UBC IDEA

A leader in his field, Austrian neuroeconomist Ernst Fehr from Zürich University challenges the simplistic assumption that preferences are homogeneous and static. In his research, Fehr provides empirical evidence that preferences are shaped by societies and gives a nod to behavioural economists before him who have aimed to explain inconsistencies in human rationale. While addressing a room full of economists, Fehr, with humour, points out that "there is the economist way ...of thinking and there is everyone else's thought process. To the majority of the world, we're" [the economists] the crazy ones". On immoral and sometimes reckless behaviour in the financial sector, alluding to the 2008 global financial crisis, Fehr critiques the banking culture and in one experiment finds that bankers are as honest, if not more honest, that workers in other professions but are corrupted by a culture which encourages risky behaviour. He says "we found that bankers typically don't cheat lest they are reminded they are bankers" Fehr is published in the most prestigious journals in economics and is widely acclaimed for his work on ethics.

VSE's Nicole Fortin prepares to address inequality and the gender pay gap. Although we are experiencing tremendous progress in bridging the gender pay gap, the progress is mostly concentrated in the first 90 percentiles of earners. In a time where women vastly outnumber men in universities, it is important to ask why women are underrepresented in high paying jobs. ... Nicole Fortin discusses preferences, the glass ceiling, and what it means to "think like a man" in the workplace in her research. #CEA2016

A room full of economists #CEA2016

Day one of the 51st CEA annual conference is underway! #CEA2016

The Canadian Economics Association's (CEA) annual conference starts tomorrow in Ottawa. VSE director Thomas Lemieux, profs David Green, Matilde Bombardini, Hugh Neary and many more will be joining their collegues from around the world to present their research. The conference runs from June 2-5 and IDEA will be there to cover it. Click the link to see if your favorite prof will be there: https://economics.ca/2016/en/program.php