Welcome to CORE !
The Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE) is an interdisciplinary research center of UCLouvain.
Founded in 1966 by Jacques Drèze, CORE is a globally renowned interdisciplinary research centre that brings together experts in operations research, economics, and econometrics.
CORE is a dynamic academic hub comprising more than 20 professors, 35 PhD students, and around ten postdoctoral researchers.
This structure fosters a vibrant and collaborative research environment, encouraging high-level interdisciplinary discussions and benefiting from an extensive international network and regular exchanges with visiting researchers.
CORE follows three objectives. The first one is the development of scientific research in the fields of economics, econometrics, operations research and quantitative and economic geography. The second objective is the training of young researchers at the doctoral and postdoctoral stages of their career. The third objective is the promotion of local and international scientific exchanges and collaborations.
The CORE celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
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16 October 2026From PhD to Professor: Quentin Lété’s journey in energy researchDiscover Quentin Lété’s journey from a PhD in Operations Research at UCLouvain to becoming an Assistant Professor at LIDAM, exploring electricity markets, mathematical optimization, and the value of international research experiences. -
16 October 2026Identity and Policy Design workshop 12 & 13/11/2026Economic decisions are often shaped by social identity, through norms, group membership, or self-image. The study of its implications for behavior is expanding to an increasingly broad set of groups and norms (e.g., gender, race, class, age, caste), and its normative implications are receiving growing attention. In this workshop, we aim to bring together researchers working on theory and empirics, on positive and normative questions alike, to inform better policy design. -
17 September 2026Optimization in the age of AIOur colleague, Yurii Nesterov, was recently awarded the prestigious Carl Friedrich Gauss Prize 2026. To celebrate this event, François Glineur and Geovani Grapiglia are organizing a scientific event entitled "Optimization in the age of AI” that will take place at UCLouvain (Euler building, room A.002) on Friday, October 2nd, from 14:00 to 18:30.
Upcoming CORE Events
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Identity and Policy Design workshop
12 & 13/11/2026 - Foyer Royal - Aula Magna
Please register via this form :Identity and Policy Design workshop
Economic decisions are often shaped by social identity, through norms, group membership, or self-image. The study of its implications for behavior is expanding to an increasingly broad set of groups and norms (e.g., gender, race, class, age, caste), and its normative implications are receiving growing attention. In this workshop, we aim to bring together researchers working on theory and empirics, on positive and normative questions alike, to inform better policy design.
Program
| Day 1, Thursday 12th November | |
| 12:30 | Arrival of participants and lunch |
| 13:45 | Welcome from conference organisers |
| 14:00 | Keynote - Nicola Gennaioli (Bocconi University) "Cognitive Economics" |
| 15:00 | Coffee break |
| 15:30 | Véronique Gille (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement and Université Paris-Dauphine) “Merit, Identity, and Redistribution: Experimental Evidence on Affirmative Action” |
| 16:15 | Suanna Oh (Paris School of Economics) "Absent but Not Idle: the Social Roots of Demand for Flexible Work" |
| 17:00 | Anujit Chakraborty (University of California, Davis) "Learning About Outgroups: The Impact of Broad Versus Deep Interactions" |
| 17:45 | End of day 1 conference |
| 19:00 | Conference dinner (upon invitation) |
| Day 2, Friday 13th November | |
| 08:30 | Welcome with coffee |
| 09:00 | Marc Fleurbaey (Paris School of Economics) "Markets, norms, and the crowding out of personal relationships" |
| 09:45 | Max Mueller (Toulouse School of Economics) "Under Parents' Watch: The Effect of Parental Observability on Educational Choices" |
| 10:30 | Poster presentations |
| 11:00 | Coffee break |
| 11:30 | Keynote - Marianne Bertrand (The University of Chicago Booth School of Business) "How does social identity shape economic behavior and policy?" |
| 12:30 | Poster session and walking lunch |
| 14:00 | Mohamed Saleh (The London School of Economics and Political Science) "Narrative Morphing: A Historical Political Economy Approach." |
| 14:45 | Karine Moukaddem (UCLouvain) "Media Narratives, Violence Against Women, and Women's Autonomy in Post-Uprising Egypt" |
| 15:30 | Coffee break |
| 16:00 | Yann Bramoullé ( Aix-Marseille University) “Axiomatic foundations of homophily measures with continuous characteristics” |
| 16:45 | Eve Colson-Sihra (The University of Edinburgh) "The Malleability of Gender Differentiation: Evidence from the Meat Gender Gap" |
| 17:30 | Closing drink |
| 18:15 | End of the conference |
LIDAM Econometrics Seminar - Philippe Goulet Coulombe
29/10/2026 - 12:45 - 14:00 - DOYEN 22
Philippe Goulet Coulombe
(Université du Québec)
will give a presentation on
Implied Factors: The Linear Skeleton of Machine Learning Forecasts
Abstract:
For interpretability, sparsity is key and linearity is preferable. Yet neither is common in machine-learning-based macroeconomic forecasting, where large predictor sets are fed into nonlinear, nonparametric models. We show that any supervised learning algorithm whose predictions are linear in the target variable—regardless of nonlinearities in the features—admits a linear-factor representation. We call the resulting components the model’s implied factors. Studying these factors provides a new route to uncover low-dimensional structure, even when the model was not built with such structure in mind. Empirically, two or three implied factors suffice to reproduce out-of-sample forecasts of U.S. GDP, inflation, and unemployment. Across models, the leading direction is common and these factors cluster into a few common signals, while higher-order factors differ by family, so cross-model differences are quantitative rather than conceptual. Used as conditioning controls in local projections, implied factors from a random forest deliver correctly signed inflation responses where standard PCA controls leave the price puzzle intact.
More information about the speaker
