ALBERTO ALESINA YOUNG ECONOMIST AWARD
The Alberto Alesina Young Economists Award was established to honor the legacy of Alberto Alesina, one of the most visionary economists of our time. We will always remember Alberto’s great dedication and generosity, the way he encouraged Bocconi DES graduates and PhD students to pursue their ideas with courage, often inviting them to venture beyond the beaten track. His family and friends are honoring his memory and celebrating his extraordinary contribution to economics by creating a scholarship program that gives the best and brightest students access to the MSc in Economics and Social Sciences with a full tuition fee waiver.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, the Alberto Alesina Young Economists Award is already funded to support 10 outstanding students. Since 2022, four talented students, Katia, Advata, Roberto, and Samuele, have been awarded this scholarship, and several more will follow in the coming years.
Your support today will allow even more promising young economists to pursue their academic journey at Bocconi.
We will always remember Alberto’s great dedication and generosity with which he encouraged Bocconi DES graduates and PhD students to pursue their ideas with courage, often inviting them to pursue their passions, away from the beaten track.
His family and friends are honoring Alberto’s memory and mark his groundbreaking contribution to economics by creating a scholarship program that will allow the best and brightest among our students to access the Bocconi MSc in Economics and Social Science with a full tuition fee waiver.
ALBERTO ALESINA
Alberto Alesina graduated in Economic and Social Sciences (ex DES) from Bocconi in 1981 with a thesis under the supervision of Prof. Mario Monti, President of Bocconi University since 1994.
He then obtained a PhD from Harvard in 1986 and started a distinguished career becoming Nathaniel Ropes Professor of Political Economy in the Economics Department at Harvard University. As an internationally renowned scholar, he was a Fellow of the Econometric Society, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Chairman of the Department of Economics, Harvard University (2003 – 2006). He has always been a source of pride for his Alma Mater to which he kept a special connection, helping to elevate Bocconi to one of the best internationally recognized universities in economics. Over the years, he held several roles at Bocconi University, including Visiting Professor of Economics (IGIER, 2002–2003; 2008–2009), IGIER Fellow (2009–2020), and Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa Visiting Professor of Economics (AY 2012/2013 and 2014/2015). He also served on a recurring basis as Visiting Professor (Department of Economics, IGIER, and PhD in Economics) between 2013 and 2017.
As founder and a pioneer in the economic policy research field, Alberto would come to Bocconi twice a year to work on cutting-edge Economic and Fiscal Policies issues with his friends and colleagues from IGIER, co-authoring more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals with them. Alberto also played an important role in advancing economic policy debates with his fundamental contributions in political economy and the role of culture and institutions for economic development.
WHY IS THIS AWARD IMPORTANT?
When thinking of how to honor Alberto’s memory, we envisage a concrete gesture, honoring his contribution in fostering Social Sciences.
The ESS Master of Science (ex DES) provides students with a solid foundation in quantitative methods and economic theory: graduates develop the ability to interpret the economic and social processes gaining the skills needed to pursue a career as economics experts, either in the corporate world or in academia.
Alberto himself graduated from DES in 1981 and throughout his career he mentored generations of Bocconi students, inspiring and supporting ESS and PhD graduates.
Students receiving the award in his memory will not only be able to unlock their potential; but also, they will be relieved of the financial burden of pursuing higher education. Most of all, they will have the honor that associates their name to one of the most brilliant minds of our times, creating a symbolic connection between generations of economists.
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Roberto Fani
“My goal is to become an economist and pursue an academic career. I hope to complete a PhD and remain in academia, conducting research with strong policy relevance. At the same time, I am committed to making economics more accessible beyond a narrow circle of specialists. As a social science that studies interactions between people and markets, economics plays a crucial role in society, and it is important that its insights reach a wider audience.”