renowned scholars and world-class research opportunities.

Close collaboration between Doctoral students and supervisors and a strong team spirit among students are specific features of the Doctoral program. Our students enjoy the benefits of a highly interdisciplinary, vibrant research community with access to first-class facilities. Students can choose from a wide range of research interests in all areas of Economics, including Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Econometrics, Applied Microeconomics, and Behavioral and Experimental Economics. A separate doctoral program is also offered in Neuroeconomics.

In our structured Doctoral program students take core courses in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics during their first year of studies, where they become familiar with state-of-the-art research methods. This is followed by a sequence of core elective field courses and a self-directed research proposal in the second year. The courses are taught by internationally renowned UZH faculty members as well as by distinguished international scholars. At an advanced level students have the opportunity to present the results of their own research in several specialized seminar series and to participate in numerous weekly research seminars with guest speakers.

We also support students presenting their research at international conferences and workshops. Moreover, many students spend part of their study visiting other leading international institutions in Europe and in the US.

Department of Economics

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Mirjam Britschgi and Karin Wyss Study Program Coordinators Tel.: +41 44 634 37 34 E-mail

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Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences

Doctoral studies, list of doctoral theses from the d-gess.

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Department of Economics

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PhD in Economics at the University of Zurich

The Zurich Graduate School of Economics  at the University of Zurich, ZurichGSE in short, was launched in its current format in 2009. It offers a set of courses taught (in English) by internationally renowned academic faculties at the University of Zurich and world-class research opportunities. A specific feature of the doctoral program is a close attachment between graduate students and advisors and a strong team spirit among students. The goal of the program is to produce independent young researchers who can obtain academic jobs in the best universities, central banks, and international organizations.

Overview Zurich Graduate School of Economics

PhD in Neuroeconomics at the University of Zurich

The Marlene Porsche Graduate School of Neuroeconomics was launched in 2017, enabled by a donation by the Marlene Porsche Foundation. The interdisciplinary degree program in the cutting-edge field of Neuroeconomics has a strong scientific focus, with the goal of enabling students to become independent researchers of the highest caliber. Its faculty consists of internationally renowned scholars with expertise in behavioral economics, neuroimaging, neuropharmacology, brain stimulation techniques, and computational modeling.

Overview Marlene Porsche Graduate School of Neuroeconomics

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Graduate Campus (GRC) – for early career researchers

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• Marlene Porsche GS Neuroeconomics

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Center for Law & Economics

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The Center for Law & Economics at ETH Zurich is part of the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences . The Center brings together three professors ( Elliott Ash , Stefan Bechtold and Alexander Stremitzer ) and includes a diverse range of postdocs, Ph.D. students, scientific assistants and research assistants. Its research focuses on intellectual property law, contract law, experimental law & economics, political economy, law & tech, and legal applications of machine learning . Together with various Swiss university partners , the Center co-organizes regular Workshop & Lecture Series on Law & Economics and the Law & Economics of Innovation . Both series bring leading internationally well-known experts from all over the world to Zurich on a regular basis. The Center collaborates with leading academic institutions in Asia, Europe and the U.S., in particular through joint research projects, conferences and teaching activities.

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CLE Vlog with Prof. Kevin Davis (NYU) on the Inclusion of the Global South in EU Supply Chain Regulation

In this episode of the CLE vlog & podcast series, Prof. Kevin Davis (New York University) discusses his study "Did the Global South Have Their Say on EU Supply Chain Regulation?" with Luca Baltensperger (ETH Zurich).

CLE Vlog with Prof. Christoph Engel (Max Planck Bonn) on German Constitutional Courts

In the new vlog of the ETH Zurich Center for Law & Economics, Prof. Christoph Engel (Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods Bonn) and Prof. Stefan Bechtold (ETH Zurich) discuss Engel's recent study "The German Constitutional Court – Political, but not Partisan?".

David Zollikofer (CLE / ETH Zurich) wins AI Safety Prize

David Zollikofer, research assistant of Prof. Elliott Ash at the ETH Zurich Center for Law & Economics, and Ben Zimmerman from the University of Colorado Boulder have won the AI Safety Prize at the Swiss Cyber Security Days.

