Economics: Our researchers, our ideas

Professor Nadine Riedel: Regional Economics

Nadine Riedel is Professor of Economic Policy and Regional Economics. Prior to Münster, she was a professor at the University of Bochum, the University of Hohenheim, and a researcher at Oxford University. Her current research interests include issues related to the effects of taxation and the provision of local public goods and services on firm behavior. She is a member of the scientific advisory board of the German Federal Ministry of Finance. Nadine Riedel teaches the courses "Economic Policy" and "Microeconometrics" in the Master of Economics.

Institute for Economic Policy and Regional Economics
Personal Website

Professor Martin Watzinger: Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Martin Watzinger is Professor of Innovation Economics and Entrepreneurship. Prior to his time in Münster, he had an temporary position as an academic councilor at the chair of Monika Schnitzer at LMU Munich. Visiting positions have taken him to Stanford, Harvard and Boston University. In his research, he investigates how we can increase innovation in Germany and worldwide, with a particular focus on science-based innovation. Martin Watzinger teaches the courses "Fundamentals of Economic Policy" and "Game Theory" in the Bachelor of Economics and "Regulatory Economics" in the Master of Economics.

Chair of Innovation Economics and Entrepreneurship
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Professor Johannes Becker: Taxation & Globalization

Johannes Becker is Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute of Public Finance. After completing his doctorate in Cologne, he conducted research at the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance in Munich. He is an International Research Fellow at the CBT in Oxford. His research interests include public finance in a world of globalized markets, tax competition, and the taxation of multinational corporations. Johannes Becker teaches the courses "General Taxation" in the Bachelor of Economics and "Microeconomics" and "International Public Economics" in the Master of Economics.

Institute of Public Economics l

Professor Markus Dertwinkel-Kalt: Behavioral and Digital Economics

Markus Dertwinkel-Kalt is professor of behavioral and digital economics. Before moving to Münster in 2022, he was Professor of Applied Microeconomics at the University of Konstanz and before that Junior Professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. In his research, he seeks to enhance our understanding of the impact of limited attention on economic decisions. Markus Dertwinkel-Kalt teaches, among others, the courses "Digital Economics" in the Master VWL and "Behaviorial Economics" in the Bachelor VWL.

Chair of Behavioral and Digital Economics
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Professor Gernot Sieg: Transport Economics

Gernot Sieg is professor of industrial economics, in particular infrastructure and transport economics, and director of the IVM (Institut für Verkehrswissenschaft Münster). Before joining WWU in 2013, he was a professor at TU Braunschweig and held teaching and research positions at the University of Southern California USC and the Free University of Bolzano. His current research interests include issues related to the organization and regulation of railroads, air travel, airports, and road transportation. He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport. Gernot Sieg teaches, among others, courses on "Transport and Infrastructure Economics" and "Competition and Regulation" in the Bachelor and Master Economics.

Institute for Transportation Economics

Professor Vitali Gretschko: Sustainable Market Design

Vitali Gretschko was appointed University Professor for Sustainable Market Design at the School of Business & Economics in 2023. His research focuses on market design, including the question of how incentives for the expansion of renewable energies can be designed. After studying mathematics at the University of Münster, Vitali Gretschko completed his doctorate in economics at the University of Cologne. Most recently, he was Professor of Market Design at the University of Mannheim and Head of the Market Design Research Department at the ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research. Vitali Gretschko teaches the courses "Environmental Economics" and "Energy Economics".

Chair of Sustainable Market Design
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Dr. Jörg Lingens: Energy and Climate Economics

Jörg Lingens is a substitute professor at the Chair of Microeconomics, esp. energy and resource economics. Before moving to the University of Münster in 2007, Jörg Lingens held a temporary position as an Academic Councilor at the University of Regensburg. His research focuses on the effects of market imperfections and ways to address them. Dr. Lingens teaches Industrial Economics, Energy Economics and Resource Economics in the Bachelor of Economics and Environmental Economics in the Master of Economics.

Chair of Sustainable Market Design

Professor Bernd Kempa: International Trade

Bernd Kempa is director of the Institute of International Economics. After receiving his PhD from the University of Toronto in 1995, he was Professor of Macroeconomics at the European University Frankfurt (Oder) before being appointed to the University of Münster in 2008. His research interests international macroeconomics and monetary policy. Bernd Kempa teaches, among others, the courses "Macroeconomics" as well as "International Macroeconomics" in the Bachelor and Master VWL.

Institute for International Economics

Professor Mark Trede: Econometrics

Mark Trede is Professor of Econometrics and Economic Statistics. Before being appointed to Münster in 2002, Mark Trede was a professor at the University of Magdeburg. His current research interests include data science, financial econometrics, and economic inequality. Mark Trede teaches, among others, the courses "Statistics", "Econometrics" and "Data Science" in the Bachelor and Master Economics.

Institute of Econometrics and Economic Statistics

Professor Bernd Wilfling: Empirical Economic Research & Financial Econometrics

Bernd Wilfling is Professor for Empirical Economic Research. Before coming to Münster in 2002, Bernd Wilfling conducted research at the Technical University of Dortmund and the University of Hamburg. His current research focuses on time series analysis, financial market econometrics, volatility modeling and forecasting, and the analysis of speculative asset price bubbles. Bernd Wilfling teaches, among others, the courses "Statistics" as well as "Financial Econometrics" in the Master VWL.

Institute for Empirical Economics

Professor Ulrich Pfister: Economic History

Ulrich Pfister has been Professor of Social and Economic History since 1996. His research interests relate to the course and drivers of long-run economic growth. In this context, his group also undertakes research on the economics of populations, the behavior of commodity prices, and the long-term evolution of labor markets. Ulrich Pfister and his group offer courses in the BSc and MSc elective modules on Quantitative Economic History.

Chair of Social and Economic History

Professor Thomas Apolte: Economic Policy Analysis

Thomas Apolte is Professor of Economics and holds the Chair of Economic Policy Analysis. Thomas Apolte has been a visiting scholar at Brigham Young University, George Mason University, West Virginia University, and Jagiellonian University in Krakow. His research interests are in public choice, political economy, and comparative economics, especially conflict economics and the economic theory of democracy and dictatorship. Thomas Apolte teaches "Macroeconomics" in the Bachelor and "Advanced Public Choice" in the Master of Economics.

Center for Interdisciplinary Economic Research

Professor Martin Bohl: Monetary Economics

Martin T. Bohl is professor of monetary economics. Before joining the University of Münster in 2006, he was a professor at the European University Frankfurt (Oder). Martin T. Bohl has been a visiting scholar, at universities in Canada, Spain and France. His research interests are in the areas of monetary theory and policy, especially central bank communication, and price formation processes of commodity futures markets. Martin Bohl teaches, among others, the courses "Microeconomics" as well as "Monetary Theory" and "Labor Economics" in the Bachelor and Master VWL.

Chair of Monetary Economics

Professor Christian Müller: Interdisciplinary Economic Research

Christian Müller is Professor of Economics and Economic Education at the Institute for Economic Education. Before his appointment to Münster in 2008, he completed his higher doctorate in economics in Duisburg-Essen and was a temporary professor for in social policy and social economics at the Ruhr University in Bochum. Müller has been a visiting scholar at the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis (Prof. Elinor Ostrom) at Indiana University Bloomington and at the Warsaw School of Economics, among others. He conducts research in the areas of economic education, public choice and constitutional political economy, and business and economic ethics. Christian Müller teaches, among others, courses "Microeconomics" and "Business and Economic Ethics" in the Bachelor as well as in the Master of Education.

Center for Interdisciplinary Economic Research