Gilbert Fridgen is Full Professor in Digital Financial Services and holder of the PayPal-FNR PEARL Chair at the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). He leads the FINATRAX research group focusing on blockchain, digital identity, and sustainable digital solutions. His research explores decentralized technologies in finance, energy systems, and public administration. Current projects investigate blockchain applications in industrial demand response, NFT markets, EU digital identity wallets, and DeFi institutional adoption. Prof. Fridgen examines the intersection of technology with regulatory frameworks and user behavior in energy and financial systems. He collaborates extensively with industry partners including PayPal and Spuerkeess. Prof. Fridgen actively contributes to EU digital policy discussions, particularly regarding the European Digital Identity Wallet framework and decentralized finance governance.
Christian FISCH is an Associate Professor in Business Economics and Entrepreneurship at the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). His research focuses on the intersection of entrepreneurship with digital technologies, venture finance, and socio-cultural influences. Key areas include blockchain-based financing mechanisms (e.g., ICOs), the psychological and digital identity aspects of entrepreneurs, and the impact of environmental/climate factors on entrepreneurial activity. He has published extensively in top journals, addressing topics such as B Corp certification signaling effects, venture capital decision-making, and the paradox of technology adoption among SMEs. His work spans both theoretical contributions (e.g., extending Schumpeterian frameworks) and applied analyses (e.g., post-pandemic entrepreneurial resilience). FISCH collaborates with global institutions, leveraging mixed-methods approaches including digital trace analysis from platforms like Twitter to study investor behavior and entrepreneurial traits. He has no listed awards but maintains active research agendas in decentralized finance, climate entrepreneurship, and cross-cultural entrepreneurial motivations. Professional activities include editorial roles in entrepreneurship journals and advising on innovation policy. His research often addresses emerging trends such as NFTs in creative industries, DAO governance structures, and the role of trademarks/patents in regional innovation ecosystems.
Prof. Tibor Neugebauer is a Full Professor of Finance at the University of Luxembourg’s Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF), Department of Finance. He holds a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Valencia (2000) and professional qualifications from Hannover, with prior academic positions at institutions including York, Kiel, Hannover, and research stays at Lisbon, Bari, Valencia, and Rome. His research focuses on Experimental Finance and Economics, particularly behavioral finance, asset markets, auctions, and decision-making under uncertainty. He designs laboratory experiments to analyze markets, strategic interactions, and algorithm-human dynamics, with recent emphasis on algorithmic trading and market regulations. Education: Doctor of Economics, University of Valencia (2000) Master of Science in Economics, University of Alicante (1997) Bachelor’s in Economics, University of Bonn (1994) Professional Qualification in Economics, University of Hannover (2006) Research Interests: Prof. Neugebauer’s work examines institutional and informational structures’ impact on market outcomes, including fairness in co-determination, communication effects in asset markets, and algorithmic arbitrage. His experiments explore human behavior in complex environments, such as speculative asset trading and regulatory interventions. He has pioneered studies on algorithmic trading’s role in experimental markets, combining theoretical models with empirical behavioral insights. Key Contributions: His research addresses topics like margin trading regulations, Modigliani-Miller theorem validity in experimental settings, and the ‘greater fool’ phenomenon. Recent studies emphasize algorithmic-human interaction dynamics, market efficiency under varying mechanisms, and the implications of wash trading. Awards & Grants: No specific awards listed, but his extensive publication record reflects sustained recognition in experimental finance. Grants and collaborations likely relate to his research on market design and behavioral finance. Labs/Teams: Active in the FDEF’s finance research group, contributing to Luxembourg’s international reputation in experimental economics and finance. Collaborates with global institutions on algorithmic trading and market dynamics.
