Teaching
I am currently teaching Science of Behavior Change at the Bachelor and Master level and Field Experiments, at the Master level. Previously, I have taught Game Theory (Micro III). I am supervising students at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. level.
Current courses
Science of Behavior Change
Elective course in the MSc program in Economics
Over the last 30 years, behavioral scientists have gained a deeper understanding of what motivates people, how they process information, and what non-economic features of the choice environment influence decisions. Many of their insights challenge traditional assumptions such as rationality, self-interest, time consistency. This research program (sometimes called “Behavioral Economics” or “Psychology and Economics”) has shed light on how people’s decisions deviate from “optimal” choices and the consequences of such deviations. But how can we use this knowledge in practice? How can we get people to save more money, have a better education, work harder, save energy, engage in healthy behaviors, and, more generally, make better decisions?
This course allows the student to develop hands-on approach by learning and applying the methods of behavioral economics to public policy. We will review research on human decision making from psychology, political science, organizational behavior and economics and we will look for easy‐to‐implement solutions. At the end of this course, students will be able to identify human biases and creatively design behavioral interventions, policies or products that help people make better decisions.
Field experiments
Elective course in the MSc program in Economics
Recent years have seen an enormous increase and interest in research using experimental methods in the field to address questions across a broad range of topics in economics and management:
- Does Uber surge pricing work to steer demand?
- What is the impact of microloans on alleviating poverty?
- Do people eat more vegetarian food when it is on top of the menu?
- Do people work harder when you pay them more?
Rather than trying to find already available data (which is often not possible) and inferring causality with advanced econometric methods, field experiments randomly assign units of observations to treatment and control conditions to identify causal effects. While the idea is simple, the implementation brings other challenges.
The course will teach the students how to design, implement, and analyse field experiments – also known as randomized controlled trials (RCT). It will show the potential gains from using field experiments to test economic theory, make causal inference, and inform optimal policies, both in the public and private sector.
Students will acquire the tools to successfully conduct their own field experiments and learn to critically evaluate experimental findings from the academic literature. Students will also explore the many challenges to implementing RCTs in the field and the tools to address these issues in study design and analysis.
Teaching experience
PhD Supervision & Assessment
- PhD Supervisor: Ida Damsgaard (CBS)
- PhD assessment committee: Andris Saulitis (EUI), Xiaogeng Xu (NHH), Erik Gård (Södertörn), Essi Kujansuu (EUI), Jakob Enlund (U Gothenburg, pre-defense)
University of Copenhagen
- Lecturer, Climate Policy Instruments (Executive Course)
- Lecturer, Science of Behavior Change (Elective)
- Lecturer, Field Experiments (Master)
- Lecturer, Micro III – Game Theory (3rd year)
- Lecturer, Seminar – Behavioral Economics in Action (Master)
- Behavioral Economics Research Group Leader – TRIBE
University of Gothenburg
- Lecturer, Economic Evaluation and Experiments (Master)
- TA, Econometrics (3rd year)
University of Aarhus
- Lecturer, Economics and Psychology (Master)
- TA, Microeconomics (3rd year)
Guest lectures
- LMU Munich, Guest Lecturer, Behavioral Economics 2020
- Hertie School of Governance, Guest Lecturer, Executive Education 2018
- Bonnier Media, Trainer, Executive Courses in Behavioral Science
Not a student at the University of Copenhagen, but interested in learning more about designing nudges that work? Check out the Impactually online course.
