Institute of Economic Studies, Charles University


The Institute of Economic Studies is a department of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. It was established in May 1993 during the reorganization of the faculty, evolving from the former Department of Economics and Institute of Economic Sciences. The institute is housed in the main building of the faculty on Opletalova Street in central Prague.

Rankings and reputation

The IES is widely regarded as one of the leading institutions for economics education and research in the Czech Republic. According to a 2016 ranking by the Czech newspaper Hospodářské noviny, IES was named the best economics school in the country. The institute is the top-rated Czech economic research institution according to RePEc.
Internationally, Charles University is ranked among the top 100 in economics and top 200 in finance according to the Shanghai Rankings. The U.S. News Best Global Universities ranked Charles University 111th globally in economics and business.

Academic programs

The IES offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, with a strong focus on quantitative methods and theoretical foundations in economics and finance.

Undergraduate programs

  • Economics and Finance - taught in Czech
  • Bachelor in Economics and Finance – tuition-based, taught in English
The undergraduate curriculum emphasizes mathematics, theoretical and applied economics, econometrics, and finance.

Graduate programs

Graduate studies offer specialization in economic theory, modeling, finance, and financial markets. Approximately 70% of undergraduate and 88% of graduate courses are taught in English. About 91% of theses are written in English.

Doctoral programs

The institute also offers a PhD program in economics, focused on theoretical research and its applications in economic and financial analysis. Each year, the institute graduates approximately 90 bachelor's, 80 master's, and 5 doctoral students.

Student recognition

Students of the IES have received awards and participated in international competitions such as:
Students of the IES have also been awarded prestigious prizes, including:
  • Olga Radzyner Award
  • Young Economist Award
  • Karel Engliš Prize
  • Josef Hlávka Award
  • Energy Economics Contest

Notable people

Seven out of the top ten Czech economists belong to the IES:
  • Tomáš Havránek – ranked 1st
  • Evžen Kočenda – ranked 2nd
  • Roman Horváth – ranked 3rd
  • Zuzana Havránková – ranked 5th
  • Jozef Baruník – ranked 6th
  • Ladislav Krištoufek – ranked 9th
  • Michal Bauer – ranked 10th
Other prominent faculty include Oldřich Dědek and Tomáš Holub, both associated with the Czech National Bank.