Events at CERGE-EI

Researchers’ Night, an event that brings hundreds of scientific buildings and institutions to life for one evening, is focusing on communication this year. We invite you to discover science at CERGE-EI in Schebek Palace in the center of Prague. Admission is free. Advance registration is recommended.

Program:

15:00–15:45 | Lecture by Michal Bauer: Misperceptions, facts, and our decisions (in English)
We routinely hold mistaken beliefs about facts that matter for our choices: how much education actually pays off, whether experts agree or disagree on important issues, or about characteristics of different social groups. Can simply providing accurate information change what people believe and how they act? Michal Bauer will show how field experiments — with thousands of participants in schools, health campaigns, and post-conflict settings — can answer this question, and why information sometimes changes behaviour (and sometimes not). The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.

16:00–16:45 | Lecture by Miroslava Federičová a Maria Šimůnková: 
Chytré hlavy nestačí: Sociálně-emoční schopnosti žáků a dovednosti učitelů podle PISA a PIAAC (in Czech)
Getting the right answer is not enough. At school, at work, and in our personal lives, we also need to cooperate, understand the views and needs of others, express our own opinions, and manage emotions and stress. These abilities are related to social-emotional skills. The first part of the lecture will show how Czech fifteen-year-olds assess their own abilities and how they compare with their peers in other European countries. The second part will focus on teachers, who pass knowledge and skills on to students. How well equipped are they themselves? The international PIAAC survey measures literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills among adults; here, we will focus on the results of Czech teachers. We will show how they perform compared with the general population and other university-educated adults, and whether there are differences between younger and older generations of teachers. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.

17:00–17:45 | Lecture by Ole Jann: The Economics of Truth and Lies  (in English)
Communication is the essence of human society. But so are lies. Why do people sometimes tell the truth, and sometimes not – and sometimes fail to communicate at all? Economic theory can help us understand when words convey information, and when they don't. The talk will explore these ideas through everyday examples. We will then turn to communication in the digital world: Is it really true that we are all communicating in our own bubbles – and if yes, is that a bad thing? And what can we do about aggressive language and disinformation? The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.

15:00–18:00 | Encryption Game
Recommended age: 15+. Estimated duration: 30 minutes.

15:00–18:00 | Family Game: Find the Symbols
Hunt for symbols hidden throughout the second floor of Schebek Palace — a playful exploration for children aged 5+ and their families.