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What makes people happy, and what can organizations learn from it for their employees? In the summer semester 2026, eight international guests from economics, philosophy, theology, psychology, marketing, anthropology, and sociology explored this question with our students in Prof. Dr. Shashi Matta's course "The Science of Happiness." The course is open to Master's students and advanced Bachelor's students of WFI and KU.
How the course works
Over twelve weeks, every session has two parts. Prof. Matta first introduces a practical tool from happiness research, which students then try out in team exercises and in a personal reflection journal. After that, a guest takes over and shows how their discipline makes sense of happiness: economists measure it, philosophers ask what a good life is, psychologists look at habits, and anthropologists compare cultures.
This comparison is what makes the course special. Students see where the disciplines complement each other and where they disagree, and they learn to connect these perspectives.
Happiness experts from around the world
The course runs on Zoom, which means guests from Stockholm, Los Angeles, Austin, Singapore, Dallas, Cambridge, Boulder, and Washington can join live and answer students' questions directly. The online format gives students access to leading happiness researchers from all over the world, something a purely in-person course could hardly offer.
Our guests in the summer semester 2026
Prof. Erik Angner
Stockholm University, Sweden, Practical Philosophy and Economics
The Economics of Happiness
Prof. Christopher Kaczor
Loyola Marymount University, USA, Philosophy and Theology
Happiness, Philosophy and Faith
Prof. Raj Raghunathan
McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin, USA, Marketing
Career Success, Smarts, and Happiness
Prof. Jacinth Tan
Singapore Management University, Singapore, Psychology
Psychology of Income and Happiness
Prof. Angela Knobel
University of Dallas, USA, Philosophy and Ethics
Virtue Ethics, Morality, Happiness
Prof. Iza Kavedžija
University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, Medical Anthropology
Purpose, Ikigai and Happiness
Prof. Tim Wadsworth
University of Colorado Boulder, USA, Sociology
A Sociological Review of Happiness
Prof. Kostadin Kushlev
Georgetown University, USA, Psychology
A Psychological Review of Happiness
A heartfelt thank you to all our invited experts for their lectures and the lively discussions.
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