(18 Mar) ThriveLab

No textbooks or lectures—just hands-on problem-solving

Last updated 30 July 2026

Event details

Date: 18 March 2026

Time: 10:00am – 3.00pm

Venue: Chinese Heritage Centre Level 2

Theme: Research and Interdisciplinarity

How do we build communities that bounce back from crisis and adapt to constant change?

From climate disruptions to social fragmentation, today's challenges demand more than good policies—they require understanding how people actually make decisions. Resilient societies aren't built on perfect plans; they're built on small, smart nudges that help individuals make better choices for themselves and their communities.

ThriveLab is a high-energy, half-day "nudgathon" where you'll apply behavioural economics and psychology to design real-world interventions. Working in teams, you'll tackle pressing issues—from encouraging sustainable habits to improving mental health support—creating evidence-based solutions that strengthen our collective capacity to thrive.

No textbooks or lectures—just hands-on problem-solving that shows you how academic insights translate into tangible impact. Whether you're exploring career paths in policy, social innovation, or simply want to make a difference, you'll leave with practical skills and a prototype ready for the real world.

Organisers

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Prof Nick Powdthavee

Nick is Professor of Economics at Nanyang Technological University and a Fellow of the Royal Economic Society specializing in behavioral economics and happiness research.

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Prof Yohanes Eko Riyanto

Yohanes Eko Riyanto is Professor of Economics and Chair of the School of Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University. His research uses controlled laboratory experiments to study how preferences, beliefs, behavioral biases, and institutions shape individual and group decision-making.

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Asst Prof Joshua Lanier

Josh is an Assistant Professor of Economics at NTU who works in the area of revealed preference theory and the study of consumer behavior. His work investigates how to perform welfare analysis with consumers who do not act as utility maximizers.

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Asst Prof Yeow Hwee Chua

Yeow Hwee Chua is Assistant Professor of Economics at NTU and Deputy Director of the Economic Growth Centre. His research examines how expectations and information frictions shape household financial decisions and macroeconomic outcomes.

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Asst Prof Lisa Walsh

Lisa Walsh is Assistant Professor of Psychology at NTU. Her research explores the who, what, where, when, why, and how of happiness. She investigates the architecture of subjective well-being, including its outcomes, predictors, mediators, moderators, and downstream consequences.

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Assoc Prof Bao Te

Bao Te is an Associate Professor in Social Sciences and Assistant Dean at NTU Singapore. His research focuses on behavioral finance, computational economics, and FinTech, with publications in leading journals including Management Science, Economic Journal, EER, and JEDC.

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Asst Prof He Tai-Sen

He Tai-Sen is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Nanyang Technological University. He uses experimental methods to study questions at the intersection of economics, finance, psychology, and linguistics, particularly how language influences economic decision-making.