Human capital Center

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Purpose & ambition 

The growing importance of education- and labor-related challenges is profoundly transforming economic and social dynamics, both in France and internationally. In a context marked by rapid changes in skills, career paths, and inequalities, TSE seeks to enhance public and private stakeholders’ understanding of the economic mechanisms underlying human capital. In particular, it aims to promote the design of more effective public policies and organizational strategies grounded in evidence-based research. 

 In this context, TSE’s Human Capital Center aims to: 

• Bring together and promote TSE’s scientific expertise in human capital economics
• Foster collaboration with partners around targeted research issues
• Structure and encourage researchers’ contributions to public policy debates 

 TSE draws on a recognized community of researchers specializing in the economics of education and labor markets. Established in 2025, the TSE Human Capital Center builds on TSE’s longstanding research in these fields and on methodological advances in empirical economics. Today, its researchers play an active role in public debates on education policy, the future of work, and inequality by providing scientific insights to policymakers and economic stakeholders.

Research areas 

Over the years, our researchers’ expertise in the field of human capital has grown and diversified. The five research areas presented below reflect the main fields of research in which they are engaged. 

Activities 

The human Capital Center promotes, showcases, and disseminates research conducted at TSE in the field of human capital through a range of scientific and outreach activities targeting both the academic community and decision-makers. 

• A dedicated resource hub : We provide a dedicated platform showcasing TSE’s activities in the field of human capital, featuring academic experts, research outputs, events, and news related to our research programs and collaborations.
• Events for researchers and decision-makers : We organize scientific events bringing together the academic community, as well as targeted events designed specifically for public and private decision-makers to shed light on human capital issues and their implications for public policy and business strategy.
• Knowledge dissemination and outreach activities : We develop a variety of formats to make research findings accessible to a broader audience. These activities include the publication of research reports, the distribution of thematic newsletters, and the production of podcasts and editorial content. 

The Human Capital Center brings together research projects focused on education and labor market issues that have been selected through publicly funded research programs. 

Publicly funded research projects 

European Research Council (ERC) Grants  

• Christian Hellwig, Designing the 21^st Century Welfare State
• Olivier De Groote, EDDYNCHOICE - Add in choice: optimizing students' dynamic and interdependent decisions, 2025-2030

Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) Grants

• Matteo Bobba, BRIDGEGAPS - Bridging the gaps in human capital, 2026-2031
• François Poinas, RECHC - Rendements de l'éducation : nouveaux challenges pour les modèles d'investissement en capital humain, 2021-2027

VIEW ALL GRANTS AND FUNDING

The TSE Human Capital Center highlights all research conducted at TSE in the field of human capital, with a particular focus on work that has a strong impact on economic stakeholders. Emerging from all of our research programs, this work draws on a wide range of disciplines, including economics, mathematics and statistics, as well as the social and behavioral sciences.

The TSE Human Capital Center supports the organization of conferences, workshops, and seminars throughout the year. These events contribute to the production and dissemination of research in the field human capital and are designed for a variety of audiences. While some are intended primarily for the academic community, others prioritize exchanges with professionals working in companies and public institutions 

Regular scientific events 

Annual Conference on Human Capital Economics 

Organized each year by the TSE Human Capital Center with the support of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), this annual conference brings together researchers and practitioners to discuss issues related to investment in human capital. It fosters exchanges on the determinants and consequences of education and labor market policies, covering topics such as school choice, employment policies, inequality, and the impact of artificial intelligence. 

Seminars 

Several seminar series organized at TSE contribute to the activities of the Center, including the Behavior, Institutions, and Development Seminar, the Industrial Organization Seminar, and the Econometrics and Empirical Economics Seminar. Some seminars within these series specifically address human capital-related topics such as education, labor markets, and inequality, helping to disseminate recent research and foster exchanges among researchers. 
See all seminars: 

• Behavior, Institutions, and Development
• Industrial Organization
• Econometrics and Empirical Economics

We would like to express our gratitude to the public institutions that support our researchers’ work in the field of human capital, particularly through major funding programs.