In our latest episode of Talking Economics, we met with Barbara Pertold-Gebicka, a CERGE-EI alumna and Assistant Professor at the Institute of Economic Studies of Charles University, to explore family economics and gender wage gaps.

We explore the world of criminal behavior and the Czech justice system with Michal Šoltés, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics and Empirical Legal Studies at Charles University Faculty of Law, a CERGE-EI PhD in economics alumnus, and an IDEA think-tank researcher. In his research, he focuses on public economics, empirical legal studies, the economics of criminal justice, and the economics of crime.

In a recent episode of Talking Economics, we discussed firms and labor markets in developing countries with Andreas Menzel, an Associate Professor with Tenure at CERGE-EI. Andreas’s research projects focus on development, organizational, and labor economics with field experiments in Ghana, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.

In a recent episode of Talking Economics, we embark on a journey with our special guest, Professor of Experimental and Behavioral Economy at the University of New South Wales Business School in Sydney, Australia, Professor Andreas Ortmann, to talk about behavioral economics, exploring the rise and challenges it faces now due to recent reports of fraudulent behavior in the field.

What are the expectations and how far are the discussions on Central Bank Digital Currencies across the world? In a recent episode of Talking Economics, we took a closer look at digital currencies with Branislav Saxa, a CERGE-EI PhD alumnus, Principal Analyst, and Head of Monetary Analyses and Monetary Policy Transmission Team at Czech National Bank.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is an international financial institution, established in 1991 to help Central and Eastern Europe transition to a market economy after the fall of communism. How has the bank’s mission changed over time and what are its priorities now? We discuss EBRD’s response to world changes with Libor Krkoška, a CERGE-EI PhD in Economics alumnus and EBRD Deputy Director, Country strategy.

Central and Eastern European regions have undergone significant socioeconomic transformation; following the fall of communism in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and European Union’s accession in recent years. What are the main challenges for the regions’ economies now?

The challenges of recent years bring mental health issues to the forefront of all science fields, including economics. In the most recent episode of Talking Economics, Katarína Stehlíková discusses long-term mental health trends and the effect of the pandemic with Liyou Borga.

Can humans cooperate with one another when facing extremely low survival chances? Do pre-existing social ties increase one's chances of survival in life-and-death situations? Social linkages in extreme circumstances are discussed with Štěpán Jurajda in Talking Economics. Štěpán Jurajda is the Mellon Endowment Professor with Tenure at CERGE-EI, a Full Professor at CERGE, Charles University, and a Senior Researcher at the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He also serves as Deputy Minister for Science, Research and Innovation of the Czech Republic. His paper Social Networks and Surviving the Holocaust brings new evidence for historical research.

When and why do national institutions change? Can some people living under particular institutions, such as democracy, play a crucial role in changing their institutions back home? Do national leaders matter? Katarína Stehlíková and Sebastian Ottinger look back to European history, and from the perspective of political economy, discuss its relevance for institutional change in today’s China or Russia.