Jaan Masso is an Associate Professor at the University of Tartu, Estonia, where he has been affiliated with the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration since at least 2001. He currently serves as Chair of the department, Head of the Chair of Economic Modelling, and Programme Manager of the Master's programme in Quantitative Economics. His research focuses on applied econometrics, economic development, foreign direct investment, and labor economics, with particular emphasis on Estonia and the Baltic region as catching-up economies. He has published 146 scholarly works with over 23,000 reads and 1,745 citations, demonstrating significant scholarly impact in his field. Masso's research interests span multiple interconnected areas including foreign direct investment effects , productivity analysis , gender wage gap studies , innovation economics , and labor market dynamics . His work often employs rigorous econometric methods to analyze firm-level and regional economic data, particularly from Estonia and other Baltic states. His recent publications (2023-2025) show consistent scholarly productivity across multiple journals, with particular focus on foreign ownership effects, gender pay gaps in academia, FinTech sector development, and innovative methods for measuring firm innovativeness through web data analysis. His scientific contributions demonstrate expertise in analyzing economic transitions in small open economies, with methodological strengths in econometric analysis of firm-level data and innovative approaches to measuring economic phenomena.
Matthias Parey is a Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Surrey. He holds additional roles as a Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) and the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), a Researcher at the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change (MiSoC), and a Research Associate at ZEW. His research spans Labour economics Economics of education Micro-econometrics Inequality Economics of innovation . His recent publications analyze high-skilled migration selection, trade shocks, cannabis market size estimation, and gasoline demand elasticity. He has contributed to journals like Review of Economics and Statistics , Economica , and Journal of the European Economic Association . Scientific awards include fellowships at IFS and IZA. His work on trade shocks examines gender-specific labor supply responses to Chinese import competition, while his cannabis market research introduces a forensic economics approach using legal inputs. Earlier studies focus on maternal education impacts on child development and the long-term labor market effects of Erasmus student exchanges.
Professor Rainer Sauerborn serves as Director of the Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health at Heidelberg University Hospital, a position he has held since 1997. With a background in pediatrics and public health, his work focuses on health systems in developing countries, particularly Burkina Faso, where he began his field work in 1979. He is an active member of the Network Aging Research since 2007, bringing a global perspective to aging research. Dr. Sauerborn completed his pediatric training at the Universities of Bonn, Heidelberg, and London, followed by further studies at the Harvard School of Public Health. His academic journey began with hands-on experience as a District Medical Officer in Nouna, Burkina Faso, where he served for three years in 1979 as a conscientious objector. This early experience shaped his lifelong commitment to global health issues in resource-limited settings. Professor Sauerborn's research spans multiple critical areas at the intersection of global health and environmental challenges. He investigates health systems in developing countries, with particular focus on aging processes in populations traditionally considered young. His work increasingly addresses climate change impacts on health, examining how environmental changes affect disease patterns, food security, and healthcare systems in vulnerable regions. He has pioneered research connecting climate variability with health outcomes in Burkina Faso and other developing nations, emphasizing the need for global cooperation on health threats that transcend borders. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on climate-health interlinkages, particularly examining heat exposure impacts on farmers, migration dynamics related to climate-driven crop failures, and healthcare system responses to climate challenges. The research demonstrates consistent attention to Burkina Faso as a key field site while expanding to other regions including Bangladesh, Brazil, and Germany. A unifying theme across these studies is the examination of vulnerable populations and health system adaptation to environmental changes. Though specific awards aren't detailed in the available information, Professor Sauerborn's leadership in global health research, particularly his long-term commitment to Burkina Faso and his role in bridging pediatric and aging research perspectives, represents significant contributions to the field. His work has influenced understanding of health systems in resource-limited settings and the global dimensions of health challenges. While specific advising information isn't provided, Professor Sauerborn's leadership position suggests he mentors junior researchers and students. His involvement in projects like the EU-funded "health system challenges of the AIDS epidemic" indicates experience with substantial research grants. His work with the Network Aging Research and his efforts to establish a junior research group focused on aging in developing countries demonstrate his commitment to building research capacity. Professor Sauerborn leads research activities centered at Heidelberg University Hospital's Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health, with extensive field operations in Burkina Faso, particularly in the Nouna region. His team collaborates with local health authorities and researchers to study health systems, climate change impacts, and aging processes in resource-limited settings. The department serves as a hub for international research collaborations addressing global health challenges through a multidisciplinary approach.
