Chair

Chairman's Message

Dear Members of the Verein für Socialpolitik,

Since January, I have taken over the chairmanship of the Verein from Regina T. Riphahn. I would like to sincerely thank her – as well as the entire executive board – for their outstanding dedication over the past years. I would particularly like to highlight her commitment to the issue of research data. A commission established by the Verein under her leadership has been actively involved in the debate surrounding the planned Research Data Act. Much has already been achieved in this regard. Although the law could not be passed by the previous federal government, the topic remains of central importance to us. The commission, under Regina T. Riphahn’s continued leadership, will therefore carry on its work until at least the end of 2026 – with the aim of helping to shape a law that is as research-friendly as possible. I wish her and the entire team continued success in this important endeavor!

During my term, I would like to focus on the topic of Open Science. Open Science stands for an open, transparent, and reproducible approach to research. It particularly includes:

  • Open Access: Research findings should be freely accessible to everyone, without paywalls.

  • Open Data: Wherever possible, research data should be made publicly available to foster reproducibility and reuse.

  • Open Source: Disclosing software, source code, and analysis scripts promotes transparency and enhances the quality of scientific work.

A major step in this direction has already been taken: Since January 2025, our two journals – German Economic Review and Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik – have been published as open-access journals. Our goal remains to continuously strengthen the quality and visibility of these journals while ensuring permanent free access. You can find more information about our activities in this area in the “Open Science” section below.

A highlight of the association’s calendar will be the 2025 Annual Conference in Cologne. The core conference will focus on the highly topical issue of industrial policy. Achim Wambach has put together an exciting program. The open part of the conference will feature selected current research contributions on a wide range of topics, along with panels, workshops, and a vibrant social program organized by Felix Bierbrauer and his team. I very much hope to welcome many of you there – and I look forward to engaging in personal exchange.

With warm regards,

Klaus M. Schmidt
Chair of the Verein für Socialpolitik

Standing Fields

VfS Standing Field Committees

The chairs of several VfS Standing Field Committees have changed in the last six months. The new chairs are

  • Organisational Economics: Anja Schöttner 
  • Evolutionary Economics: Claudia Werker 
  • Accounting: Rainer Niemann 
  • Economics of Education: C. Katharina Spieß 
  • Labour and Population Economics: Marie Paul 
  • Economics and Ethics: Bernhard Neumärker 
  • Industrial Economics: Michelle Sovinsky 

Many thanks to the former committee chairs for their commitment!

 

Open Science 1600x900

Open Science

At the beginning of the year, the Verein established a working group dedicated to the topic of Open Science. The aim of this group is to foster exchange, better inform the academic community, and encourage active discussion about the opportunities and challenges associated with Open Science.

Planned activities include the following:

  • Member Survey: We would like to learn more about your experiences, knowledge, and perspectives on Open Science. We warmly invite you to participate in this survey.

  • Information Section on the Verein’s Website: This section will soon offer useful resources, practical tips, and current articles on Open Access, Open Data, Open Source, and more.

  • Workshop on Open Science in Practice: On Sunday, September 14, from 3 to 5 p.m. – directly before the start of the Annual Conference – we invite you to join a hands-on workshop.

  • Panel Discussion at the Annual Conference: On Monday, September 15, the topic of Open Science will also be explored further in a dedicated panel discussion during the conference.

In addition, Klaus M. Schmidt is actively involved in a working group of the Leopoldina (German National Academy of Sciences), which is addressing the topic of Open Access and the future of scholarly publishing. An initial discussion paper has already been published and is intended to stimulate further debate.

We look forward to engaging in discussion with you and advancing this important topic together!

RDC

Current status of the Research Data Act

The Research Data Commission of the Verein für Socialpolitik meets regularly to exchange information and coordinate activities in support of a Research Data Act (FDG). Encouragingly, the coalition agreement of the new federal government foresees the adoption of the FDG within the current calendar year.

In a programmatic paper, members of the Commission and the RatSWD have addressed the substantive requirements for such legislation. It remains essential to actively promote the cause of data access and to raise awareness of the poor starting conditions for research data infrastructure in Germany.

Career Development
DW

I’m pleased that we have once again put together an engaging Gender and Diversity Program for this year’s VfS Annual Conference:

The well-established Mentoring Workshop for Women (Sunday, 14 September, 12:30–14:30) offers early-career female researchers the opportunity to receive valuable advice from experienced scholars on research strategies, career development, and achieving a work-life balance.

The 1st Generation Academics Workshop (Wednesday, 17 September, 14:00–16:00) will explore social barriers within the economics profession and discuss strategies for overcoming them.

In the interactive Social Media Workshop for Women (Tuesday, 16 September, 11:00–12:30), Max Peukert will not only share tips on how to increase the visibility of one’s research online, but also how to deal with the challenges of social media, such as hate speech and trolling.

The Women’s Networking Lunch (Tuesday, 16 September, 12:35–13:45) offers an informal setting for networking and exchange.

In addition, the Women Economists at the Bundesbank Workshop (Tuesday, 16 September, 17:15–18:30) will provide insights into the career paths and everyday work of female economists from various departments of the Bundesbank.

If you are interested in attending any of these workshops or the networking lunch, please indicate this when registering for the conference. I wish us all an inspiring conference and look forward to the exchange with you!

Young Talents
AU

Supporting early-career economists is a central mission of the Verein. One example is our Conference Subsidy Program, which promotes the international visibility of young researchers by funding their participation in prestigious international conferences. Applications for funding are open until 31 October 2025.

