The Institute aims to advance the study of the behavioural dimensions of public policy with a focus on sustainable development.
Most of its research is conducted in close collaboration with social sciences, the humanities, and STEM, including multiple disciplines in management studies, as well as with practice partners outside of academia – both policymakers and corporate leaders. The approach is open and curious, making the best use of proven and promising new quantitative and qualitive research methods. As well as empirical studies such as lab experiments and surveys, conceptual research will advance methodology and theory within the field. There is also an interest in evidence synthesis and the use of social data science to help answer relevant questions.
The EEI draws on an established network of international collaborations and works closely with the Harvard Program on Behavioural Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School. It is hoped these established links and engagement with external audiences will strengthen the impact of research of Cambridge Judge Business School, and of contributing departments and faculties at the University of Cambridge.
Key audiences
Academics, researchers & students
Academics, researchers & students who are interested in:
- behavioural economics, psychology, behavioural sciences, management studies, data science
- engaging in behavioural research and solving policy problems
- working collaboratively across different disciplines, utilising solid methodological skills.
EEI aims to design and deliver high-quality academic work, published in prestigious international academic journals. Research will also be made available to external audiences:
- The wider public: through general media outlets.
- policymakers: seeking to inform evidence-based policymaking through publications, collaborating on papers, convening joint events.
- Business leaders and civil society organisations: advising on the application of behavioural insights.
Core areas of activity
- Examining the many factors that drive human decision making and its implications for economic policy.
- Taking a multi-disciplinary approach to research, working collaboratively across the University of Cambridge and internationally.
- Creating an intellectual hub where diverse voices are nurtured, and findings are disseminated globally.
Engagement
The Institute aspires to be a platform for practitioners, students, and academics, creating open corridors of exchange for knowledge, data, and casework. Colleagues from different subject groups at CJBS and the wider Cambridge environment are invited to join this platform, working together on research projects as well as in publications.
In addition to these opportunities, EEI’s existing links to international bodies offer an exciting opportunity for the exchange of data for research, work placements, career pathways for students, and access to real-world teaching cases.
Collaborations with leading behavioural research hubs include: Decision Lab at Harvard, as well as with major sustainable development centres such the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change in Berlin and the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam.
In both research and teaching, the EEI will engage with leading practice partners in behavioural insights and sustainability, such as:
- the UN Behavioural Science Group
- the British Behavioural Insights Team
- the WHO Behavioural Unit
- the Brussels Joint Research Center of the EU.
We welcome new partners and research ideas, just reach out to us.