Michael Haliassos is Professor and Chair for Macroeconomics and Finance at Goethe University Frankfurt since 2004. He serves as Research Fellow at CEPR, Founding Director of the CEPR Network on Household Finance, and International Research Fellow at NETSPAR. His expertise in household finance, consumer behavior, and financial literacy has made him a key advisor to the European Central Bank since 2006. Education: B.A. from Cambridge University; Ph.D. from Yale University (1987) under Nobel Laureates James Tobin and William Nordhaus Academic Leadership: Former Director of Center for Financial Studies (2010-2015), Founding Director of SAFE (2013-2015), and Director of Master Program in Money, Macro, and Finance Haliassos is among the early contributors to household finance, with a research focus on portfolio choice under labor income risk, stockholding behavior, consumer debt dynamics, wealth distribution, financial advice efficacy, and social interaction effects on financial decisions. His work spans over two decades of publications in top journals like Review of Financial Studies and Economic Journal. His recent research trends emphasize social externalities in financial literacy, cultural influences on financial behavior, and wealth inequality propagation mechanisms. Key scientific contributions include: 2021 Hillcrest Prize for Behavioral Finance Founding Director of CEPR Network on Household Finance Editorial roles in MIT Press and Cambridge University Press book projects Policy advisory roles including Greek National Council on Research and Technology (2010-2013) Advisory network includes Dr. Johannes Zahner (Post-doctoral Fellow), Eleftherios Bethmage (PhD student), and Jean de Oliveira (PhD student). He has significantly contributed to curriculum development, including the Master's Program in Money and Finance at Goethe University.
Dr. Beate Weidner is a researcher and curator at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty of Humanities, Institute of German Studies. She maintains an active research profile with numerous publications and leads significant projects focused on spoken German and language education. Her office is located at Universitätsstraße 2, Room R11 T05 C46, 45141 Essen, with consultation hours by appointment. Dr. Weidner's research interests center on spoken German, interactional linguistics, conversation analysis, and their applications to German as a Foreign Language (DaF) and German as a Second Language (DaZ) teaching. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with practical language pedagogy, focusing on how authentic spoken language can be incorporated into language instruction. She investigates multimodal communication in media contexts, particularly in television formats like cooking shows, and explores pluricentric approaches to teaching German varieties from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Her recent publications (2021-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on authentic spoken language data and its didactic applications, with particular attention to communicative practices, interactional consolidations, and the integration of spoken language research into language teaching. She frequently collaborates with colleagues like Susanne Günthner, Wolfgang Imo, and Katharina König on edited volumes and research projects. Dr. Weidner co-leads the MIWF project "Platform Spoken German – authentic everyday interactions for research and practice in the field of DaF and DaZ," which develops teaching materials based on authentic spoken German interactions. This project addresses a significant gap in language teaching materials, which traditionally focus on written German norms rather than authentic spoken usage. The project creates accessible teaching units based on video recordings of native speakers, transcribed using conversation analysis methods. She has taught numerous courses including "Empirical Methods in Interactional Linguistics," "Mass media communication," and "Grammar in Interaction," demonstrating her commitment to training future language educators in interactional linguistics approaches. Her teaching portfolio reflects her research interests in spoken language, media communication, and the practical application of linguistic theory to language instruction.
Prof. Alexandra Scacco is a Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Hamburg and Vice Director of the Institutions and Political Inequality unit at the WZB Social Science Research Center in Berlin. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University and previously served as an Assistant Professor at New York University. Her research examines individual decision-making under extreme risk, such as participation in communal violence, irregular migration, and intergroup trust in conflict zones. She employs observational and experimental methods in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, with a focus on improving field-based measurement and knowledge aggregation in social science. Scacco's methodological contributions include pioneering work on digit-based fraud detection and addressing aggregation challenges in development research. Her book Anatomy of a Riot (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming) analyzes the drivers of ethnic violence in Nigeria. She has conducted fieldwork in Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, and leads ongoing projects in Israel and Lebanon. Her research outputs span political violence, migration, prejudice reduction, and pandemic impacts in low-resource settings. Current projects include intergroup contact interventions, digital inequality in Kenya, and modeling pandemic outcomes. She has collaborated with institutions like the World Bank and global research teams through platforms like PLOS Medicine and Nature.
