Melis Kartal

Melis Kartal is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business. She holds a tenured position and focuses on Political Economy, Behavioral Economics, and Experimental Economics. Her research combines theoretical modeling with experimental methods to analyze issues such as voter behavior, misinformation dynamics, and institutional design.

Her academic contributions span topics including the welfare analysis of electoral systems, trust-building mechanisms, and the impact of transparency policies. Kartal has been awarded €250,000 from the OeNB Jubiläumsfonds for a project investigating cognitive and institutional determinants of belief in fake news. She actively contributes to the Competence Center for Experimental Research at WU Vienna.

Teaching responsibilities include Microeconomics courses at both bachelor and master levels, as well as supervising master’s theses. Kartal’s work bridges experimental methods with real-world policy questions, emphasizing the behavioral underpinnings of economic decisions in political and social contexts.