Experiments, Ethics and Economics

The key goal of the DTU 3E is to bring together members of 5 research units in Luxembourg who conduct social science research using the experimental method (Luxembourg Institute of Socio Economic Research LISER; Integrative Research Unit on Social and Individual Development INSIDE; Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment COSA; Luxembourg School of Finance LSF; and Luxembourg Centre of Logistics LCL).
The aim of this new research consortium is to join forces across disciplines to embark in a comprehensive and innovative investigation of the interactions between economic decision making and ethics. This new research will include aspects of decision-making both within the household and in the workplace, and will explore the tension that often exists in these contexts between individual profit maximization and moral or ethical choices. We will use a variety of methods, all linked by the experimental approach, from behavioral economics experiments to computer science applications, to neuroscience techniques.
Our PhD students will be trained in this rich, multi-disciplinary environment and will learn to use scientific experiments in the social sciences from the perspective of economics, psychology, neuroscience and computer science, This training environment is virtually unique in Europe and will give our PhD students a strong competitive edge to become the research leaders of tomorrow.
The benefits of our consortium extend beyond its scientific merits and the potential for PhD training: the union of 5 prominent research units in Luxembourg will foster cross-institutional collaborations and will be a crucial step towards the establishment of a joint centre of excellence for the study of human behavior in Luxembourg.