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Selected Publications

• Bechtold & Sprigman (2023): external page Intellectual Property and the Manufacture of Aura call_made , Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, 36(2), 291–358
• Ash, Gauthier & Widmer : external page RELATIO: Text Semantics Capture Political and Economic Narratives call_made , Political Analysis (forthcoming)
• Ash & MacLeod: external page Mandatory Retirement Reforms for Judges Improved Performance on U.S. State Surpreme Courts call_made , American Economic Journal: Economic Policy (fortcoming)
• Stremitzer, Chen & Tobia (2022): external page Having Your Day in Robot Court call_made , Harvard Journal of Law & Technology, 36(1), 127 –169
• Pinna, Picard & Gössmann (2022): external page Cable News and COVID-​19 Vaccine Uptake call_made , Scientific Reports, 12, 16804 (2022)
• Lancieri & Pereira Neto (2022): external page Designing Remedies for Digital Markets: The Interplay Between Antitrust and Regulation call_made , Journal of Competition Law & Economics, 18(3), 613–669
• Leibovitch & Stremitzer (2022): external page Aspirational Rules call_made , Journal of Legal Studies, 51(2), 427 – 453
• Ash, Chen & Ornaghi : external page Gender Attitudes in the Judiciary: Evidence from U.S. Circuit Courts call_made , American Economic Journal: Applied Economics (forthcoming)  
• Kubíček, Merane, Cotrini, Stremitzer, Bechtold & Basin (2022): external page Checking Websites' GDPR Consent Compliance for Marketing Emails call_made , Proceedings of Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 2, 282 – 303
• Peukert, Bechtold, Batikas & Kretschmer (2022): external page Regulatory Spillovers and Data Governance: Evidence from the GDPR call_made , Marketing Science, 41(4), 746–768
• Leibovitch & Stremitzer (2021): external page Experimental Methods in Constitutional Law call_made , The University of Chicago Law Review Online, April 2021
• Tobia, Nielsen & Stremitzer (2021): external page When Does Physician Use of AI Increase Liability? call_made , Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 62(1), 17 – 21

For more selected publications, click here For an overview with all publications, see here

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Applied Economics: Innovation and Internationalization

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Chair of Applied Economics: Innovation and Internationalization

The chair pursues research mainly in the areas of applied international and public economics and in applied econometrics. Research output is disseminated mainly via two channels: presentations at international conferences and workshops and publications in leading academic journals in economics.

The Chair focuses on following research areas:

• Applied Econometrics
• Industrial Organization
• International Economics
• Public Finance
• Regional Economics

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Publication

Detailed information on publications and awards  

Chair of Applied Economics: Innovation and Internationalization offers three courses:

• Managerial Economics,
• PhD Course: Applied Econometrics,
• KOF-​ETH-UZH International Economic Policy Seminar (University of Zurich).

  More information on lectures offered by our chair

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Center of Economic Research at ETH Zurich

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CER-ETH provides a wide range of economic courses for the Department of Management, Technology and Economics (D-MTEC)

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• chevron_right Economics Doctoral Programme at D-MTEC

Latest Publications

You can find all publications of CER-ETH here .

For an overview of recent research, consult the pages of our chairs .

CER-ETH Research Seminar on Monday

Internal CER-ETH PhD and Postdoc Lunch Seminar on Wednesdays

SWEEEP Webinar Series online on Wednesdays

Joint CER-ETH & CEPE Lunch Seminar in Energy, Environmental & Resource Economics on T hursdays

CER-ETH/KOF Lectures

Working Papers

Complete list of working papers

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Upcoming events

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Our main focus is on applied economic research in the area of energy and environmental economics . We employ and develop dynamic computable general equilibrium models to analyze short- and long-term energy and economic problems. We evaluate energy and climate policy and develop policy guidelines.

The successful applicant should hold a Master’s degree in Economics, Mathematics or Physics and have ideally graduated with grades in the top eight percent of their class. A demonstrated interest in the topics of the chair is required. Very good writing and quantitative skills are essential. Fluency in English is required.

The appointment includes the writing of a dissertation in the candidate’s field of interest, under the supervision of Professor Sebastian Rausch and other members of the chair, and providing support for research projects. An integral part of your work is publishing your results in peer-reviewed journals and representing the chair at international conferences. The PhD thesis is to be completed within three to four years. The salary will be in accordance with the regulations of ETH Zurich. Along with your PhD thesis, you are expected to complete the Economics Doctoral Programme at D-MTEC ( http://www.cer.ethz.ch/education/doc_program ). Alternatively, there is the possibility to apply for the Swiss Program for Beginning Doctoral Students in Economics at the Study Center Gerzensee ( http://www.szgerzensee.ch/courses/doctoral/swiss-program/ ).

Application deadline is September 20, 2012, or until the position is filled. We would like to fill the position by November 1st, 2012, or sooner. Please send a cover letter, your CV (including references from prior internships/job positions and contact information for at least one academic reference), high school and university transcripts, and a 1-2 page research statement. Please send all files electronically in a single PDF file named “PhD application - [Your Name]” and with the same subject name to Rina Fichtl at fichtl[at]ethz.ch.