Mats Fridlund is a historian of science, technology, and industrialization currently affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) in Berlin. He holds professorial positions established as the first in their fields in Denmark and Finland, reflecting his pioneering contributions to the history of technology and industrialization. His research focuses on the cultural and political dimensions of technology, materiality, and industrialization. Key areas include: Historical evolution of electric power technologies and state-industry collaboration The role of material artifacts in the emergence and globalization of terrorism since the 19th century Digital humanities and semi-automatic methods in historical research The conceptualization of technology-in-use through artifact-centered analysis His recent work centers on the book project The Uses and Abuses of Things , which develops historical frameworks for understanding how technologies are used and misused in societal contexts. His publications and presentations reflect a strong interdisciplinary approach combining history, material culture studies, and digital methodologies. Notable contributions include: "Bollards, Buckets and Bombs" (2011) "Affording Terrorism" (2012) Leadership in institutionalizing digital humanities in Nordic countries Kone Foundation-funded research projects on digital history in Finland Fridlund has held academic positions at leading institutions globally, including MIT, Imperial College London, University of Manchester, and Aalto University. He has taught graduate courses on industrial change and the role of science and media in global terrorism. His methodological innovations in digital history, particularly "Digital History 1.5," emphasize semi-automatic and hybrid research practices bridging traditional and computational approaches. He has been active in organizing and presenting at international workshops and conferences, with recent engagements in Helsinki, Beijing, and Turku, focusing on digital history, materiality, and cross-cultural technological representations.
Chris Roth is a Professor of Economics and Management at the University of Cologne, where he leads research at the intersection of psychology, economics, and political economy. He serves as Co-Editor of the Journal of the European Economic Association and holds a prestigious ERC Starting Grant for his project 'VIRAL Narratives,' which examines how economic narratives spread and influence beliefs through large-scale experiments combining qualitative and quantitative methods. His research focuses on three primary domains: Psychology and Economics (studying cognitive biases in decision-making), Political Economy (analyzing activism and policy perceptions), and Macro-expectations (investigating how households and firms form economic beliefs). His work employs innovative field experiments and survey methodologies to explore real-world behaviors. Recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate strong trends in narrative economics, expectation formation, and political behavior research. Key themes include: 1) How stories and statistics shape memory and beliefs, 2) Field experiments in labor/housing markets, 3) Information processing in policy contexts, and 4) Behavioral drivers of political activism. Over 80% of recent articles use experimental methods across 15+ countries. Scientific Awards: ERC Starting Grant: VIRAL (101160770) - European Research Council (2021-present) He leads the ERC-funded 'VIRAL Narratives' project and has developed open resources for researchers including doctoral course materials, experimental design guides, and methodological frameworks. No student advising details or lab information is provided in available texts.
Professor Frank Melzner is a leading marine ecologist and group leader of the Ecophysiology Working Group at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. His research focuses on understanding how marine invertebrates respond physiologically to changing environmental conditions, particularly ocean acidification, warming, and deoxygenation. He is affiliated with the Department of Marine Ecology, specifically within Department 3, Research Unit 'Experimental Ecology - Benthic Ecology' at GEOMAR. His research interests span multiple dimensions of marine physiological ecology: Marine invertebrate zoology & environmental physiology Acid-base regulation in marine organisms Biomineralization processes in calcifying organisms Physiological adaptations to changing ocean conditions Interactions between abiotic stressors and marine food webs Winter warming impacts on marine ecosystems Professor Melzner's extensive publication record demonstrates a strong focus on understanding how marine organisms, particularly bivalves and echinoderms, respond to multiple stressors in a changing ocean. His work combines laboratory experiments with field observations to assess both short-term physiological responses and potential for long-term adaptation. A significant portion of his research examines how ocean acidification affects calcification processes, with particular attention to the underlying cellular mechanisms. His recent work has increasingly focused on the interactive effects of multiple stressors, including temperature, CO 2 , and salinity, with a special emphasis on Baltic Sea ecosystems where these factors interact in unique ways. Professor Melzner leads a productive research group that includes postdocs, PhD students, and technical staff. His laboratory at GEOMAR's Kiel facility conducts innovative experiments using the Kiel Outdoor Benthocosms (KOBs) and other advanced experimental systems to simulate future ocean conditions. This outdoor mesocosm facility has enabled groundbreaking research on winter warming effects that would be difficult to conduct in traditional laboratory settings. His mentoring record shows strong commitment to student development, with numerous successful M.Sc. and Ph.D. students who have gone on to pursue academic and research careers at institutions worldwide. His collaborative approach is evident in his extensive co-authorship network spanning multiple countries and disciplines.
