A Course by Prof. Oded Stark – Registration Open Until April 20

In May 2026, a week-long course entitled “Modeling Preferences for Equality, High Rank, and Low Risk” will be given at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw by Professor Oded Stark.

The topics of (i) inequality, (ii) aspiration for high social rank, and (iii) risk-taking behavior are at the frontiers of research in social sciences in general, and economic sciences in particular. In this course, each of these topics will be explored and modeled by means of a substantial example. (i) We will develop novel insights into how to measure inequality, integrate a measure of inequality in a social welfare function, and transform a measure of inequality into a social welfare function. (ii) We will study location choices where the movement between regions is governed by social preferences rather than by income differentials. (iii) We will study attitudes towards risk taking in the case where a person relates to others positively, namely altruistically. This study is needed because it is unclear how altruism influences the inclination of an altruistic person to take risks.

The main purpose of the course is to induce the participants to think rigorously, creatively, and in non-conventional ways on various novel approaches to the modeling of choices and consequences. Following the course, the participants are expected to be more at ease with deciphering theoretical research on the interface between social sciences, and at engaging in such research themselves. Participants will be exposed to protocols of social science modeling in general, and to the workings of applied microeconomic theory in particular.

Format of the course: One week of lectures, ended with an open-book exam after the last lecture.

Oded Stark is a Professor at the Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw. Professor Stark is Doctor honoris causa (University of Warsaw), a Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Poland) Lifetime Achievement Awardee, and a Presidential Professor of Economics (Poland). Professor Stark is a prolific researcher whose outstanding work has been published and cited in top economics journals. He is ranked first among Polish economists in the RePEc/IDEAS ranking.

The “Modeling Preferences for Equality, High Rank, and Low Risk” course is intended for advanced M.A. students and Ph.D. students, and is held in English. For passing a one-week intensive course, second-cycle (M.A.) students receive 2 ECTS credits.

The course will be held in an intensive manner during May 18, 2026 - May 22, 2026. The schedule of the course is displayed below.

Registration for the course can be done via e-mailing to: Przemysław Mroczkowski (Hq7{-S`si|}PAp/b%[n2x'X]#[5z!nw3[_Ytq8%-!Z0AS'%sE). Registration for the course can be done until April 20, 2026.

Course schedule:

The course is held in the Faculty of Economic Sciences, room B301.