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Congratulations to Sebastian Ottinger on receiving the 2025 Otto Wichterle Prize

16 June, 2025

The Czech Academy of Sciences awards the prize annually to exceptional young scientists under the age of 35 who have demonstrated outstanding research achievements.

Sebastian Ottinger, Assistant Professor at CERGE-IE, specializes in political economy, economic history, and urban economics. His work combines rigorous empirical methods with innovative questions at the intersection of economic history, political economy, and development. His published research includes studies on the impact of propaganda, racial discrimination and innovation, and the origins of the French Revolution.

Listen to the Talking Economics’ episode in which Sebastian Ottinger looks back to European history, and from the perspective of political economy, discuses its relevance for institutional change in today’s China or Russia.

This year, two dozen promising researchers were honored with the Otto Wichterle Prize. The awards were presented by Radomír Pánek, President of the Czech Academy of Sciences, who emphasized the importance of supporting early-career scientists:

"Talented young scientists need more support at the start of their scientific careers. Many of those who were awarded the Wichterle Prize by the Academy of Sciences ten or twelve years ago are now at the top of their field. Even today's laureates are the future of Czech science."

The award is named after Professor Otto Wichterle, a world-renowned Czech chemist and former President of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, best known for inventing soft contact lenses.

Once again, congratulations to Sebastian on this well-deserved recognition!