IES Director presented the Awards for Distinguished Master’s and Bachelor’s Theses in June 2026

The IES Director's Award for Distinguished Master’s and Bachelor’s Theses has been awarded since the beginning of 2024 at the occasion of each Bachelor's and Master's Final State Exams. These are organized as a thesis defense with a follow-up general discussion on the thesis topic and are held three times a year - usually in January, June and September.

Apart from the IES Director, the Directors of the Master’s and Bachelor’s Study Programs and the members of the State Final Exam committees jointly assess the exceptional quality of the theses and the excellent performance at the thesis defense.

For those receiving the IES Director's Award, this is a sign that their thesis was among the best defended at IES in a given round. It is also a signal that it is advisable to submit it to various student competitions (e.g. Bolzano Award, etc.) or that there is a high chance that the work will be nominated directly by the IES for other student prizes (e.g. DOT Award or Prof. JUDr. Karel Engliš Award)

The award is presented in a symbolic and ecological way in the form of a certificate in an electronic version, which the awardees can further use e.g. on their LinkedIn profile or attach to their applications for universities abroad or job interviews. There is no financial reward associated with the award.

In June 2026, the IES Director's Award was presented to the following graduates: 

Bachelor’s theses:

• Evaluating the Impact of VEGA Research Grants on the Publication Performance of Slovak Scientists
  author: Júlia Danielovičová
  advisor: Matěj Bajgar, D.Phil.
• Labour Supply of Generation 50+: Analysis Using easySHARE Data
  author: Zuzana Dluhošová
  advisor: Mgr. Barbara Livorová
• Do Football Agents Matter? A Panel Data Analysis of Player Wages
  author: Martin Majrich
  advisor: doc. PhDr. Jiří Kukačka, Ph.D.
• Stability and Mobility of the Super-Rich in Czechia: Evidence from the Forbes Rich List (2013–2025)
  author: Ema Raiterová
  advisor: Mgr. Jan Žalman
• Estimating the Impact of Algorithm-Driven Production Planning: Evidence from the Glass Industry
  author: Amálie Švábová
  advisor: Matěj Bajgar, D.Phil.
• When Central Banks Mention War: Market Sentiment and Monetary Communication
  author: Hoang Viet Pham
  advisor: Mgr. Josef Švéda, Ph.D.

Master’s theses:

• The Competitive Effects of School Choice and Academic Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis
  author: Anita Baudyšová
  advisor: prof. PhDr. Tomáš Havránek, Ph.D.
• The Drivers of CPI Components: A Machine Learning Perspective
  author: Jan Botka
  advisor: Mgr. Josef Švéda, Ph.D.
• Luring Hollywood to Europe: Estimating the Effects of Film Incentives
  author: Klára Grohmannová
  advisor: Matěj Bajgar, D.Phil.
• Heterogeneous Agent Modelling in Traditional Finance vs. Crypto Markets: Does One Model Rule Them All?
  author: Tomáš Robovský
  advisor: doc. PhDr. Jiří Kukačka, Ph.D.
• Macroeconomic Dynamics in Kosovo: A Semi-Structural New Keynesian Approach to Fiscal and External Shocks
  author: Lum Skeja
  advisor: PhDr. Simona Malovaná, Ph.D.
• Forecasting the distribution of day-ahead electricity prices with a focus on weather data
  author: Kateřina Švíková
  advisor: Mgr. Luboš Hanus, Ph.D.
• Performance Analysis of Czech Investment Funds: Structure, Costs, and Returns
  author: Adam Vinc
  advisor: prof. Ing. Evžen Kočenda, M.A., Ph.D., DSc.
• Deep Neural Network Estimation of Financial Agent-Based Models: A Comparative Study
  author: Eric Žíla
  advisor: doc. PhDr. Jiří Kukačka, Ph.D.