Corvinus University launches joint research project with Nobel Laureate economist

Fertility decline has become a global phenomenon, affecting nearly every country. While widely discussed in media and academic circles, analytically rigorous discussions often remain siloed within specific disciplines, applying field-specific approaches.  

The joint research project between the University of Chicago and Corvinus on family, fertility and human development aims to analyze data, share, and reflect on the results of research to assess not only the causes and consequences of fertility decline, but also the effectiveness of measures to increase fertility. 

The partnership involves the Center for the Economics of Human Development (CEHD), led by Nobel Laureate Professor James J. Heckman of the University of Chicago, and the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies (CIAS) of Corvinus University in Hungary. 

I am looking forward to the professional cooperation, the basis of which we started to discuss in face-to-face meetings during the Budapest Demographic Summit last year. I found Corvinus University to be a committed professional partner. I am convinced that working together with Hungarian researchers will bring internationally valuable new results for a better understanding of this complex field.

– said Professor James J. Heckman. 

Our joint project with CEHD is a highlight of our growing international scientific presence, which stretch from Hong Kong to Princeton. It is a hallmark of Corvinus’ global embeddedness and the academic confidence in Corvinus. I am convinced that our researchers will be inspired by the prominent international environment offered by this US partnership.

– said Professor Zoltán Oszkár Szántó, dean of CIAS.  

As a first step in the joint work, the first webinar on the topic was held, hosted by Corvinus University on 7 June, inviting academics from around the world. The event was chaired by James J. Heckman, who had specifically requested Hungarian researchers to give presentations on their related work.  

Róbert Iván Gál, head of the Family, Household and Economy Research Centre at CIAS and associate professor at Corvinus University, presented their thorough and innovative analysis of how much worse off a European parent is compared to a childless parent, while Zsolt Spéder, demographer and professor at the University of Pécs and senior researcher at Hungarian Demographic Research Institute, presented their recent publication evaluating the role of Hungarian family policies in parenthood over the past thirty years. Both presentations were followed by an intensive discussion, where, on the suggestion of Professor Heckman, some of the thematic research directions for the next two years were identified. 

This first webinar will be followed by others, and the next event in mid-summer (10 July) will be hosted – on a reciprocal basis – by the University of Chicago. Conferences and workshops for the broader audience in Chicago and in Budapest will follow the initial webinar series. 

Photo: Zoltán Oszkár Szántó, dean of CIAS research center of Corvinus (Corvinus University of Budapest) and Nobel Laureate economist James J. Hackman (LinkedIn)