PhD graduates Valeria Bernardo and Ilias Pasidis awarded extraordinary doctoral prize

PhD graduates in Economics of the UB School of Economics Dr. Valeria Bernardo and Dr. Ilias Pasidis have been awarded the extraordinary doctoral prize for the academic year 2016-2017. The award ceremony took place in the Paranimph of the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona on April 9^th 2019, hosted by Dr. Joan Elias, rector of the University of Barcelona.

Dr. Bernardo defended her PhD thesis Essays in Competition and Entry Regulations on September 12^th, 2017. The dissertation analyses the effect of entry regulation in the electric vehicle, gasoline retail market and aviation market, for which regulations enhancing competition are fundamental. The dissertation uses different econometric methodologies to evaluate policies in force and identify possible effects of alternative public interventions. The UB School of Economics researcher Dr. Joan-Ramon Borrell was her PhD advisor.

Dr. Pasidis defended his PhD thesis Urban Transport Externalities on June 21^st, 2017. His dissertation focuses on the estimation of transport-related urban externalities and the interaction between different externalities. Specifically, he estimates the effects of highway construction on suburbanisation, on traffic congestion, air pollution and the interactions between them. In addition, he estimates the two-way relationship between congestion and accidents and finally, quantifies shopping externalities. “I am very honoured to receive this award. This dissertation involved a lot of hard work on a very important topic”, Dr. Pasidis said. The UB School of Economics researcher Dr. Elisabet Viladecans-Marsal and the Dr. Miquel-Àngel Garcia-López from the Autonomous University of Barcelona were his PhD advisors.

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