Till Requate is Professor for Innovation, Competition and New Institutional Economics at Kiel University's Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Sciences since 2002, following his professorship in Environmental Economics at Heidelberg University (1996-2002). He served as Associate Dean for Study Programs (2004-2010) and Dean of the Faculty (2016-2020), and currently co-edits the Berkeley Electronic Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy while serving on Germany's Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation since 2020. His academic background includes: Graduation in Mathematics and Philosophy from Bielefeld University (1985) Ph.D. in Economics with thesis on game theory and industrial organization (1989) Habilitation (1994) Requate's research centers on environmental economics, competition policy, and experimental economics, with significant contributions to climate policy design, emissions trading systems, and market mechanisms. His work bridges theoretical modeling and experimental validation, particularly examining institutional frameworks for environmental regulation and innovation. The experimental laboratory at Kiel University supports his empirical investigations into strategic behavior and policy effectiveness. His publication record (2014-2021) reveals strong interdisciplinary trends, connecting environmental economics with public health (pandemic response), energy systems (renewable integration), and behavioral insights (labor market reciprocity). Key thematic clusters include climate policy innovation (Flexcap mechanism, stranded assets), regulatory design (Montero mechanism), and market structure analysis (Cournot competition, emission permit markets), demonstrating consistent application of experimental methods to real-world policy challenges. Major recognitions include: von-Bennigsen-Foerder-Preis (1990) Eric-Kempe Prize from EAERE (2004) German Association of Health Economics Best Paper Award (2012) As former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management (2013-2018) and current BEJEAP Co-Editor, Requate shapes scholarly discourse while applying expertise through consultancy for the World Bank, OECD, German Federal Ministry of Research, and Danish Ministry for Agriculture. His leadership extends to directing Kiel's Experimental Laboratory and influencing national climate policy through the EFI Commission. Requate maintains active research collaborations through Kiel University's Experimental Laboratory, focusing on behavioral responses to environmental regulations and market design experiments that inform real-world policy implementation across European and international contexts.
Smajil Halilovic is a Researcher at the Chair of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems at the Technical University of Munich . His work focuses on energy systems modeling and optimization, particularly for geothermal and renewable energy integration. Current projects include Geo.KW , a coupled hydrothermal and infrastructure model for urban-scale geothermal use Research emphasizes optimization techniques for groundwater heat pump systems Key contributions in PDE-constrained optimization and thermal resource assessment Halilovic has published extensively in Renewable Energy and Energy Conversion and Management , with recent work on spatial optimization of geothermal systems and urban heat planning. His collaborations with Prof. Thomas Hamacher and Kai Zosseder highlight his role in advancing sustainable energy infrastructure. He teaches Mathematical Modeling of Complex Systems in the Energy Field and contributes to interdisciplinary projects like the Interdisciplinary project internship: Concept development of a renewable energy system in a developing country . His publications demonstrate expertise in geothermal integration, optimization algorithms, and urban energy modeling.
Markus Schartau is a Researcher in the Biogeochemical Modelling Research Unit at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, where he has worked since 2013. His research focuses on marine biogeochemical modeling, plankton dynamics, and parameter optimization in ecosystem models. With over 69 publications spanning two decades, Schartau has established himself as a leading expert in marine biogeochemical modeling, particularly in the areas of model calibration, mesocosm experiment simulation, and plankton community dynamics. His research interests encompass uncertainty and trustworthiness of biogeochemical model results, species composition and size frequency structures of plankton, methods of parameter optimization and model selection, simulations of mesocosm experiments, physiological and ecological variations of plankton, and temporal and spatial variations of organic substances in coastal ocean areas and estuaries. Schartau's work often bridges theoretical modeling with experimental observations to improve our understanding of marine biogeochemical processes. The analysis of his recent publications (2020-2024) reveals a strong focus on marine biogeochemical modeling, with particular emphasis on plankton dynamics, carbon cycling, and the impacts of environmental change. His work spans multiple spatial scales from coastal systems to the global ocean and integrates approaches from data science, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem modeling. Key themes include model calibration techniques, mesocosm experiment analysis, marine particle dynamics, and the effects of ocean acidification on biogeochemical processes. Schartau actively participates in major research projects including OceanNETs (EU project), BASS (funded by DFG), ICEBERG (EU project), and μARC (funded by BMBF), demonstrating his integration into the international marine science community. His collaborative approach is evident in his extensive co-authorship network across multiple institutions and countries. His career trajectory shows progression from postdoctoral positions at Stony Brook University and the Alfred Wegener Institute to permanent research scientist roles at Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (now HEREON) and finally at GEOMAR. This path reflects his growing expertise and recognition in the field of marine biogeochemical modeling.
