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PhD Student Attends Lindau Conference

Matthew Wilson among top young economists to hear from Nobel laureates and world leaders.

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In August, doctoral student Matthew Wilson attended the famed Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in Germany. The meetings provided Wilson with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the latest research from 17 of the 38 living Nobel laureates in economics.

In addition to rubbing shoulders with 450 top young economists and networking with fellow PhD students from around the world, Wilson heard from global leaders—including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

For Wilson, the high points of the conference were the presentation given by Ed Prescott, most known for his Real Business Cycle model, and the opportunity to discuss some of his research with 2004 Nobel winner Finn Kydland. “That was a pretty amazing experience,” Wilson says.

Wilson was chosen to attend the conference from among a large group of PhD students nominated from across the country and around the world. He also received a sponsorship from the NSF for much of his travel costs. The remainder of his travel expense was covered by a fund created by generous donations from alumni and department supporters.

Faculty member George Evans, who recommended Wilson for the trip, states that “This was the fifth Lindau Meeting, and our department has an impressive record of having had one of our grad students nominated for each one.” In reference to Wilson’s third year research paper, Evans says, “Matt’s paper was a successful and provocative piece of research, making him an ideal candidate to benefit from this experience.”