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Book of Abstracts 2021

May 2021 See what we have been working on for the past 12 months

If you wish to see what we have been working on for the past 12 months please see our Book of Abstracts: English summaries of recent IDEA studies and interactive web tools to be downloaded in PDF format here.

IDEA, a virtual academic think-tank founded by the EI (CAS) within CERGE-EI maintains a scrupulously scientific and non-partisan approach to all its activities. It disseminates the results of original economic research and takes no normative political or ideological positions.

During 2020/21, IDEA continued to conduct its applied policy-oriented research and related agendas, fostering the existing strong recognition of the IDEA at CERGE-EI trademark across a large community of academics, experts, policymakers, journalists/media, and the broader public, as well as the management of CAS and Charles University. Further, IDEA has organized public events with wide media impact, including hosting presentations by prof. Lalive of the University of Lausanne, in collaboration with the Swiss Embassy.

This reporting period has been marked by the covid-19 pandemic. At its onset in March 2020, IDEA launched the IDEA anti COVID-19 project to help society and minimize losses. The project has produced numerous empirical and policy studies and couple of solo policy recommendations. The proceedings have received significant coverage in the Czech media and have had notable impacts on public discourse. Many CERGE-EI faculty members, students, and alumni have been actively involved, along with scientists from other institutions and other fields of science. Several members of the IDEA anti COVID-19 group have served on advisory boards. IDEA has accomplished the following (individual items can be found on the Czech or English web sites + in a Book of English Abstracts ):

1. Focusing on topics of high societal importance in which the private sector has weak influence, such as retirement & ageing, taxes & benefits, employment & education, welfare & poverty, and R&D&I, we published 33 studies (incl. 23 IDEA anti COVID-19 studies) with important implications for public policies. Some of these were boosted by press releases. We started publishing a monthly analytical flash report on trends in unemployment. Selected studies were promoted via on-line channels, and 6 public events were attended by 70 participants on average. We developed 5 interactive web tools providing unique insights into domestic and international research performance, which also highlight the research excellence of CERGE-EI.
2. Disseminating information about our activities via web activity, including several high-quality video streams of events. The IDEA Facebook page has attracted more than 2,140 followers. IDEA has developed a unique, recognizable graphical design of its outputs in social media including FB and Twitter.
3. Relying on active, intensive, and targeted interactions with the media via individual journalists, by promoting our policy-oriented research outputs we have fostered the visibility and recognition of CERGE-EI to broad external audiences. IDEA achievements have also notably strengthened recognition of CERGE-EI’s research excellence within Charles University and CAS (see the Director’s information on several external R&D assessments). Authors of IDEA studies have frequently been featured on the radio and TV. IDEA researchers have contributed numerous opinion articles, interviews, and references in all media channels, including those that have been featured on the front pages of the major national newspapers. Providing public services to various national and international expert and advisory bodies (European Expert Network of Economists of Education, Committee on Budgetary Forecasts at the Czech Fiscal Council, Regulatory Impact Assessment Expert Council of the Legislative Board of the Government, Euromod at the EU JRC Center in Seville & the University of Essex, and Governmental Advisory Committee on Parental Policies and Gender Equity). IDEA’s contributions have been recognized by a letter from the Senate of the Czech Parliament.

Recent IDEA studies and interactive web tools (from May 2020 to May 2021)

