“I apply an engineer's mindset to a non-engineering discipline”

Michaël Aklin, an associate professor of economics and innovation management at EPFL, opens his course with a segment on the Neolithic Revolution. “That usually catches students off guard,” he says with a smile. “I want to show them that for millennia, society operated on the assumption that stability was the norm.” As he explains, it wasn’t until the mid-18th century that “the opposite became true – we now live in a world where change is the constant.”

Aklin, who holds the Chair of Policy and Sustainability (PASU), isn’t convinced that human beings are equipped to cope with such widespread change and all the attendant risks and uncertainties. “Technological progress was the engine of the Industrial Revolution,” he says. “Innovation has clearly brought unprecedented levels of well-being – but we’re slowly reaching the point where the machine is starting to sputter.”

For Aklin, fossil fuels are clear case in point. “We need to invent a brand-new model,” he explains. “Of course, that doesn’t mean we should give up on technology altogether. But we urgently need to focus on technology that improves well-being without harmful side effects.” This, he notes, is precisely where public policy comes into play. “Take electricity, for example. You can’t complete the energy transition by simply installing a few solar panels here and there. We need a full-fledged economic and political strategy – one that’s both coordinated and coherent.”

Working across disciplines

Where do tomorrow’s engineers, those currently studying at EPFL, fit into all of this? “There’s a clear link between technological innovation and economic development,” says Aklin. “But when technology has broader societal repercussions, then things get complicated. If people reject a technology, if policy doesn’t keep pace or if the economic model doesn’t work, then even the most promising innovation is doomed to fail.”

In the classroom, Aklin – who also co-directs the Enterprise for Society Center (E4S) – circles back to a central question: “What happens once technology leaves the ‘safe space’ of the laboratory?” It’s a question that matters to all EPFL students, which is why Aklin’s technology management classes are open to majors from across the School.

For me, it’s really important to help students become more intuitive thinkers who can reflect on the complex problems that might arise in the future

SimCity over Lego

Having such a broad student base suits Aklin well, because his own academic path has been anything but linear: during his own studies, he dabbled in economics, politics and international relations. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by how things work,” he says. But what sets him apart from his students today is the focus of that curiosity: “It wasn’t machines or structures that interested me, but groups of people.” As Aklin explains, he was more of a SimCity person than a Lego person.

Aklin’s interest in game theory, modeling and management were what eventually drew him to economics. “But even after I graduated from high school, I thought economics was basically just accounting and finance.” So he signed up for an undergraduate program at Geneva’s Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies – a course he says “suited him perfectly” because it was “very broad.” He went on to complete a Master’s degree in political economy at the University of Essex, followed by a PhD at the crossroads of economics and political science at New York University. For his thesis, he examined how carbon dioxide emissions spread internationally through global trade, taking an econometrics perspective.

Aklin’s interest in sustainability can be traced back to high school, when he started exploring topics like energy and climate change. “It wasn’t out of any activist impulse,” he notes. “Rather, that was during the era of Bush and oil-related conflict, and I wanted to understand whether and how sustainable technology could address major global challenges. Even back then, I was fascinated by solving problems that stretch over long timescales – sometimes across multiple generations.” Later, when working as a parliamentary assistant to an MP, he came to realize that “it was possible to combine theory with real-world application.”

From anxiety to enjoyment

When asked about his teaching skills, Aklin readily admits that he was “quite nervous about public speaking” throughout his time at university. That changed in 2015, when he joined the University of Pittsburgh as an assistant professor. Shying away was no longer an option: “I had to teach twice a week and field all kinds of questions.” As the semesters wore on, he grew more comfortable – and actually began to enjoy it. “To my surprise, I found myself setting small challenges, like regularly coming up with new ways to present material.”

In 2025, a full decade after teaching his first class, Aklin spent several weeks creating handbooks in econometrics and public policy for his students. “I owe them than much,” he says. “The energy they bring to class is amazing!”

Aklin’s teaching philosophy seems to be a big hit with students. “My classes hinge on two very different but complementary principles,” he explains. “First, I place a great deal of importance on developing theoretical and analytical skills. EPFL students are used to absorbing highly technical material, but they’re not always familiar with concepts like game theory and microeconomic models – ideas that sit at the intersection of mathematics and social science.”

The second principle, as Aklin explains, is about translating theory into practice: “We take theoretical concepts and apply them to case studies, identifying solutions to the problems posed. For instance, we look at how to design climate policies that effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Aklin also draws on examples closer to home, such as planning out a university campus and managing overcrowding on a beach.

Problem-solving classes

“For me, it’s really important to help students become more intuitive thinkers who can reflect on the complex problems that might arise in the future,” says Aklin. “What seems good for us as individuals might not necessarily serve the collective interest.”

“Ultimately, my classes are all about solving problems,” he adds. “I apply an engineer’s mindset – figuring out how systems of varying complexity work and how they can be improved – to a non-engineering discipline.”