Graduate Centerof Economic and Social Research

Developing young talents to the fullest …

Application/AdmissionThe DIW Berlin Graduate Center welcomes applications from highly qualified and motivated postgraduate students from around the world.To apply for the socio-economic training program, applicants must hold an MA degree or a Diploma in Economics or Social Sciences. Degrees in related fields (such as Civil Engineer-ing or Statistics) also fulfil the requirements of the program.Come and join DIW Berlin’s vital intellectual community of outstanding scholars.For the detailed requirements and the application procedure, see www.diw.de/gc

PeopleThe faculty of the Graduate Center consists of a core GC faculty, visiting instructors, and instructors of the BDPEMS-listed courses.

Core GC Facultyare instructors of GC courses and/or act as supervisors of doctoral thesesPio Baake, DIW BerlinAnsgar Belke, University of Duisburg-EssenJörg Breitung, University of BonnTilman Brück, DIW Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinClaudia M. Buch, University of Tübingen

Updated November, 2011

C. Katharina Spieß, DIW Berlin and Freie Universität BerlinViktor Steiner, Freie Universität Berlin and IZACarsten Trenkler, University of MannheimUlrich van Suntum, University of MünsterChristian von Hirschhausen, DIW Berlin und Technische Universität BerlinGert G. Wagner, DIW Berlin, Technische Universität BerlinLutz Weinke, Humboldt Univer-sität zu BerlinGeorg Weizsäcker, DIW Berlin and UCLAxel Werwatz, Technische Uni-versität BerlinChristian Wey, Düsseldorf Insti-tute for Competition Econom-ics and Technische Universität BerlinElmar Wolfstetter, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinKlaus F. Zimmermann, IZA Bonn, University of Bonn, Freie Universität Berlin

Visiting Instructorsduring the last 2 yearsWalter Beckert, University of London, LondonDirk Bergemann, Yale UniversitySanjay Chugh, University of MarylandAdeline Delavande, Universidade Nova de LisboaNicola Fuchs-Schündeln, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

Steven Gabriel, University of MarylandJayant Ganguli, Nottingham UniversityMichelle Goeree, University of ZurichLuigi Guiso, European Univer-sity Institute, FlorenceSteffen Huck, University College LondonJochen Mankart, University of St. GallenMagne Mogstad, University Col-lege LondonRachel Ngai, LSEJörn-Steffen Pischke, LSEVictoria Prowse, Cornell Uni-versityFrank Riedel, Bielefeld Univer-sityPhilipp Schmidt-Dengler, Uni-versity of MannheimMatthias Schündeln, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am MainMathias Trabandt, European Central BankPeter Wakker, Erasmus Univer-sity, Rotterdam

Instructors of BDPEMS-listed Coursesin 2011/2012Sumitro Banerjee, Oezlem Bedre-Defoile, Helmut Bester, Anette Boom, Matthew Bothner, Linus Dahlander, Bernd Droge, Monique Ebell, Nikolaus Hautsch, Paul Heidhues, Frank Heinemann, Franz Hubert, Michael Kvasnicka, Zhike Lei, Johannes Münster, Christian Offermanns, Ostap Okhrin, Robert Schmidt, Roland Strausz, Catalina Stefanescu-Cuntze

ContactProf. Dr. Helmut Lütkepohl Dean of the Graduate Center (from 1 January 2012 onwards)DIW Berlin Mohrenstraße 58 10117 Berlin Germanygradcenter@diw.de www.diw.de/gcCompared to other large European cities, Berlin offers reasonably priced accommodation. We would be glad to assist you in finding an apartment or a room in an apartment-sharing community for the duration of your stay. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.

Michael C. Burda, Humboldt Universität zu BerlinGiacomo Corneo, Freie Univer-sität BerlinMatei Demetrescu, University of BonnMartin Diewald, University of BielefeldPhilipp Engler, Freie Universität BerlinJoachim R. Frick, DIW BerlinPeter Haan, DIW Berlin and University of FrankfurtFrank Heinemann, Technische Universität BerlinElke Holst, DIW Berlin and University of FlensburgUlrich Kamecke, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinClaudia Kemfert, DIW Berlin and Hertie School of GovernanceMartin Kroh, DIW Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinDorothea Kübler, WZB and Technische Universität BerlinHelmut Lütkepohl, European University Institute, DIW Berlin und Freie Universität BerlinGeorg Meran, Technische Uni-versität BerlinDieter Nautz, Freie Universität BerlinKarsten Neuhoff, DIW Berlin and Climate Policy InitiativeDorothea Schäfer, DIW Berlin, Jönköping International Busi-ness SchoolMelanie Schienle, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinJürgen Schupp, DIW Berlin and Freie Universität BerlinThomas Siedler, DIW Berlin

