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Meet Our Alumni: Emiliya Lazarova

17 June, 2025

In our latest 'Meet Our Alumni' interview, we speak with Emliya Lazarova, Head of School and Professor of Economics at the University of East Anglia. 

Emliya shares how her academic journey—from her early days at CERGE-EI to leading an economics department in the UK—has shaped her research, leadership, and advocacy for inclusion in the field of economics. She reflects on the role CERGE-EI played in developing her as an economist, combining game theory, economic theory, and applied work on pressing social issues like migration, governance, and labor market discrimination. Emliya also opens up about balancing leadership with research, and how initiatives like “Active Bystander” training can help transform academic culture.

“The peer-to-peer learning in the library and late nights in the computer lab are among the fondest memories I have from my time at CERGE-EI. I try to create a similar environment in my own School of Economics today.”

Emliya offers advice for young economists—especially women—on visibility, confidence, and breaking stereotypes in a field still grappling with underrepresentation. She reminds us that as the data-driven world continues to expand, economics is more powerful and essential than ever.

“The profession needs better representation to ensure we attract the best talent and provide sound, unbiased analysis that fully reflects the society in which we operate.”

Read the full interview on our blog: Meet Our Alumni: Building Inclusive Economics