The Societat Econòmica Barcelonesa d’Amics del País (The Barcelona Friends of the Country Economic Society, SEBAP) held its traditional ceremony for the SEBAP awards on Monday, 29 March, in the Saló de Cent of the Barcelona City Council. The act was presided over by the Hon. Mr Jaume Collboni, first deputy mayor of the Barcelona City Council, and by Mr Miquel Roca, president of SEBAP.

During the event, Amics del País awarded 13 mobility grants, each worth €4,200, to young researchers with the aim of promoting excellence in research and knowledge of our country. Three of the winners were doctoral students from the IEB: Ghizlen Ouasbaa, Marianna Magagnoli and Claudia Serra,

Ghizlen Ouasbaa investigates the role that different economic shocks play in shaping the local economy, in particular the effects of specialization in the construction and tourism sectors. From February to May 2022, she will visit the Université Paris-Saclay (RITM). There she will pursue her research into the study of the socioeconomic contribution of the tourism sector to local economies under the guidance of Professor Miren Lafourcade.

Marianna Magagnoli’s research focuses on the role that sustainable mobility plays in shaping the urban environment. In particular, she is currently studying the effect of bike lanes and traffic noise on house prices. Marianna will visit the University of Liverpool from September to November 2022, where her supervisor will be Prof. Daniel Arribas-Bel.

Clàudia Serra-Sala investigates the role of redistributive policies in counteracting income inequality, as well as the redistributive potential of renewable energy development. From April to June 2022 she will visit the Uppsala Center for Fiscal Studies (UCFS) at Uppsala University, under the tutorship of Professor Mikael Elinder. There she will focus on researching the local impact of wind farm development and the redistributive impact of decentralized fiscal designs.