Organization

Swiss federal institute of technology zurich, department of management, technology and economics.

The Department conducts basic and applied research in management, economics, systems dynamics, and risk. Much of our research work aims at improving the understanding of technology in organizations, societies, and economies. We provide a highly competitive Master of Science (MSc) Program in...

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Fabio Sabatini

Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Economics and Law, and Euricse

[email protected]

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(Doctoral Program)

Degree program: doctorate business and economics (c, pvo13).

General description Admission requirements Educational goals ECTS credits Degree Program structure Language of instruction

General description

Doctoral students demonstrate a systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with that field. They can conceive, implement, and adapt a research process with scientific integrity. Doctoral students can undertake original research which expands existing knowledge through substantial research contributions. Doctoral students can analyze and solve complex problems and critically reflect on scientifically relevant issues. They present and discuss their research field to the international scientific community as well as communicate their research field to the general public. Graduates of the structured fast-track doctoral program successfully completed courses with a total work load of 78 ECTS credits and are especially prepared for an academic career. The doctoral thesis covers a specific subject in Economics of current scientific interest in great depth, and is publicly defended.

Admission requirements

The conditions for admission to the Doctoral program in Economics and Business Administration are published at: https://www.oec.uzh.ch/en/studies/admission/phd.html

Educational goals

Candidates may apply for the fast-track Doctoral program in Economics if they hold an excellent Bachelor's degree as well as recommendation letters and wish to pursue a career in academia. This is a two-part program, comprised of a condensed Master's degree and a PhD. The international Doctoral program in Economics at the University of Zurich offers a set of courses taught by internationally renowned scholars and world-class research opportunities. Close collaboration between Doctoral students and supervisors and strong team spirit among students are specific features of the Doctoral program. Students enjoy the benefits of a highly interdisciplinary, vibrant research community with access to first-class facilities. Students can choose from a wide range of research interests in all areas of economics, including econometrics, macroeconomics, microeconomics, and neuroeconomics. The research conducted at the department has an interdisciplinary focus, combining modern economics with elements of history, political science, psychology, biology, and sociology.

ECTS credits

78 ECTS Credits

Doctor of Philosophy, PhD

Program structure

A Master's degree is earned first, followed by a Doctoral degree. In order to attain the Master’s degree, prospective students need to acquire at least 90 ECTS credits. The subsequent doctorate is usually completed in three to five years. In addition to writing the dissertation and passing the defense, the Track C Doctoral level in Economics comprises the successful completion of 78 ECTS credits in compulsory and core elective modules at the Doctoral level. Please refer to the Doctoral program regulations for more details: http://www.oec.uzh.ch/regulations_en. For a detailed description of the courses offered at the department as well as for a general overview of the program's structure, consult the website of the Zurich Graduate School of Economics: https://www.econ.uzh.ch/en/study/phd/zurichgse/schedule.html

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Institute for Computing Platforms - Systems Group

Wenqi jiang received the amd hacc outstanding researcher award.

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Wenqi Jiang received the AMD HACC Outstanding Researcher Award, "For leading the research and development on recommendation systems and vector search, demonstrating the role FPGA can play in vector databases and retrieval augmented generation at ETH Zurich HACC.”  

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Department of Management, Technology, and Economics

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With sub-​disciplines such as management, economics, system dynamics and risk, D-​MTEC focuses its research on the role of technology in all areas of society.

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Study Programmes

Master of science, continuing education.

• chevron_right MAS in Management, Technology, and Economics
• chevron_right Executive MBA ETH HSG: emba X
• chevron_right Swiss School of Public Governance
• chevron_right CAS in Digital Health
• chevron_right CAS in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Technology Ventures

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Department of Physics

Learning quantum mechanics between intuition and formalism.

• 100 Years of Quantum Mechanics

If there isn't a single way to teach quantum mechanics, there isn't one way of learning it either.

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At ETH Zurich, BSc physics students make their first encounter with quantum mechanics (QM) in their second year of study: the Physics III course covers basic concepts in optics, statistical mechanics and QM. In their third year, Quantum Mechanics I provides students with deeper knowledge of the theory and of its formalism. Students interested in theoretical physics can then take the Quantum Mechanics II BSc course to learn more about quantum systems of many bosons or fermions. At MSc level theoretical physics students encounter quantum field theory, which is fundamental to theoretical particle physics, and can choose to find out more about quantum information, which opens the way to topics as disparate as quantum computing and quantum gravity.

