Program Overview

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Doctoral Program in History of Economic Thought and Philosophy

The Centre Walras-Pareto was founded in 1990 as a research center on the history of economics, with particular attention to the Lausanne School of Economics, following the chair of political economy first held by Léon Walras and then by Vilfredo Pareto at the University of Lausanne. Today, within a leading interdisciplinary center in the field of history of economic thought in Europe, our professors supervise theses within the doctoral program in history of economic thought and philosophy at HEC Lausanne.

Research Area

In terms of research, we are interested in the historical development of economic and political ideas and methods, the institutional and material frameworks in which these ideas and methods are produced and used, as well as their social and normative implications and impacts. In brief, the variety of works carried out within our doctoral program revolves around three main questions: interpretation, epistemology, and contextuality. Individual doctoral projects, or those that are part of larger projects funded by external sources such as the Swiss National Science Foundation, are conducted under very close supervision. Consequently, our doctoral program is very selective and only accepts a small number of doctoral students to ensure high-quality, tailored supervision.

Structure of the Program

The expected duration of studies leading to the award of a doctorate in history of economic thought and philosophy is five years (there are special cases, for example four years with a Swiss National Science Foundation grant). The doctoral program is organized into two stages.

First Stage

Doctoral students must successfully complete the following compulsory courses:

• History and Philosophy of Economic Thought (doctoral level)
• Foundations in Econometrics and Machine Learning (from the Master's in Economics)
• Two courses chosen from the compulsory courses of the doctoral program in Management Equivalences may be granted to candidates who have already taken similar courses, and an alternative program may also be imposed in certain cases. Validation of the entire set of required courses is essential for completing the first stage of the program.

Second Stage

Doctoral students must:

• Participate in internal and external seminars, as well as conferences organized by the Centre Walras-Pareto. Participation in other seminars, such as those organized at HEC Lausanne, may also be required.
• Actively participate in conferences in their field.
• Write their thesis. In principle, the thesis consists of a monograph. The thesis defense is also done in two stages: first in private before the thesis jury only, then a revised version of the thesis is presented before the same thesis jury, during a public session.

Admissions

The doctoral program in history of economic thought and philosophy is very selective and only admits a limited number of doctoral students, in order to guarantee high-quality, personalized supervision.

Procedure

Potential candidates are encouraged to submit their application when assistant or scholarship positions are available on the University of Lausanne's application site. It is also possible to send a spontaneous application to potential thesis directors.

When applying, the following documents must be submitted (in French or English):

• A CV
• A letter of motivation
• A research proposal
• A transcript of Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• And possibly an academic reference letter

Educational and Language Requirements

A Master of Science (MSc) in history of economic thought, philosophy of economics, economics, philosophy and history of sciences, or a related discipline is required at the time of enrollment.

The doctoral thesis can be written, in agreement with the thesis director, in French, English, or another national Swiss language (German or Italian). However, a basic knowledge of French is necessary to facilitate cultural integration into the academic environment. Candidates applying for funding (assistant position or scholarship) must imperatively justify a B2 level in French, due to teaching duties and other responsibilities inherent to the position.

Funding

The tuition fees are very low (CHF 280 for the first semester + CHF 80 for each additional semester), but the cost of living is high in Switzerland. There are essentially three ways to finance the doctorate:

• Scholarships
• Assistantship
• Job/internship

Current Doctoral Research

• GUTIERREZ RUAN María: Experimental field experiences in Colombia, development economics, experimental economics
• LAZEGA Rafaël: Frank Knight, Ronald Coase, epistemology, ethics
• LI Zeyuan: Soviet Union, morality, ideology, political economy
• MARQUET-ELLIS Lucas: Vilfredo Pareto, positivism, welfare economics, sociology
• MARTINON Nathan
• NGUETSOP Madeleine: Antoine-Augustin Cournot, mathematics and economics, philosophy of science
• TIMPONELLI Luca: Léon Walras, Vilfredo Pareto, general equilibrium, value theory

Past Doctoral Theses and Alumni

Information on past doctoral theses and alumni placements can be found on the Centre Walras-Pareto's website.

Faculty and Research

To get an idea of the research conducted in the field of history of economic thought and philosophy, candidates are encouraged to visit the Centre Walras-Pareto's website. Professors and teaching and research staff are authorized to supervise a doctoral thesis. In the field of history of economic thought and philosophy, potential thesis directors are:

• Roberto Baranzini
• Prof. Harro Maas
• Dr. François Allisson

Contact

For more information on the doctoral program in history of economic thought and philosophy, please contact: Roberto Baranzini Programme doctoral en histoire de la pensée et philosophie économiques Université de Lausanne Centre Walras Pareto d'études interdisciplinaires de la pensée économique et politique Geopolis 5222 Quartier Mouline CH-1015 Lausanne