Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Economics: The Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, under the supervision of Professor Lorenzo Casaburi, is inviting recent graduates for a pre-doctoral fellowship supporting economic development research in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This opportunity is a 1 to 2-year fellowship designed for students who are pursuing a pre-doctoral degree in economics or a related field and are interested in hands-on exposure to frontier academic research before taking that next step.
This predoctoral position under the supervision of Prof. Lorenzo Casaburi, a leading lecturer in the Department of Economics, University of Zurich, offers a rare chance to build strong research credentials within one of Europe’s top economics departments.
Why Pursue a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Economics at the University of Zurich?
- The predoctoral fellow will receive financial support that covers tuition and other expenses during the course of study.
- Candidates will work closely with Prof. Lorenzo Casaburi, gaining guidance from a globally recognised scholar in development economics.
- The ideal candidate will participate in idea generation, literature reviews, data analysis, field experiment design, and academic writing.
- The predoctoral fellow will contribute to projects on land markets and rural finance in Sub-Saharan Africa, addressing real-world policy challenges.
Program Description – Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Economics
These predoctoral positions are ideal for recent graduates with strong quantitative, programming and analytical skills who are interested in potentially going on to do a PhD in economics or a related field.
The predoctoral fellow will join and collaborate with Professor Lorenzo Casaburi and other members of the research team in the Department of Economics and assist with their research. The fellow will likely work in all phases of the research, including ideation, literature reviews, project management, data analysis, and writing.
The ideal candidate will become part of a team working on several projects in economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on land markets and rural finance. The projects are based on field experiments and on the analysis of administrative databases.
Note that the predoctoral position is a full-time in-person commitment (70% research, 30% on-the-job-learning). However, the research focuses on:
- Causal inference in development economics
- Rural finance and agricultural economics
- Economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Field experiments
- Land markets in developing regions
- Administrative database analysis
Qualifications for this Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Economics
- Have a master’s or bachelor’s degree earned within the last five years in economics or a related quantitative social science discipline, along with high arithmetic abilities;
- Proficiency in STATA, R, or Python; experience with additional statistical applications or programming languages is advantageous.
- Be proficient in both spoken and written English.
- Confidential recommendation letter from 1-3 letter writers who are familiar with academic research (preferably professors, research supervisors, or similar).
- Candidates are expected to possess the following criteria as a plus:
- Knowledge of causal inference research methods
- Previous experience in research
- High GRE score
- Completed MITx MicroMasters courses
- Ability to multitask and meet deadlines.
Application Process – Pre-Doctoral Fellowship in Economics
Use the online application form from the University of Zurich’s website.
Important: All questions and documents must be uploaded in a single submission before you can submit your application through the application form.
In addition, candidates must prepare the following documents:
- Resume
- Cover letter
- Transcripts of academic work
- Degree copies
- 1-3 letters of recommendation
About The Supervisor – Professor Lorenzo Casaburi
Professor Lorenzo Casaburi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich. His research focuses on economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on agricultural finance, competition, and land markets.
Lorenzo is a Research Fellow at BREAD, CEPR, IGC, IPA, and J-PAL, and serves as an Associate Editor for Econometrica and the Economic Journal. Additionally, he is a member of the BREAD Board of Directors.
He earned his B.A. from the University of Bologna and his PhD in Economics from Harvard University. Before his position at Zurich, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR).
Deadline and Contact Information
Application Deadline: January 31, 2026
For more information, visit the official web page or contact Natascha Bär