First contacts

Severin Spillmann, MSc theoretical physics student, recalls the first impact with the formalism of QM. "At the start I had trouble with the concept of quantum state. I suppose I found wavefunctions a bit more intuitive," he says. He compares the transition from wave mechanics to the matrix formulation of QM (introduced in Quantum Mechanics I, in his time) to how classical Newtonian mechanics can be revisited with the introduction of the Lagrangian formalism.

The linear nature of the theory surprised Han-Miru Kim, MSc mathematics student who took most QM courses offered by the physics department. As he and his cohort delved into the formalism of QM, Kim – who generally found the lecture notes shared by all lecturers helpful – feels that more explicit links to and reminders of the linear algebra results used in quantum mechanical derivations would have afforded some extra clarity.

Karin Sim, third-year PhD student in theoretical physics, earned her BSc from a British university before coming to ETH Zurich for her Master's degree in Physics. She chose the theoretical physics curriculum and looked forward Quantum Field Theory I, which covered a subject that had so far remained a black box to her. Sim's impression is that ETH Zurich teaches QM with a highly rigorous approach placing a strong focus on the mathematical formalism of the theory. During her BSc she was introduced to quantum physics very gradually, in a way that didn't rely on mathematical formalism until late and instead aimed at building up some form of physical intuition for making sense of quantum mechanical phenomena. "There were frequent connections with classical physics," Sim recalls.

The role of intuition

Scientists spend years honing their intuition for how things work in their chosen discipline – seeing intuition not as a substitute for experiments or calculations, but rather as an additional input line that may sometimes guide them in their research activities. As QM is commonly presented as a subject that defies intuition, is it sensible to encourage students to rely on their physical intuition as they get to grips with this subject? If the answer is yes, what is the best way to develop some type of intuition in this context? Sim finds that the parallels between classical and quantum mechanics shaped her physical intuition in a helpful manner. When she worked as a teaching assistant on the Quantum Physics for Non-Physicists course, she saw students having few problems with the mathematical derivations – thanks to their robust knowledge of linear algebra – but noticed that they struggled a bit more to visualise some key concepts. "I think students need time to make sense of the probabilistic nature of measurement and the idea of superposition," she says.

Kim felt that it was harder for him to build his intuition in QM compared to his fellow physics students, who seemed somewhat quicker at making connections. Kim preferred to wait for the mathematical derivations – even when they featured "the occasional physicists' maths," he jokes.

For Spillmann, looking for parallels with classical physics doesn't feel all that helpful when learning QM. "I think it's better to have a clear cut – a point where you're exposed to a new way of doing things and cannot be tempted to try reconciling them with your classical intuition." In fact, Spillmann is convinced that QM courses should focus on the formalism of QM, which is an aspect that can be extremely daunting to tackle without a lecturer's experience to light up the way.

Beyond textbook quantum mechanics

QM stands out as a subject that continuously reveals itself in its depth and complexity to anyone studying it as well as actively working on it. "Learning quantum mechanics isn't like reading a story with a plot twist. I don't even think you need a 'wow' moment, you need to understand how things work and accept that quantum mechanics is a plot that crystallizes slowly as you progressively understand more of the subject," says Spillmann. He's used to allocating a sizable portion of his time to self-study on all his courses, sometimes starting to read on a subject before the lectures begin. With QM he felt this may not pay off as much, so he waited for the lecturer to guide him and his cohort through the learning process.

As a doctoral student, Sim now enjoys a fresh view on quantum mechanics. Her research into open quantum systems has a deep connection with non-Hermitian QM and quantum measurement: Sim likes how this research has led her to question some of the very foundations of the theory. "You learn that Hamiltonians must be Hermitian and all of a sudden you're invited to ask yourself, what if that isn't the case? What happens then?" This and many more questions are for the physics researchers of tomorrow to explore.

Quantum mechanics courses at ETH Zurich

Physics III is a second-year BSc course that's compulsory for all physics students.

Quantum Mechanics I is a third-year BSc course that's compulsory for all physics students.

Quantum Mechanics II is a third-year BSc core course for the Theoretical Physics curriculum.

These courses are also accessible to mathematics BSc and MSc students; Quantum Mechanics I and II are also accessible to quantum engineering MSc students.

Quantum Field Theory I and Quantum Field Theory II are MSc core courses for the Theoretical Physics curriculum.

Quantum Information Processing I and Quantum Information Processing II are MSc core courses for the Experimental Physics curriculum; both are also accessible to students from various other degree programmes.

Quantum Information Theory is an MSc elective course for the Theoretical Physics curriculum.

Quantum Physics for Non-Physicists is a course designed for the Master in Quantum Engineering that can also be taken by computer science students.