CESifo Network

Chiara Lacava’s research is in Public Economics, with a particular focus on tax evasion and tax enforcement. Her work has examined how tax consultants shape clients’ evasion decisions, helping to open a research agenda on intermediaries in tax compliance, and how machine-learning methods can improve tax-audit selection. She combines expertise in tax-administrative data with econometric and machine-learning methods. Her other main field of expertise is Labor Economics, where she mainly studies how workers allocation across firms impacts aggregate productivity and interacts with institutions.

Douglas Harris’ research interests include the market for schooling (choice, charter schools and vouchers), teacher labor markets (productivity measurement and incentive design), test-based accountability, and financial aid and other student incentives for college entry and completion. He is author of the book, Charter School City: What the End of Traditional Public Schools in New Orleans Means for American Education (University of Chicago Press, 2020). His first book, Value-Added Measures in Education (Harvard Education Press, 2011), was nominated for the national Grawemeyer prize in education. With nearly 100 journal articles and other publications, and $28 million in research grants, his research also has a practical impact on a wide variety of K-12 and higher education policy issues.

The 16th annual conference of the CESifo Area on Behavioral Economics will bring together CESifo network members and CRC members to present and discuss their ongoing research, and to stimulate interaction and co-operation between them.

Keynote lectures will be held by Supreet Kaur (UC Berkeley), and Philipp Strack (Yale University).

Date: 23 – 24 October 2026
Location: CESifo, Munich

We invite submissions for the annual CESifo Area Conference on Public Economics on 22-23 April 2027, which brings together researchers to present and discuss ongoing work. Papers on any topic in public economics are welcome.The keynote lecture will be held by Xavier Jaravel (London School of Economics).

New: Junior Workshop in Public Economics on 21 April 2027: The junior workshop is aimed at PhD students towards the end of their PhD phase and early-career postdoctoral researchers. 

Call for Papers out now: Submit by 11 January to the annual conference of the CESifo Research Network Area on Global Economy on 3-4 May 2027. Papers on any topic within the field of global economy are welcome, including but not limited to international trade, international finance, migration, and global environmental issues. 

Keynote lectures will be held by Teresa Fort (Dartmouth Tuck School of Business) and Stephen Redding (Stanford University).

Europe is dealing with a profound demographic crisis. Pension reform is necessary to preserve the sustainability of public finances. At the same time, its design must account for severe welfare implications. Women are especially affected: They are too often caught between work and caregiving but face financial disadvantages if they retire early. This Policy Debate also looks at how aging shapes preferences – particularly voting patterns, attitudes toward war and peace, and patience and long-term investment decisions.

Join us at our 2026 Annual EconPol Conference, to learn how aligning inclusive social policies with advanced technology can ensure Europe’s future prosperity and foster a resilient workforce. 

Date: 9 November 2026
Location: Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU, Rue Wiertz 77, Brussels
Time: 11:30 am - 4:00 pm