Prof. Michael HALLING is a Full Professor in Sustainable Finance at the University of Luxembourg's Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance, Department of Finance. His work focuses on sustainable finance, corporate finance dynamics, climate risk assessment, and financial regulation. He holds the prestigious Chair in Sustainable Finance and has published extensively on topics like MiFID II compliance, mutual fund fee structures, and post-pandemic market recovery. Contact: michael.halling@uni.lu Research Interests : Prof. HALLING’s research bridges theoretical finance with practical applications, emphasizing sustainable investment practices, corporate debt management, and regulatory frameworks. Key themes include: Climate risk modeling using public news sentiment analysis Impact of behavioral preferences on corporate investment decisions Automated compliance systems for financial institutions Market dynamics during crises (e.g., pandemic effects on capital access) Recent Publications Trends : Recent works analyze MiFID II regulatory impacts (2024), stochastic modeling of corporate investment (2023), and firm-specific climate risk quantification. His 2020 studies explored pandemic-driven shifts in corporate financing strategies. Awards : No awards explicitly mentioned in the provided texts. Grants & Advising : No student advisees or grant details provided in available data. Labs/Teams : No specific research group affiliations listed.
Mike Papadakis is an Associate Professor at the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT), where he leads the SerVal research group. His research focuses on software engineering, software security, and artificial intelligence. He holds a PhD in Software Testing and Verification from Athens University of Economics and Business, with an MSc and BSc from the same institution. His research explores mutation testing, machine learning applications in software development, and test optimization. Recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on AI robustness, flaky test analysis, and automated debugging techniques. Notable achievements include the IEEE TCSE Rising Star Award (2020) and 12 additional research awards. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and delivered more than 30 invited talks globally.
Laurent BARRAS is a Full Professor in Asset Management at the University of Luxembourg's Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance, within the Department of Finance. His research focuses on asset pricing, mutual fund performance, hedge fund strategies, and behavioral finance. He holds a prominent position in academic finance, contributing to understanding investment strategies and market dynamics. His work explores topics such as value creation in mutual funds, homeowner investment behavior, and model misspecification in hedge fund evaluation. He has published extensively in top-tier journals, emphasizing empirical analysis and large-scale data approaches. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly mentioned in the provided materials. BARRAS's research trends highlight critiques of performance measurement frameworks (e.g., false discoveries in alphas) and comparisons of international asset allocation methods. His articles often bridge theory and practice, addressing practical implications for investors and policymakers.
Michel Beine is a Full Professor of Economics at the University of Luxembourg's Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF), specializing in international economics with a focus on migration dynamics. He holds a PhD from Université Libre de Bruxelles (1997) and has taught at institutions including the University of Lille II and Université Libre de Bruxelles. His research spans international migration patterns, climate change impacts, brain drain/gain effects, and network influences on migration decisions. He coordinates the MINLAB and ACROSS PhD programs focusing on migration research. His work integrates econometric methods to analyze migration policies, student mobility, and institutional norms transfer. Notable contributions include studies on climate-driven migration, diaspora effects, and the economic implications of skilled worker movements. Research interests include: (1) International migration economics, particularly skilled labor flows and network effects; (2) Climate change impacts on human mobility; (3) Brain drain/brain gain mechanisms; (4) Policy analysis of immigration/asylum systems. Recent work explores substitution patterns among migration destinations using cross-nested logit models and evaluates the role of education fees in foreign student enrollment. His publications span top journals like Journal of Development Economics , Scandinavian Journal of Economics , and World Development . He advises policymakers on migration-related issues and collaborates with institutions like LISER and the World Bank. Teaching focuses on international economics, econometrics, and migration economics at the PhD level.
Jean-Daniel Guigou is an Associate Professor at the University of Luxembourg, affiliated with the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance and the Department of Finance. His research focuses on pension systems, financial modeling, bankruptcy law, and corporate governance. He has published extensively on topics including trajectory modeling, strategic delegation, and the economic implications of regulatory frameworks such as IFRS 9. His work often integrates statistical methodologies like finite mixture models to analyze economic phenomena. Key themes in his research include the optimal design of pension systems, the dynamics of managerial collusion under asymmetric incentives, and the impact of legal frameworks on financial markets. He has contributed to policy-relevant studies, such as analyses of Luxembourg's mixed pension system and the role of corporate governance in financial development. Guigou’s publications reflect a blend of theoretical and applied economics, with notable contributions to understanding strategic behavior in competitive markets, the robustness of econometric models, and the interplay between law and financial systems. His research bridges academic rigor with practical applications in public policy and financial regulation.
