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Interview with Marlon Azinovic
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Dr. Marlon Azinovic
UZH, Department of Finance: PhD in Banking and Finance (2016 to 2021)
UZH, Department of Economics: Postdoctoral Researcher (2021 to 2022)
Visiting Postdoc at the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Economics (2022 to 2024)
Starting in 2024: Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA
Read an excerpt of the interview below or download the full interview (PDF, 239 KB)
A: Coming from Physics, I thought it was amazing that I could first take classes before delving into research in a new field. When I saw the research done at UZH, by Felix Kübler and his PhD students and postdocs at that time, I knew that it would be very exciting for me to work on computational economics.
A: My girlfriend's studies in Banking and Finance at UZH sparked my interest. Additionally, I believe economics and finance are crucial for understanding and addressing global issues like inequality and climate change. The interdisciplinary nature of the field also appealed to me.
A: The first year was incredibly fun, and I made lifelong friends. A significant highlight was when Felix Kübler agreed to be my advisor. The most magical moment was when Luca, Simon, and I first started working on deep learning-based solution methods to compute equilibria in economic models and we quickly managed to so solve models, which were beyond what people could solve at that time.
A: My thesis, Essays in Computational Macro Finance, comprised three chapters. In the first, we used deep learning to compute equilibria. Computing an equilibrium in our setting means finding functions such that they fulfill a set of functional equations. The second chapter involved working on a model with various risks and trading technologies across households. The third chapter focused on the effect of uncertainty shocks on different age groups.
A: My PhD experience was crucial. I learned about economic models and research, and I was surrounded by brilliant and supportive people who helped me improve my research and prepare for the job market.
A: In my summer research paper, I used policy time iteration, which is closely related to the deep learning-based method that later became my first publication in economics. This project was the perfect starting point for delving into numerical methods for financial economics.
A: When I started my PhD, I was not even aware that aiming for an academic career was an option. I think economics is an amazing subject. We use tools from computer science, statistics, linear algebra and many more fields to find substantiated scientific answers to the most pressing questions. Being able to do this as a job is an absolute privilege, I could not envision a better job.
A: Each step was necessary for my development as an economist. I was fortunate to be surrounded by supportive and knowledgeable economists who helped improve my research and understanding of the field.
A: My research focuses on household heterogeneity and aggregate fluctuations. UNC Chapel Hill has researchers working on related topics, and I am excited to collaborate with them and explore new areas like deep learning and quantum computing.
A: Don't be scared if you can’t solve your model. Simplify if you can and don’t be shy to try ambitious projects or to talk to senior people for advice, since they can give you amazing advice. Don’t be scared if your paper is lacking. Every paper has weaknesses, and you are a better economist for knowing the weaknesses of yours. If you know how to address them in the future, even better. Also, remember to smile and look into the camera during interviews.
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