Professor Ernst Fehr stands as a preeminent figure in modern economic science whose pioneering experimental approach has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of human decision-making. He has served as Professor of Microeconomics and Experimental Economics at the University of Zurich since 1994 and currently directs the UBS Center for Economics in Society, a position he has held since 2012. Born in 1956 in Hard, Vorarlberg, Austria, Fehr received his doctorate from the University of Vienna in 1986 and completed his habilitation there in 1991. From 1999 to 2015, he led the Institute for Empirical Research in Economics and chaired the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, establishing Zurich as a global hub for experimental economic research that has attracted scholars worldwide.
Fehr's groundbreaking research has systematically challenged the traditional economic assumption of purely self-interested actors by demonstrating how social motives such as fairness, reciprocity, and altruism fundamentally shape cooperation, negotiations, and coordination among individuals. His experimental work has revealed that concerns for justice represent core drivers of human economic behavior, with profound implications for understanding market dynamics, organizational behavior, and incentive structures. With over 100,000 Google Scholar citations, Fehr ranks among the most influential economists globally and has been consistently recognized as the leading German-speaking economist in international rankings since 2016. His research demonstrates that financial incentives alone often fail to optimize performance, as psychological factors and social norms significantly influence economic behavior in ways that traditional models failed to capture.
Beyond his scholarly contributions, Fehr has played a pivotal role in shaping the field through leadership positions including past presidency of both the Economic Science Association and the European Economic Association. He founded Fehr Advice & Partners in 2010, translating behavioral insights into practical applications for organizations worldwide, demonstrating the real-world impact of his research. Professor Fehr's interdisciplinary approach bridges economics with psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and biology, creating a comprehensive framework for understanding human social behavior that has influenced policy discussions across multiple domains. His recent work continues to explore how social motives affect voting behavior on income redistribution and how differences in intrinsic patience relate to wealth inequality, ensuring his ongoing relevance at the forefront of economic science.
