29/05/2026
On 28 May 2026, Nobel laureate Professor Philippe Aghion received an honorary doctorate from Charles University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to modern economics, particularly to the study of growth, innovation, competition, institutions, and creative destruction.
Later the same day, Professor Aghion joined us at CERGE-EI for a public lecture titled The Power of Creative Destruction: Rethinking Capitalism, held as part of our Distinguished Speakers Series and 35th anniversary celebrations.
In his lecture, he discussed how innovation drives long-term economic growth, while also addressing key challenges linked to artificial intelligence, inequality, market concentration, education, and public policy.
Professor Aghion emphasized that artificial intelligence has enormous growth potential, but that realizing this potential depends on competition, education, and public policies, such as Denmark’s flexicurity model, that help societies adapt. He identified the lack of competition as one of the greatest risks associated with AI.
As one way to support innovation in Europe, which is falling behind the United States in this area, he underlined the need for long-term financial support for basic research.
We were honored to welcome Professor Aghion, a member of the CERGE-EI Executive and Supervisory Committee, and to celebrate his long-standing connection to our institution.