DIW Berlin Graduate Center of Economic and Social Research

Curriculum

1st year

1st semester advanced microeconomics E 4+2 hours weekly

advanced macroeconomics E 2+2 hours weekly

advanced econometrics E 3+1 hours weekly

economic policy 2 hours weekly

Semester break research internship in Germany or abroad

1-2 months

Admission for 2nd semester after successful completion of all courses

2nd semester microeconometrics or time series analysis

E 2+2 hours weekly

field course E 2+2 hours weekly

field course E 2+2 hours weekly

Admission for 2nd year after successful completion of all courses, assign-ment of supervisors, and placement as a researcher in a department

2nd year regular seminar during terms, paper presentation, work on policy reports and research projects, scientific skills workshops

3rd to 4th year regular seminar during terms, paper presentation, paper submissions to international congresses, publication as discussion papers, 1 weekly report, 1 discussion paper, work on policy reports and research projects, completion of PhD thesis

(E = examination)

About the Graduate CenterThe DIW Berlin Graduate Center (GC) aims to provide outstanding doctoral students from around the world with an excellent training in economics and related social sciences that will develop their talents to the fullest. The program follows highly demanding international standards in the design of its coursework. It is conducted in close cooperation with the Berlin Doctoral Program of Econom-ics & Management Science (BDPEMS), ensuring that the participants receive an intense and broad academic training in terms of PhD-level coursework and dissertation supervision. The program provides abundant op-portunities for students to apply their knowledge in the profes-sional research environment of one of Germany’s leading economic think-tanks.

The DIW Berlin Graduate Center follows a dual training approach comprised of:

high-level core and field •courses as well as an intern-ship in a renowned academic or policy institution; andon-the-job training on re-•search projects at DIW Berlin.

The location of the GC provides a unique vantage point for young researchers whose main focus is economic and social policy. DIW Berlin offers diverse opportu-nities for students to actively participate in policy research and consulting activity thus sharpen-ing their proficiency listening to the public debate and open-ing up their scientific results for discussion with high-level policy-makers and experienced practitioners.Graduates of the GC will be outstandingly qualified to ana-lyze economic and social policy issues. They will possess:

excellent methodological •skills;thorough experience in han-•dling empirical data;a detailed understanding •of the economic and social structures of many countries, as well as the institutional structures of key international organizations; andthe crucial ability to dissemi-•nate their research results.

Training structureThe DIW Berlin Graduate Center offers a training program for both economists and social scientists.a) Doctoral students in economics follow a four-year track.

First year:During the winter term •(October to March), students attend PhD-level courses in microeconomics, macroeco-nomics, econometrics and economic policy.One or two internships at •high-level political or research institutions in Germany or abroad allow students to devel-op an in-depth, practical un-derstanding of what it means to work in applied economic research. These internships can also be conducted during later years.During the summer term •(April to July), students take one advanced course in either microeconometrics or time series analysis and two from the specialized fields offered at the universities in Berlin. In order to advance to the sec-•ond year, students must pass the first-year examinations.

Second to fourth year:Students are assigned a main •supervisor in the research field they have chosen and join one of the ten research departments at DIW Berlin. There, they participate in research projects, either on a regular employment basis or in the framework of an internship (see Tuition/Schol-arships).In the second and third year, •students take part in various workshops bundled in the lecture module “Scientific

Skills”. The module’s topics comprise academic writing, popular writing, presentation skills, and scientific funding.During term times, a wide •selection of regular academic seminars - both internal workshops and external re-search seminars - provide the students with forums for the presentation and discussion of research results. In years 3 and 4, students •devote themselves to the com-pletion of their doctoral theses while still working on research projects with the departments.During the entire program, •students are integrated into an interactive research network.

b) Doctoral students in social sciences follow the same training track as economists but with slight modifications in accord-ance with their different research interests. Special courses for students in social sciences are offered in collaboration with the Freie Universität Berlin.

CoachingThe doctoral program at DIW Berlin is a structured curricu-lum with strong emphasis on individual coaching. Young postgraduates are integrated into an interactive research process with close contact to outstanding scholars and broad exposure to the policy field. As an inde-pendent research institute with extensive experience in policy consulting, DIW Berlin is in dia-logue with numerous high-level policy-makers.During the first term of the first year, students will become ac-quainted with the research areas and research projects currently underway at DIW Berlin. They will have various opportunities to discuss potential research fields and topics for their dissertation.After successfully completing the first year, each doctoral student is assigned to a doctoral supervisor who will be the student’s main contact and advisor. The supervi-sor and the GC Dean work together to develop a customized training and research program for each student. Each student will be provided individual advice on his or her research career focusing on both scientific objec-tives and personal development.One of the major goals of the program is to promote the indi-vidual career advancement of the participants and to ensure their future employment prospects,

both on the international sci-entific market and within their research area.

Tuition/ScholarshipsThere are no tuition fees. For the first year, each doctoral student will receive a scholarship of 1 200 euros per month. After successfully completing the first year, each doctoral student will be assigned to a research depart-ment of DIW Berlin. Research positions are offered depend-ing on the volume of research projects in progress. Doctoral students are also encouraged to seek funding from external sources. DIW Berlin offers advice and assistance in finding external scholarships.

If you want to do work that has an impact on the economic world and the policy scene, this is the place to be.

Photo credits Müller-Gödtel, Güthenke (2)