Up-and-Coming Economists from China Visit ZEW

What are the research areas of ZEW economists? How is a German research institute organised? What are the career opportunities for foreign researchers at ZEW, and is there a special programme for visiting researchers? These were some of the questions 15 doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers from China asked when they visited ZEW on August 28, 2014. The trip to ZEW and other research institutions was organised by the German Research Foundation. The members of the delegation from China, talented economists in the early stages of their careers, were given the opportunity to gather information on Germany as a research location.

The group was welcomed by ZEW President Professor Clemens Fuest, who gave an overview of the institute’s main research areas. He in particular stressed the growing cooperation network of ZEW to partners in China, for example Fudan University in Shanghai. Since 2013, researchers from ZEW and Fudan have been collaborating within the “China Economic Panel” (CEP) project. The CEP survey provides a periodic assessment of China’s development within the global economic environment on the basis of macroeconomic data. Professor Ernst-Ludwig von Thadden, the President of the University of Mannheim, then gave a presentation of the university’s doctoral education programmes, the key research areas, and the cooperation network to China.        

Many Opportunities to Cooperate with ZEW

Doris Brettar, head of human resources at ZEW, outlined the career opportunities for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers at ZEW. Together with Dr. Ling Yang from Xi'an Jiaotong University in China, who is staying at ZEW for a research visit, she presented two possibilities to come to ZEW as a visiting scholar: the SEEK programme and the Visiting Researchers Programme. ZEW researchers also gave short presentations of their work and exchanged experience with the guests from China, providing a comprehensive overview of day-to-day research practice in Germany.