November 13th 2015

As part of UPF 25th anniversary celebrations, the UPF Graduate Programme in Economics Finance and Management (GPEFM) held its inaugural PhD Alumni Meeting on September 4-5, 2015.

42 alumni from 16 countries came together with nearly 20 past and present GPEFM faculty for a two-day academic conference event. PhD alumni presented 30 talks covering a wide range of topics split into 11 sessions: Economics and Business, Development Economics, Trade and Capital Flows, Public Policies, Time-Series and Panel Data, Micro Theory, Monetary Policy and the Business Cycle, Labor and Applied Economics, Persistence and Growth, Finance, and Macroeconomic Policies. Sessions were chaired by UPF professors, including Fabio Canova, Jordi Galí, Libertad Gonzalez, Robin Hogarth, Sergi Jiménez, Rosemarie Nagel, Marta Reynal Querol and Jaume Ventura.

An event-capping roundtable discussion titled “Graduate Education in Europe, Past and Future Challenges” featured: Former GPEFM faculty member Antonio Cabrales (University College London), Teresa Garcia-Milà (UPF and Barcelona GSE Director), GPEFM Director Robin Hogarth (UPF), Barcelona GSE Chairman Ramon Marimon (EUI-UPF), Andreu Mas-Colell (UPF and Barcelona GSE Founder - on leave).

Italy, Germany, and Spain boasted the most alumni participants, while some came from as far away as Argentina. A closing event dinner was held at the Palau del Mar.

Top PhD placements in professional and academic career paths

Since 1990, GPEFM has awarded 217 PhDs to an international student body who have pursued top academic and professional career paths. Alumni who participated in the event hold positions at some of the most distinguished organizations around the world. Organizations represented by alumni at the Alumni Meeting included, among others: Banco Central de Chile, Banco de Mexico, Bank of Canada, Bank of England, Bank of Italy, BBVA Research, Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE), Credit Suisse AG, European Central Bank, European Commission, European University Institute, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut Català d’Avaluació de Polítiques Públiques, Queen Mary University of London, Università Bocconi, Universitat de Barcelona, University of Belgrade, University of Bologna, University of Glasgow, University of Mannheim, University of Surrey, University of Vienna.

- Click here to see a video of the 1st GPEFM PhD Alumni Meeting