Onur Kesten

Professor Onur Kesten is a faculty member in the Department of Economics at the University of Sydney, within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. His research focuses on market design, mechanism design, and game theory, with a particular emphasis on school/college admissions systems in countries like China, Turkey, and Australia. He has held prestigious awards including the BP Junior Faculty Chair and Richard Cyert Teaching Award. Kesten earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Rochester (2005) and completed a post-doctorate under Nobel Laureate Alvin Roth at Harvard University (2006).

His academic roles include Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Economic Design and editorial board memberships at journals like Journal of Mathematical Economics. Kesten’s work bridges theoretical economics with real-world applications, such as improving Pennsylvania’s adoption exchange matching process and analyzing online dispute resolution mechanisms. His recent research explores strategy-proof mediation, wastefulness in school choice systems, and experimental evaluations of college admissions reforms.

• Education:
• PhD in Economics, University of Rochester (2005)
• Post-doctorate, Harvard University (2006)

Research Interests:

• Microeconomic Theory
• Market Design and Mechanism Design
• Game Theory and Social Choice
• Applications in Education Policy and Matching Markets

Awards and Honors:

• BP Junior Faculty Chair
• Richard Cyert Teaching Award
• Lave-Weil Prizes (Carnegie Mellon)
• Faculty Giving Chairs

Key Contributions: Kesten’s work on strategy-proof mechanisms, equitable school choice systems, and experimental evaluations of admissions policies has influenced policy design globally. His recent focus on multi-issue mediation and sequential assignment systems highlights innovative approaches to resolving complex allocation challenges.