Prof. Dr. Beat Hintermann: Public Economics

Our team is engaged in a number of activities across the field of public economics. Each team member works on at least one project. While some researchers are funded by the department, others are part of projects financed by the SNSF, BFOE or the WWZ Förderverein. Most of our current research takes place in two fields:

(1) Measuring and understanding individual transport decisions and the implications for emissions, accidents and congestion in the transport sector

(2) Investigating the effectiveness of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and identifying the causal effect of environmental policy on people and firms

Funded projects

E-Biking in Switzerland (EBIS): SFOE and cantons AG, BL, BS & ZH

The implications of the pandemic on energy use in transport: SFOE

Mobility in Switzerland (MOBIS): SCCER / UVEK

Measuring the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme: SNSF

Climate Change Extremes and Adaptation Strategies considering Uncertainty and Federalism: SNSF (Sinergia)

The Cost of Health Interventions at the End of Life: SNSF (NRP 67)

Master and bachelor theses

Students are welcome to apply for a master thesis in public economics, under the supervision of one or several team members. Students can propose their own ideas, which requires writing a short proposal. Alternatively, a thesis topic can be proposed by a member of the public economics team.

Every Spring semester we offer a bachelor seminar, in which students have the opportunity to write a paper in the field of public and environmental economics. For this seminar, students are free to propose a topic of their choice, but a number of topics will also be provided. 

In the spring we also offer a master seminar, which consists of the replication and extension of a paper published in the public and environmental economics  literature. Students are closely supervised by a member of the public economics team.