This course introduces students from diverse backgrounds to essential economic concepts and analytical tools, with a strong focus on public policy applications. While it often begins with real-world problems, it also equips students with the theoretical foundations needed to understand and engage with complex economic issues. Topics include market dynamics, government intervention, welfare, labour markets, household finance, and economic growth, providing a base for further study in economics.

This course explores the use of experiments to study human behaviour and inform decision-making in both academic and applied settings. Covering topics from individual choice and strategic interaction to field experiments with firms and governments, it examines the strengths and limitations of experiments as tools for causal inference and policy design. Students engage critically with the methodology, ethics, and real-world impact of experimental research.

I supervise students of the Hertie program, which is a three-year program for those who are interested in jumping straight into research with minimal course-work requirements. You will need to indicate two potential advisors when applying. Before indicating me as a potential advisor, please review my research and explain in your application how our research interests overlap.

I supervise students of the BSoE program, which is a four-to-five-year program for those who are interested in a more traditional Economics PhD with advanced course-work. For this program, stating your research interests is important, but I recommend that you keep an open mind in your application and indicate at least three potential advisors who you think could broadly fit your interests.

People sometimes reach out about visiting us in Berlin. I am open to hosting PhD students from other institutions. To streamline this process, please send me a brief email at least three months ahead of your intended visit indicating: our overlap in research interests (one paragraph), what is the main project you are currently working on, your CV, the contact information of your main advisor (whom I might contact), and the intended period of your visit. At Hertie, we can offer you office space and we may also be able to offer teaching assistant positions, depending on fit and availability.