The renowned French economist Philippe Aghion will be awarded the 6th Hypatia Prize in a ceremony at Barcelona City Hall in Spring 2026. Recognized for his innovative contributions to economics, Aghion’s work aligns with the city’s commitment to research and innovation. 

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences for 2025 goes to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt for their work on innovation-driven economic growth. Mokyr receives half the prize for identifying conditions for sustained growth, while Aghion and Howitt jointly receive the other half for their theory of creative destruction. 

Dr. Nicolette Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Marketing at LSE, and Dr. Kiyohito Iigaya, of Columbia University, have been honored with the 2025 Society of Neuroeconomics Early Career Award, recognizing their significant contributions to neuroeconomics.

Economists often need PhDs to reach their career goals. According to INOMICS’ Salary Report data — and as Figure 3 in our PhD pay premium article shows — the vast majority of professional economists earn a PhD at some point in their careers. Academic economists are expected to acquire one in order to do research, while a PhD can often be a prerequisite for high-level industry economist jobs.But no matter how experienced, all PhD economists, at one point, were mere students searching for a good place to study. While important, how to search for the right place to study is seldom discussed…and there are thousands of universities with great economics departments out there.Feeling overwhelmed, and curious for some tips for your own search? Read on!