• Who supported their employees during the first wave of the pandemic? An analysis of the financial support granted through the Antivirus B programmeAn analysis of the financial support granted through the Antivirus B programme, Authors: Š. Jurajda, P. Doleželová, L. Zapletalová
• Working from home: the possibility or necessity? Authors, J. Grossmann, D. Münich, L. Zapletalová
• The Gap of In-Person Teaching During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Estimation of Invisible Economic Losses, Authors: O. Jann, D. Münich, L. Zapletalová
• Social status in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the Czech Republic over the past 15 years, and an international comparison, Authors: V. Korbel, D. Münich
• The Unintended Effects of Parental Leave Policies, Authors: A. Bičáková, K. Kalíšková, L. Zapletalová
• The high costs of low literacy in the Czech Republic, Authors: J. Krajčová, D. Münich
• Grant support and doctoral studies: Analysis of data from the Grant Agency of Charles University, Author: V. Korbel
• Personal Political Connections and Efficiency of Public Procurement Contracts in the Period 2007 – 2018, Authors: B. Baránek, V. Titl
• Retirement in the Czech Republic: the role of expectations and health status in international comparison, Authors: F. Pertold, M. Federičová
• Theory of Probability for Life, Interactive application in English, Authors: T. Hrendash, P. Kocourek, J. Münich
• How many of us can work from home?, IDEA anti COVID-19 #23 | Authors: M. Bajgar, P. Janský, M. Šedivý
• The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mental health, IDEA anti COVID-19 #22 | Authors: V. Bartoš, J. Cahliková, M. Bauer, J. Chytilová
• The different economic effects of the Covid-19 crisis on women and men in the Czech Republic, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 21 | Authors: A. Menzel, M. Miotto
• Health consequences of economic crises, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 20 | Authors: K. Hrehová, Š. Jurajda
• Building capacity and preparing for the worst is sound economic policy: Recommendations for the coming weeks and months, The authors of the IDEA studies from the "IDEA anti COVID-19" initiative
• An overview of foreign testing practices from an economic and statistical perspective, Authors: J. Steiner, J. Kulveit, L. Matysková, O. Jann, P. Kocourek, P., V. Novák
• Startups during the Covid-19 pandemic: lessons for Czechia from the USA, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 19 | Author: P. Sedláček
• The Covid-19 pandemic and socio-economic inequality in education, IDEA anti COVID 19 # 18 | Authors: M. Federičová, V. Korbel
• How to reawaken the economy: Soothe, warm up, say some farewells, IDEA anti COVID 19 # 17 | Author: F. Matějka
• Macroeconomic policy during the coronavirus epidemic, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 16 | Authors: M. Kapička, M. Kejak, C. Slavík
• Serological tests for Covid-19 antibodies: What could they be good for?, IDEA anti COVID # 15 | Author: L. Matysková
• Using Bluetooth technology for COVID-19 contact tracing, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 14 | Authors: O. Jann, P. Kocourek and J. Steiner (full study)
• Short-Time Work and Related Measures to Mitigate Consequences of a (Partial) Economic Shutdown, IDEA anti COVID-19 #13 | Authors: N. Mittag, F. Pertold (full study)
• Compliance with bans in the coronavirus period: enforcement must be effectively targeted, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 12 | Author: L. Dušek
• Collecting personal data for smart COVID-19 tracing: How to motivate people and not scare them off, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 11 | Author: O. Jann
• How should the government´s crisis measures be communicated? Through frequent repetition, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 10 | Authors: V. Korbel, V. Novák, M. Šoltés, L. Tóth
• How best to communicate with the public? Findings from behavioural economics in the fight against COVID-19, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 9 | Author: V. Bartoš
• Households´attitudes to infection and to the government measures: The latest survey data, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 7 | Authors: V. Korbel, V. Novák, M. Šoltés, L. Tóth
• What behavioural economics can teach us about prevention: another way of fighting COVID-19, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 6 | Authors: M. Bauer and J. Chytilová
• The economics of testing for COVID-19: beware of greater damage than benefit, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 5 | Authors: J. Kulveit, J. Steiner
• Insolvency during the Coronavirus period: a proposal for temporary changes to the Insolvency Act, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 4 | Author: T. Richter
• Helping companies to maintain employment: fast, simple, economically meaningful, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 3 | Author: D. Münich
• An economic shock the like of which the world has never seen: we must quickly freeze the economy and then warm it up again. Nightly research into the economic literature, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 2 | Author: F. Matějka
• Simple economics and social distancing, IDEA anti COVID-19 # 1 | Author: K. Brian