UBS Center Scholarship holders - Class of 2020
Dec 2020
Agustina Colonna and Garyn Tan
The UBS Center welcomes two outstanding young talents as this year’s UBS Center Scholarship holders. They were selected from several hundred applicants to the Zurich Graduate School of Economics (Zurich GSE). We asked the freshman doctoral students about their motivation to obtain their degree in Zurich.
Why did you choose to study economics?
Agustina Colonna: I initially chose to study economics because I looked to work on a field where I could contribute to help solve the problem of inequalities in society, while I also appreciated math very much. Throughout my studies and working experience in economics, I have seen that working in this field offers the possibility to answer interesting questions on society and to provide policy recommendations while working with rigorous mathematical methods. This combination of topics and methods fits my interests and strengths very well.
Garyn Tan: I'm interested in policy questions, and I think economics provides a useful (and rigorous) framework by which to evaluate many of the important issues that we face.
How did you find your way to the University of Zurich?
Agustina Colonna: I applied to quite a lot of PhD programs across Europe and I found the University of Zurich to be my best option. When I came to the visit days in March, I found the environment very pleasant to work and study here, and the PhD students I talked to were very satisfied with the university. I am also very interested in the research of many of the faculty members.
Garyn Tan: In 2018, I moved from my home in Melbourne to Amsterdam to do a Masters in Economics. During my studies, I became entangled with the notion of continuing with a PhD, and after attending the visiting day at the University of Zurich and meeting some of the faculty - I was sold! The lure of the mountains was also hard to ignore.
How does COVID-19 impact your research mobility?
Agustina Colonna: The only implication the coronavirus crisis had for me was the uncertainty I experienced before coming to Zurich. Given that I was coming from Argentina, the visa process, getting a flight to come to Europe and finding a place to live was all a bit more complicated. However I am very happy it all worked out quite well in the end. The university was very helpful during the process.
Garyn Tan: Most of our classes are online, and since most people are working from home, it's difficult to connect with other researchers.
What is your research interest?
Agustina Colonna: Applied microeconomics. Especially impact evaluation of public policies and studies in the field of Economics of Education.
Garyn Tan: I haven't entirely decided just yet, but broadly speaking, I'm interested in topics around structural macro trends and how they could impact us in the next few decades. For example, the impacts of increasing job polarization; the longer-term risks of persistently low interest rates; how economic policies can exacerbate inequality or lead to unexpected redistribution of resources.
What is the value to you of having received a UBS Center Scholarship?
Agustina Colonna: I am extremely grateful to have received financial support of UBS Center for my studies. In first place, it means a great honor to have been chosen for this scholarship, as very few students are selected from each cohort. Secondly, without financial support these years I would not have been able to pursue a PhD at UZH, which is very important for the career path I wish to follow.
Garyn Tan: The value of the scholarship to me is twofold. It feels edifying to be recognized for the hard work I've put in these past few years. Moreover, the scholarship also offers many opportunities for the future. The affiliation with the UBS Center will certainly be useful to connect with other researchers, and the scholarship is more than generous, such that I can more wholly devote my time to my studies and research.
Further reading:
The UBS Center welcomes two outstanding young talents as this year’s UBS Center Scholarship holders. They were selected from several hundred applicants to the Zurich Graduate School of Economics (Zurich GSE). We asked the freshman doctoral students about their motivation to obtain their degree in Zurich.
Why did you choose to study economics?
Agustina Colonna: I initially chose to study economics because I looked to work on a field where I could contribute to help solve the problem of inequalities in society, while I also appreciated math very much. Throughout my studies and working experience in economics, I have seen that working in this field offers the possibility to answer interesting questions on society and to provide policy recommendations while working with rigorous mathematical methods. This combination of topics and methods fits my interests and strengths very well.
Garyn Tan: I'm interested in policy questions, and I think economics provides a useful (and rigorous) framework by which to evaluate many of the important issues that we face.
Agustina Colonna
Garyn Tan
Scholarship information
The UBS Center is a main funding body for top international talent at the Zurich University’s Graduate School of Economics.
The UBS Center Scholarships are full scholarships awarded every year to outstanding university graduates to enable them to take up their doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Economics, run by the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich. Furthermore, by funding new endowed chairs at the Department of Economics, the UBS Center will create additional doctoral positions for talented young researchers beyond the scholarship scheme. This will ensure that the Zurich Graduate School of Economics achieves a critical mass of top young talent to create a leading international graduate school with an attractive research environment. By strengthening the University of Zurich’s position as a destination for young academic talent around the world, the UBS Center also aims to further enhance Switzerland’s position as a top location for education and business more generally. After all, investment in higher education and research is a key factor in preserving and further growing economic prosperity in developed economies over the long term.
The UBS Center is a main funding body for top international talent at the Zurich University’s Graduate School of Economics.
The UBS Center Scholarships are full scholarships awarded every year to outstanding university graduates to enable them to take up their doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Economics, run by the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich. Furthermore, by funding new endowed chairs at the Department of Economics, the UBS Center will create additional doctoral positions for talented young researchers beyond the scholarship scheme. This will ensure that the Zurich Graduate School of Economics achieves a critical mass of top young talent to create a leading international graduate school with an attractive research environment. By strengthening the University of Zurich’s position as a destination for young academic talent around the world, the UBS Center also aims to further enhance Switzerland’s position as a top location for education and business more generally. After all, investment in higher education and research is a key factor in preserving and further growing economic prosperity in developed economies over the long term.