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Leuze holds a W3 professorship for Methods of Empirical Social Research and Social Structure Analysis at Friedrich Schiller University Jena's Institute of Sociology since April 2017. Previously, she served as Professor of Sociology of Education at Leibniz University Hannover (2012-2017) and Junior Professor of Educational Sociology at Free University Berlin (2009-2012). She obtained her doctorate in Social Sciences from the University of Bremen in 2007 with a dissertation comparing graduate career trajectories in Germany and Britain. Research Focus Her research examines sociological inequalities through multiple lenses: Labor market dynamics and occupational structures Wealth distribution and property disparities Gender inequalities in education and employment International comparative studies of social systems Higher education outcomes and policy impacts Academic Leadership Head of the 'Social Inequality and Social Structure Analysis' section at the German Sociological Association Former head of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) project group on Vocational Training (2008-2012) Principal investigator in multiple DFG-funded projects on education policy and labor markets Publication Focus Her recent publications predominantly analyze gender disparities in STEM fields, labor market segmentation, and educational pathways using quantitative methods. Key themes include occupational gender segregation, wage gap mechanisms, and cross-national comparisons of institutional impacts on inequality.
Professor Knut Henkel is a Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, affiliated with the School of Economics and the Department of Accounting . He specializes in financial accounting, corporate taxation, and sustainability reporting. His responsibilities include teaching and research in areas such as financial reporting under HGB and IFRS standards, banking regulation, and European accounting frameworks. He has organized the online seminar series "Nachhaltigkeit - EU Green Deal" from 2021 to 2023, addressing the EU Green Deal's impact on business and regional development. His research interests focus on Financial reporting methodologies Transition to IFRS 9 standards Sustainability reporting frameworks (EFRAG/ESRS, ISSB) Crisis management in accounting practices (e.g., pandemic effects) Comparative analyses of financial reporting across countries Public sector accounting under IPSAS His work bridges theoretical and practical aspects of international financial standards and their implementation in diverse sectors. Recent publications highlight trends in Adoption and impact of IFRS 9 Crisis-driven adjustments in financial reporting EU Green Deal compliance strategies Banking sector accounting challenges Cross-country comparisons in financial regulation These studies emphasize the evolving demands of global and European accounting standards. No scientific awards were explicitly mentioned in the provided information. However, his contributions to teaching include pioneering the use of apps for active learning in accounting education, as documented in his 2018 publication. Professor Henkel has supervised numerous bachelor's and master's theses since 2017, fostering academic research in his field. While specific student names are not listed here, his thesis portal provides accessible summaries of these academic works. He actively engages in academic discourse through his website ( www.knuthenkel.de ) and LinkedIn profile, maintaining a visible presence in both research and professional circles. His organizational activities include the "Nachhaltigkeit - EU Green Deal" seminar series, which serves as a platform for discussing sustainability challenges and EU policy implications. This initiative underscores his commitment to bridging academic research with real-world applications in regional and corporate development.
Enrique Acosta is a demographer and Ramón y Cajal Fellow Research Scientist at the Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics (CED) in Barcelona, Spain, and a Guest Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) in Rostock, Germany. He is affiliated with the Laboratory of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being at MPIDR and has been a member of the Technical Advisory Group of the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME-TAG) since March 2023. Dr. Acosta specializes in analyzing mortality trends, epidemic and pandemic mortality, cohort and generational influences on mortality, and the drivers of behaviorally-driven causes of death. Methodologically, he has developed new techniques to study Age, Period, and Cohort (APC) effects on mortality and is an expert in measuring excess mortality. His research demonstrates sophisticated methodological approaches to demographic analysis, with particular emphasis on pandemic mortality measurement and international comparisons. His current research portfolio shows a strong focus on several key areas: demographic analysis of pandemic mortality (particularly related to COVID-19), international comparisons of mortality patterns, cohort-specific mortality trends (especially among baby boomers), and the development of methodological approaches for measuring and understanding mortality dynamics. His publications span high-impact journals including Nature, Science Advances, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Ramón y Cajal Fellowship Dr. Acosta collaborates extensively with researchers across institutions and countries, as evidenced by his numerous co-authored publications. His work often involves large-scale demographic datasets and sophisticated statistical methods to address important population health questions. He maintains an active presence in the research community through platforms like GitHub (under the username kikeacosta), where he shares code and data related to his research projects. His research bridges the fields of demography, epidemiology, and public health, contributing valuable insights into how demographic factors influence health outcomes and how health trends evolve over time across different populations. Dr. Acosta's methodological innovations have provided researchers and policymakers with important tools for understanding and addressing population health challenges, particularly in the context of pandemics and other public health emergencies.
