Stone Center sets dates for 2026 Summer Institute

January 9, 2026
by Alexander Rony

The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Wealth and Income Inequality announced its plans for its 2026 Summer Institute. Each year, UC Berkeley’s prestigious institute organizes an intensive four-day program at UC Berkeley to introduce outstanding Ph.D. students from around the world to frontier research on economic inequality.

Participants attend small-group lectures and seminar presentations by UC Berkeley faculty and visiting professors addressing fundamental empirical and theoretical questions. They also have the opportunity to discuss their own research projects with leading researchers in their field.

“The Summer Institute was a truly enriching experience,” said Irene Brusini, a Ph.D. research scholar at the Norwegian School of Economics who attended in 2025. “It explored inequality from multiple angles within economics, perfectly balancing technical depth with big-picture policy insights. The professors shared not only their expertise but also their passion for the field, pointing us toward new research avenues both in class and in one-to-one meetings. I left with fresh ideas and a stronger network of peers from around the world.”

“I couldn’t recommend the Summer Institute more highly,” Brusini declared.

The Stone Center intends to recruit about 20 graduate students to attend this year’s Summer Institute, which will run July 6-9, 2026. Applications are open through January.

UC Berkeley provides attendees with meals and housing for the duration of the workshop. Students can also get reimbursed for transportation expenses of up to $1,000 for domestic travel and $1,500 for international travel.

The Stone Center is led by UC Berkeley economics professors Emmanuel Saez and Hilary Hoynes. Paris School of Economics professor and UC Berkeley summer research professor Gabriel Zucman directs the Summer Institute. Saez and Zucman have made international news and inspired legislation with their research on global wealth and taxation; Hoynes has published groundbreaking research on how childhood access to social safety nets affects their health and wealth later in life.

Saez and Zucman will deliver lectures at this year’s Summer Institute. Other lecturers include UC Berkeley’s Mathilde Muñoz as well as internationally recognized scholars Amory Gethin, Clara Martinez-Toledano, Claire Montialoux, Cristóbal Otero, David Seim, and Morten Støstad.

“It is wonderful to see the tremendous interest among Ph.D. students and young scholars globally for the study of inequality,” said Zucman. “There is an explosion of research in this field, and I look forward to learning more about the research projects of this new cohort of students, advising them on their work, and teaching them about the latest advances in the field.”

The Summer Institute is a unique opportunity for students to learn from the best experts on inequality worldwide, workshop their research ideas with experts and peers, and forge lasting academic connections. While the program is geared toward beginning Ph.D. students in economics, doctoral candidates at all levels can apply. 

Mark Sheppard attended the last institute in June 2025 alongside 22 other graduate students. Over three summers, 75 students have participated in the program. 

“UC Berkeley’s Stone Center has some of the deepest thinkers who are committed to real solutions on the biggest problems,” said Sheppard, a Ph.D. candidate at the City University of New York. “The Summer Institute not only accelerated my research but also has opened many doors and challenged me to ask more ambitious research questions and pursue more concrete solutions.”

A large group of people stand on a staircase smiling at the camera
ATTENDEES AND PRESENTERS AT THE STONE CENTER'S 2025 SUMMER INSTITUTE
I couldn’t recommend the Summer Institute more highly.
Irene Brusini
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A woman with shoulder-length hair and a man with a beard and scarf
IRENE BRUSINI (LEFT) AND MARK SHEPPARD (RIGHT)

While in the program, Sheppard shared his work with Saez. Zucman connected him with the EU Tax Observatory. Another researcher offered to review Sheppard’s paper. Sheppard has since teamed up with presenter Morten Støstad of the Norwegian School of Economics on a billionaire wealth tax project. 

“Beyond the faculty connections and the time with like-minded students, simply being seen by scholars that I admire was deeply validating,” said Sheppard. “It sharpened my agenda and pushed me to engage more broadly. The Summer Institute’s blend of rigorous empirics and policy focus gave me concrete methods and the confidence to pursue work with real-world impact.”

“The experience at the Summer Institute will not just accelerate and expand your research agenda but implicitly challenge young scholars to be much more front-of-mind about how to potentially fix these problems,” concluded Sheppard.

To learn more about the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center on Wealth and Income Inequality and its Summer Institute program, visit ls.berkeley.edu/UC-Berkeley-Stone-Center.

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