Meet our new PhD students

Axa Lares: "I want to contribute to a fairer society with less inequality"

Axa Lares is from Helsinki, Finland, and did both her bachelor's and master's degrees in Aalto University, focusing on economics. Her research interests lie mainly in development and applied microeconomics, including topics such as health, education, and gender.

What made you apply to the PhD program at the department? 
"I wanted to pursue a PhD to be able to produce knowledge, e.g. for driving political decisions and, hopefully, contributing to a fairer society with less inequality. The focus areas of the Department of Economics at the University of Gothenburg seemed to be well in line with that."

What do you think of Gothenburg so far?
"So far, I love it! Friendly people, international atmosphere, beautiful buildings, and the proximity to the sea make it a great place to live."

Gustav Lundström: "The university has a strong reputation in my areas of interest"

Gustav Lundström is from Uppsala, Sweden, and holds a BSc in Politics and Economics, as well as two MSc degrees in Economics and Health Economics, all from Lund University. Most recently, he spent a year working as a research assistant at the Department of Economics at Uppsala University. He is primarily interested in the determinants of human capital, particularly in identifying factors related to education and health. Outside of work, he enjoys football and literature.

What made you apply to the PhD program at the department? 
"My decision to pursue a PhD in Economics comes from a desire to engage in research and teaching within the field. The University of Gothenburg's strong reputation in my areas of interest made it an obvious choice for me to apply."

What do you think of Gothenburg so far?
"Gothenburg is a beautiful city, one I have visited many times before. This time, I am getting accustomed to the rhythm of the city's trams."

Viggo Barmen: "The job at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs made me pursue a PhD"

Viggo Barmen is from Lund in southern Sweden and did his master's in economics at Uppsala University. Viggo has very broad interests, and says he wouldn't be surprised if his interests change throughout the PhD. 

"But currently I think a lot about the distributional effects of climate change, the design of environmental policy, perhaps particularly in a development context, as well as how to maintain long-term political support for environmental policy. So perhaps my interests currently revolve around environmental, development and political economics."

What made you apply to the PhD program at the department? 
"My undergraduate studies sparked an interest in research, but I also wanted experience from policymaking in practice. After graduating, I therefore joined the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, working primarily with development and sustainability issues. That job made me think about new issues that I want to understand in economics, and I decided to pursue a PhD. I chose Gothenburg because the department seemed to have a nice ambience and provides a strong research environment within my fields of interest."

What do you think of Gothenburg so far?
"Gothenburg feels like a welcoming city, with many exciting things to do!"

Cherylynn Tham: "GU has a strong research focus in environmental economics"

Cherylynn Tham is from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and did her bachelors in economics in Malaysia. She then did a joint masters degree in quantitative economics both in France and Italy. Her main research interests are in Environmental and Development Economics.

What made you apply to the PhD program at the department? 
"I was really attracted to the department here because of the strong research focus in environmental economics and other areas of research that are critical in understanding sustainable development." 

What do you think of Gothenburg so far?
"Gothenburg has been a really nice city and I really like walking around the Haga area where the campus is located."

Behzad Jawan Bakhsh: Interested in macro-finance, asset pricing & household finance

Behzad Jawan Bakhsh is from a small town in Pakistan and holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Gothenburg and a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan. 

His research interests are broad, including macro-finance, asset pricing and household finance. Behzad's master’s thesis focused on examining the impact of monetary policy on stock returns.

What made you apply to the PhD program at the department? 
"The enriching learning experience during my studies, coupled with the guidance from distinguished faculty at the University of Gothenburg, inspired me to pursue advanced research in finance."

What do you think of Gothenburg so far?
"I love the scenic beauty and the friendly vibe of Gothenburg."