ETH Medals for outstanding doctoral theses

Dr Tobias Dalhaus received the prize for his doctoral thesis entitled “Agricultural Weather Insurance: Basis Risk Reduction, Behavioral Insurance and Uncovering Quality Risks”, which was supervised by Professor Robert Finger of the Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy. In his thesis, Dr Dalhaus focused on improving weather insurance for farmers. He did so by using innovative data sources on crop growth and weather and by calculating previously unquantified impacts of weather extremes on crop quality. Furthermore, Dalhaus used observed insurance decisions made by farmers to design contracts in a way that better fits farmers’ preferences, e.g. by adjusting the timing of premium payments. Dr Dalhaus is currently continuing his work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of Agricultural Economics and Policy at ETH Zurich. He will embark on an assistant professorship at Wageningen University in the Netherlands in May 2020. Download abstract

In his doctoral thesis, Dr Thomas Gersdorf examined collaborative knowledge creation between firms and partnering organisations, and investigated managerial levers that facilitate work in such collaboration across firm boundaries. He wrote his thesis, entitled “Leading Knowledge Creation Across Boundaries”, under the supervision of Professor Georg von Krogh of the Chair of Strategic Management and Innovation. Dr Gersdorf is currently working as a Senior Consultant at McKinsey & Company. Download abstract

Dr Tobias Langenegger received the ETH Medal for his doctoral thesis entitled “A Simulation Model of Sanctions and Negotiations: The Example of the Iran Nuclear Dispute”, which was supervised by Professor Michael Ambühl of the Chair of Negotiation and Conflict Management. Dr Langenegger’s thesis expands existing literature by combining the two fields of economic sanction and negotiation research, and further accounts for the dynamic nature of conflicts. Towards this end, a dynamic, agent-oriented simulation model is introduced and discussed with respect to an in-depth case analysis of the Iran nuclear dispute. Tobias Langenegger passed away in August 2019 and with his death D-MTEC loses an outstanding and dedicated scientist. Download abstract