François Koulischer is an Assistant Professor in Sustainable Finance at the University of Luxembourg's Department of Finance (Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance). He is also an affiliated researcher with the MFI and MECSD Chair in Sustainable Finance. His research focuses on sustainable finance mechanisms, monetary policy impacts, and housing market dynamics. Key areas include ESG disclosure regulation, tax policies affecting housing affordability, and the distributional effects of low interest rates on household debt. His work bridges theoretical financial economics with policy-relevant analysis, particularly in central bank liquidity operations and crisis responses. Notable contributions include studies on quantitative easing mechanisms in the Eurozone and the visible hand of policy during the 2020 pandemic. He has been recognized with the American Real Estate Society's Manuscript Prize for his work on tax subsidies and housing markets. Publications span high-impact journals such as the Journal of Financial Economics and Journal of Financial Stability , with a focus on banking systems, collateral frameworks, and crisis management. His research often integrates empirical evidence from Luxembourg and broader European contexts, emphasizing policy implications for financial stability and equitable growth.
Christine SCHILTZ is a Full Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Luxembourg's Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences. Her work focuses on numerical cognition, spatial attention, face perception, and cognitive development, employing neuroimaging techniques such as EEG/MEG. She leads research initiatives addressing multilingual education challenges, particularly in diagnosing learning disorders in mathematics within Luxembourg's multicultural context. Her team develops innovative assessment tools like the LuxMatheTest to evaluate numerical competencies in multilingual children. Her research integrates neuroscientific methods with educational applications, exploring how language and environment influence mathematical learning. Key projects include studying dyslexia's neural underpinnings, spatial coding in arithmetic, and the impact of bilingualism on numerical processing. Recent studies investigate socioeconomic factors affecting math education and the role of visual stimulation in understanding word and number recognition. Publications highlight advancements in neuroimaging analysis (e.g., FPVS techniques), early childhood development, and educational policy. She collaborates internationally on large-scale assessments of cognitive abilities and contributes to evidence-based strategies for inclusive education systems. Her work bridges fundamental cognitive science with applied educational research, emphasizing practical solutions for multilingual learning environments.
Lindsay Flynn is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Luxembourg's Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences within the Department of Social Sciences. She leads the PROPEL project (2021-2025), a FNR-ATTRACT funded initiative examining housing policies, inequality, and welfare state challenges in high-income OECD countries. Her research bridges inequality studies and public policy, focusing on housing markets, political preferences, and socio-economic disparities. Education: Undergraduate studies at Albion College (Michigan, USA), graduate studies at the University of Virginia. She previously taught at Wheaton College (Massachusetts), co-chairing a committee to redesign their undergraduate curriculum for 21st-century labor market demands. Research interests include housing policy paradigms, generational equity, and the intersection of welfare states with housing affordability. Her work has addressed topics like childcare markets' impact on maternal employment, housing wealth distribution, and post-neoliberal policy shifts in Europe. Key awards include a Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award nomination (2017) and an APSA Best Poster award (2010). Publications span journals like West European Politics and Social Politics, with recent focus on EU housing crises, tenant experiences, and socio-psychological motives in voting behavior. Active in policy discourse, she organizes events like Housing Day 2023 and frequently participates in media discussions on housing inequality.
