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Congratulations to the PhD and MA in Economics Graduates 2026

27 May, 2026

CERGE-EI congratulates the 2026 graduates of the PhD and MA in Economics programs and wishes them every success in their future endeavors. The 2026 PhD and MA in Economics Graduation Ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 11:00 in the historic halls of Schebek Palace.

The ceremony brought together graduates, their families and friends, faculty members, and distinguished guests to mark an important milestone in the graduates’ academic and professional journeys.

Opening remarks were delivered by Marek Kapička, Director of CERGE-EI. The ceremony continued with addresses by H.E. Nicholas Merrick, United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic; Eva Hromádková, CERGE-EI alumna and representative of the Czech National Bank; and Jan Švejnar, Columbia University professor, CERGE-EI co-founder, and Chairman of the CERGE-EI Executive and Supervisory Committee.

In his remarks, Ambassador Merrick noted that the graduates were joining “an impressive lineage of scholars and practitioners” who inform decisions, conduct research, and help develop the next generation in central banks, universities, international organizations, and the private sector.

The speakers reflected on the graduates’ achievements and on the responsibilities that come with advanced training in economics, particularly in uncertain times. They emphasized resilience, determination, and intellectual courage as essential parts of the academic journey.

They also praised the strong relationships built among the graduates, within the wider alumni community, and with CERGE-EI itself, emphasizing the value of maintaining these connections beyond graduation.

The ceremony concluded with remarks by Theodor Kouro, one of this year’s PhD graduates, who reflected on the challenges, uncertainty, and resilience that shape the doctoral experience.

“A PhD does not mean we now have answers. If anything, we now have better questions. And maybe that’s enough.”

In his speech, Kouro noted that research is not only about ideas, but also about persistence in the face of ambiguity. Looking ahead to the graduates’ next steps, he added:

“Some of us will go into academia. Some into policy, industry, or something completely unexpected. And if there’s one thing we should take with us, it’s this: We are trained to deal with uncertainty. Not eliminate it. Not avoid it. But work within it.”

This year’s PhD graduates are Aisha Baisalova (Kazakhstan), Sinara Gharibyan (Armenia), Michal Hakala (Czech Republic), Theodor Kouro (Greece), Yervand Martirosyan (Armenia), Artem Razumovskii (Russian Federation), and Dali Tsintskiladze Laxton (Georgia).

The MA in Economics graduates are Malik Borbugulov (Kyrgyzstan), Shampita Das (India), Ladislav Ďurian (Slovakia), Jose Gomez Castro (Mexico), Akhil Kumar (India), Filip Rusmir (Croatia), Lusine Sargsyan (Armenia), Jiří Slabý (Czech Republic), and Zhandos Tursumbekov (Kazakhstan).

Warm congratulations to all CERGE-EI graduates of 2026. We look forward to following their next steps and future achievements!