At this year’s Annual Conference in Cologne, we are also offering several events specifically tailored to early-career economists. One highlight is the Job Market Preparation Seminar, which I will be hosting together with Philip Jung (TU Dortmund), Pia Pinger (University of Cologne), and Hans Martin von Gaudecker (University of Bonn). The seminar focuses on practical training for junior researchers preparing for the job market: elevator pitches, mock interviews, and how to design a compelling job talk.

Applications will be accepted until 15 July 2025. Feedback on applications is expected by 4 August. The seminar itself will take place in Cologne on 15 and 16 September.

Abi neu

Top Graduate in Economics (German Abitur)

The VfS Abiturpreis Wirtschaft has become a well-established pillar of the Verein’s efforts to support young talent. Now in its eighth consecutive year, and in cooperation with the Dr. Hans Riegel Foundation, the award honors students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of economics.

Over the past few weeks, the VfS office has prepared and sent out 450 packages to high school graduates across Germany. The award includes a certificate, a book prize, and a trial membership in the Verein für Socialpolitik – all in recognition of the students’ exceptional commitment.

Congratulations to all awardees!

Journals
GER and PWP

Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik

Dear Readers,

First, a brief note on our own behalf: There has been a change in the editorial team of Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik. Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi is stepping down after four years of service as editor. We extend our sincere thanks to her. We are pleased to welcome Lisandra Flach as a new member of the editorial team – and wish her every success in this role!

Now to the content:

Highlights of the current issue include an interview with Ralph Ossa, Chief Economist of the WTO, on the topic of trade policy, as well as an introduction to the ECONtribute Cluster of Excellence, which has just been extended through 2032. In addition, the issue features several exciting new contributions from the field of economic policy research.

For the first time, the current issue of Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik is fully available online. You can access it directly here. We hope you enjoy reading it!

In August, we will publish our first special issue, titled “Fiscal Rules – Justifications, Effects, and Design Options”, guest-edited by Niklas Potrafke and Robert Schwager. The contributions explore, among other things, how different types of fiscal rules affect public budgets and whether new political decision-making mechanisms could better balance the trade-off between rule-based discipline and flexibility.

Our third issue will be dedicated to “The Return of Industrial Policy – Old Ideas, New Challenges”, aligning thematically with this year’s annual conference. Guest editors are Harald Fadinger and Claudia Steinwender.

In 2026, we will publish a special issue on “Geoeconomic Challenges and Their Implications for the European Union”, with Lisandra Flach and Gabriel Felbermayr serving as guest editors. Submissions are welcome until 1 October 2025.

Achim Wambach
Managing Editor

German Economic Review

Dear Readers,

The German Economic Review continuously pursues the goal of increasing both the visibility and the quality of the articles it publishes. An important step in this direction was the transition to Open Access in 2025, which enables free access to the articles for everyone interested. Another step is the addition of five new colleagues to the Editorial Board, who will support the GER as ambassadors abroad: Markus Brunnermeier (Princeton), Christian Dustmann (University College London), Ulrike Malmendier (UC Berkeley), Monika Piazzesi (Stanford), and Philipp Strack (Yale).

Additionally, the journal dedicates one issue each year to a current thematic focus. Last year, the emphasis was on access to and the use of historical data sources in Germany. This year’s special issue, scheduled for publication in late autumn, will cover recent research on monopsony power in labor markets.

Furthermore, the German Economic Review aims to strengthen its connection to the Verein’s Annual Conference in the fall and explicitly invites authors to submit their papers presented there. In the medium term, the plan is to develop another thematic special issue from these contributions.

As the managing editor, I would like to sincerely thank all co-editors for their dedication. We look forward to further support - through submissions and citations - from both members of the Verein für Socialpolitik and external researchers alike.

Hartmut Egger
Managing Editor

Dates
Keynotes

VfS Annual Conference 2025: Revival of Industrial Policy

In just a few weeks, from 14 to 17 September, the VfS Annual Conference 2025 will take place at the University of Cologne.
This year, the core conference theme, overseen by Achim Wambach (ZEW), is: “Revival of Industrial Policy”.

After having been considered outdated for a long time, industrial policy is once again coming into focus in political debates. In their reports to the European Parliament and the European Commission, former Italian Prime Ministers Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi advocate for a comprehensive strengthening of European industrial policy. A key element of the new European Commission’s economic agenda is the “Clean Industrial Deal”, which aims to align the transformation towards a climate-neutral economy with the competitiveness of industry. In Germany - the country with the highest industrial share of GDP within Europe - the direction and scope of a modern industrial policy are also being intensely debated.

The reasons for this comeback are diverse: besides weak productivity growth, the necessary transition to climate neutrality, new geopolitical tensions, and the growing need for economic resilience are central drivers.

Look forward to exciting keynote speeches by Réka Juhász (co-founder of The Industrial Policy Group), Pol Antràs (leading expert on international trade), and John Vickers (former Chair of the Office of Fair Trading and Chief Economist of the Bank of England).
The core conference panel will focus on European industrial policy and its geopolitical environment.

In addition to the core conference, the 2025 program committee, led by Philipp Schmidt-Dengler, has again put together an “open conference” featuring nearly 400 paper presentations covering all fields of economics.

Look forward to many more workshops, receptions, and award ceremonies. The local organizing team around Felix Bierbrauer looks forward to welcoming you to the University of Cologne.

Subscribe to our job alert and stay up to date on current job offers (in German):

Here you will find an overview of press coverage about the association. 

THU

We thank all association members who have remained loyal to us over the years or have recently joined the Verein. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact the VfS office at any time. We look forward to seeing you again in Cologne.

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