Christos KOULOVATIANOS is a Full Professor and Head of the Department of Finance at the University of Luxembourg's Faculty of Law, Economics, and Finance. His academic career includes roles as Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham, Assistant Professor at the University of Vienna, and Visiting Professorships at Goethe University Frankfurt and the University of Cyprus. He holds a PhD from the University of Rochester (1999). His research focuses on the intersection of finance and micro-founded macroeconomics, with specialties in asset pricing, household finance, fiscal policy, dynamic games, and resource economics. Key projects include the FNR-funded 'POPULISM' grant (2024-2027) examining social media polarization and the MORTGAGE project analyzing post-COVID-19 nonperforming loans. He has served on editorial boards and advised Luxembourg's economic policy during the pandemic. Publications span journals like Journal of Economic Theory , European Economic Review , and Dynamic Games and Applications . Recent work addresses populism dynamics, demographic impacts on FDI, and policy evaluation of pronatalist measures.
Dr. Mirko HIRSCHMANN is a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) , specializing in the Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and New Technology department. His research focuses on the intersection of entrepreneurship with sustainability, impact investing, and socio-economic challenges such as climate change, conflict zones, and economic inequality. He explores themes like B Corp certification, social enterprise financing, and policy-driven entrepreneurial behavior. His work spans environmental entrepreneurship (e.g., biodiversity loss impacts), conflict-driven economic adaptation, and institutional roles of family firms. Recent studies analyze how climate policies and conflict environments shape entrepreneurial strategies, alongside the role of trademarks in social innovation measurement. He has published widely on topics including impact investor vs. VC performance and social incubator selection criteria. Research trends show a strong emphasis on sustainability-driven entrepreneurship, with particular attention to certification systems (e.g., B Corp) and their signaling effects in finance markets. He also investigates how social enterprises balance market and social goals through IP strategies and funding mechanisms. No scientific awards are listed, though his contributions to interdisciplinary research are notable. His work is part of SnT’s broader mission to address societal challenges through innovative solutions. He collaborates on projects analyzing entrepreneurial resilience in crises and policy frameworks for equitable economic development.
Laura ANDOLFI is a Doctoral Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) within the FINATRAX department at the University of Luxembourg. Her work focuses on the intersection of energy systems, policy, and consumer behavior. Key research areas include smart grids, building energy management, and the sociotechnical aspects of energy literacy. Her research explores how energy policies and technological advancements can be harmonized with public engagement to drive sustainable practices. Notable contributions include studies on European electricity market structures, early adopter behaviors in smart energy technologies, and the impact of environmental values on energy flexibility provision. Laura’s publications reflect a multidisciplinary approach, blending policy analysis with technological and sociological insights. She is affiliated with the University of Luxembourg’s Belval Campus, office JFK E02 224.
Christophe Lesschaeve is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, University of Luxembourg, where he has been affiliated since October 2017. His research examines political representation, voter-elites issue congruence, and the enduring effects of war on electoral behavior, particularly in Southeast European contexts. He earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Antwerp in 2016, where his dissertation investigated inequality in opinion congruence between privileged and underprivileged voters in Belgium. During doctoral studies, he participated in the PartiRep-Project funded by the Belgian Science Policy and conducted research at the University of Leiden supported by the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO). Lesschaeve's scholarly focus bridges theoretical and applied political science, analyzing how war experiences shape party choices, voter attitudes toward veterans, and pandemic-related political behaviors. His work extends to practical democratic innovation through contributions to voting advice applications (Stemtest and Test Électoral) for Belgian elections, now utilized in educational settings to familiarize students with political parties. Recent publications demonstrate methodological diversity across Southeast European case studies, examining war legacies through survey experiments, social network analysis, and comparative electoral data. Key thematic clusters include conflict-induced voting patterns, pandemic policy trade-offs, gender dynamics in postwar elections, and measurement innovations for representation inequality. He currently leads research within the ERC-funded "Electoral Legacies of War" project while maintaining collaborations from prior Belgian Science Policy funding. His non-academic engagement includes designing civic education tools that translate complex political science concepts into accessible voter resources. Lesschaeve operates within the Department of Social Sciences research ecosystem, contributing to Luxembourg's growing expertise in comparative electoral studies and conflict legacy analysis through data collection initiatives like the ELWar Expert Survey and BiHCorp parliamentary corpus.
