Student's Profile

Name

Guillaume Cettou

Institution

Uni Lausanne

Town, Country

Massongex, Switzerland

Profile

My studies started in St-Maurice, Valais. At college, I choose economics and history as main and complementary options. Although it was at first an innocent choice, I quickly fell in love with those subjects. I discovered Milton Friedman, Friedrich von Hayek, Amartya Sen and then, I knew I wanted to study economics and become an economist.

When I got into HEC Lausanne, it was a good time to join associations. I am thus a member of HEC ESPACE ENTREPRISE, in charge of the STRATEGIS PRIZE. With the help of different CEOs, consultants and professors, we reward a young and innovative company with 50'000 sFr. -. This year, we have focused on technologies. Indeed, the next big challenges ahead of us will only be tackled with huge technological improvements. It must therefore be supported. I am also a member of the SWISS FOUNDATION for STUDIES, a member of the FACULTY COUNCIL of HEC LAUSANNE and a teaching assistant in math. I am currently a second year student at HEC Lausanne and intend to study international and monetary economics.

The WRF 09 will be a great opportunity for me to compare the expectations of different generations about the future of our earth. Indeed, last January, I attended a Forum on the Energy Challenge: The SWISS TALENT FORUM. Among 124 other international students, aged between 17 and 21, we tried to bring out new solutions and a new Weltanschauung. Enthusiastic, sometimes idealistic, our report was nonetheless an evidence of the growing need of the new generations for an evolution in our values and in our goals as a society.

During the WRF 09, I will be particularly interested to see how the economic tools such as taxes and subvention will be used to reach a list of realistic goals. I like Bernd Meyer’s quote: “Sustainability must pay off”. Furthermore, we do know that natural resources are scarce, but so are time, money and human capital. A cost-benefit analysis should then stay our main concern. I also hope this forum will not forget the mistakes of the CLUB OF ROME. Pessimism will not help us. Neither will over-optimism. Courage is in the middle and a cost-benefit analysis can help us to reach it.

Blogging is a totally new but much powerful tool for spreading ideas. As an economic student, I like to go on blogs such as Mankiw, Café Hayek or The Money Illusion. By the way, this blog will not be my first experience. With my fellow Joel Farronato, I already hold a blog about economic issues: The Cettoufarronato – Blog

History

Member for

27 weeks 2 days