CESifo Junior Workshop on the Economics of Education 2026

Timing 
Presenters: 25 minutes 
Discussant: 5 minutes 
Q&A/discussion: 15 minutes 

Presenting authors are denoted in italic letters

8:45 – 9:00    Welcome and Introduction

Session 1: Learning under Adversity

Chair: Ludger Woessmann

9:00 – 9:45    
Investing in Human Capital During War Time: Experimental Evidence from Ukraine
Rony Rodríguez-Ramírez (Harvard University), Lelys Dinarte Diaz, James Gresham, Renat Lemos, Harry Patrinos
Discussant: Theresa Hübsch
 

9:45 – 10:30    
Heat and Learning: Large-Scale Evidence on Heterogeneous Impacts Across
Mexico
Gabriel Cruz (University of Maryland), Marcos Fabian 
Discussant: Daniel Chiavenato
 

10:30 – 11:00    Coffee Break

Session 2: Teachers 

Chair: Michela Carlana

11:00 – 11:45 
Teacher Effects on Student Well-Being and Mental Health
Ana Brás-Monteiro (University of Zürich), Marius Opstrup Morthorst
Discussant: Jerry Montonen
 

11:45 – 12:30    
Who Leaves and Who Stays? The Impact of the Teacher Wage Gap on Teacher Quality
Desislava Tartova (Paris School of Economics)
Discussant: Zach Weingarten
 

12:30 – 13:30     Lunch

Session 3: Education and Financial Incentives

Chair: Raphael Brade

13:30 – 14:15    
Success Begets Success: The Dynamic Treatment Effects of Financial Aid.Tournaments
Arkadijs Zvaigzne (Harvard University)
Discussant: Petter Berg
 

14:15 – 15:00    
Credit Scars: Credit Reporting Relief for Defaulted Student Loan Borrowers 
Diego Briones (University of Virginia)
Discussant: Sevin Kaytan

Session 4: Poster Session

15:00 – 15:10    Poster Flash Talks

15:10 – 16:00    
Do Test Scores Help Teachers Give Better Track Advice to Students? A Principal Stratification Analysis
Javier Viviens (European University Institute), Andrea Ichino, Fabrizia Mealli

The Role of Genetic Predisposition for Chronotype in Academic Performance
Francesca Meli (University of Bristol)

Imperfect Metacognition in Standardized Tests
Francesco Bilotta (Bocconi University)

Female Representation in School Boards
Aleksa Uljarevic (University of Luxembourg) 

Cash Transfers and Parental Investments: Evidence from the Bolsa Família Program
Daniele Chiavenato (Nova School of Business and Economics)

Building Success: The Effect of On-Campus Housing Expansions on Student Outcomes
Ciaran Murphy (University College Dublin)

From Care to Classrooms: Mental Health Reform and Education
Renan Chicarelli Marques (Duke University)

From Detention to Prevention: Using Education to Foster Safer Neighborhoods
Juan Pascual Torres (University of Barcelona)

Do High-Achieving Peers Matter? Evidence from Selective and Non-Selective University Environments
Andrea Lopes (University of Milan), Massimiliano Bratti, Enrico Lippo

Session 5: Child Development 

Chair: Maddalena Totarelli

16:00 – 16:45    
Modeling and Measuring the Genetic Determinants of Child Development
Zach Weingarten (University of Pennsylvania), Francesco Agostinelli
Discussant: Francesco Bilotta 

Session 6: Keynote Lecture 

Chair: Ludger Woessmann

17:00 – 18:00     
Social Mobility and Teachers’ Expectations
Michela Carlana (Harvard Kennedy School) 


19:00    Conference Dinner

Session 7: Long-term Effects of Education

Chair: Simon ter Meulen 

09:00 – 09:45    
The Long-term Effects of After-school Care
Sevin Kaytan (Cemfi) 
Discussant: Mridul Joshi

09:45 – 10:30    
Schooling for Profit: Long-run Effects of Private Providers in Public Education
Petter Berg (Stockholm School of Economics)
Discussant: Xiaomeng Li

10:30 – 11:00    Coffee Break

Session 8: Information, Beliefs and Educational Outcomes

Chair: Katharina Wedel

11:00 – 11:45    
Parental Preferences and Occupational Aspirations of Adolescents
Frauke Baumeister (ifo Munich), Philipp Lergetporer, Katharina Wedel, Katharina Werner
Discussant: Francesca Meli

11:45 – 12:30    
Mental Models of High School Success
Theresa Hübsch (University of Bonn), Robert Mahlstedt, Pia Pinger, Sonja Settele, Helene Willadsen
Discussant: Ana Brás-Monteiro

12:30 – 13:30    Lunch

Session 9: Social Connections and Digital Habits

Chair: Maddalena Totarelli

13:30 – 14:15    
Popularity and Student Networks: Trade-offs in Resolving Social Isolation through Deskmate Assignments
Palaash Bhargava (University of Chicago) 
Discussant: Desislava Tartova

14:15 – 15:00    
Improving Digital Habits Through Education: Experimental Evidence from India 
Mridul Joshi (Stanford University), Jalnidh Kaur, Lena Song
Discussant: Frauke Baumeister

15:00 – 15:30    Coffee Break

Session 10: Educational Trajectories and Skill Formation

Chair: Caterina Pavese

15:30 – 16:15    
Learning the Major: The Role of Early Specialization in Educational and Labor Market Outcomes
Xiaomeng Li (University of Michigan)
Discussant: Javier Vivien Martín

16:15 – 17:00    
Shaping Young Minds: The Effects of Teachers on Socio-Emotional Skills    
Jerry Montonen (Aalto University)
Discussant: Renan Chicarelli Marques

17:00 – 17:15    Best Paper Award and Conclusion

End of Conference