Course Descriptions
Course Descriptions
Bachelor
Mikroökonomie I/ Microeconomics I (6 ECTS)
In der Veranstaltung werden grundlegende wirtschaftstheoretische Ansätze vermittelt und die Allokationsfunktion des Marktes dargestellt. Die wichtigsten Themenbereiche umfassen die Theorie der Präferenzen, Haushalts- und Unternehmenstheorie sowie die Theorie des Marktgleichgewichts. Die Übungen befähigen zur Anwendung theoretischer Grundlagen auf einfache ökonomische Fragestellungen.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of microeconomic theory and the allocative function of the market. The topics covered include: theory of preferences, theory of households and firms, as well as the theory of market equilibrium. In the tutorials, the theoretical knowledge from the lecture will be used to solve simple economic problems.
Einführung in die Spieltheorie/Introduction to Game Theory (6 ECTS)
Dieser Kurs liefert eine Einführung in die Spieltheorie für Studierende, die spieltheoretische Methoden in verschiedenen Gebieten der Volkswirtschaftslehre anwenden möchten. Themen: Spiele; statische und dynamische Spiele mit vollständiger und unvollständiger Information; Lösungskonzepte: Nash-Gleichgewicht, teilspielperfektes Gleichgewicht, Bayes-Nash-Gleichgewicht, perfektes Bayes-Gleichgewicht; Übungs-aufgaben.
Voraussetzungen: Mikroökonomie I und II
This course is designed to introduce game theory to students who want to apply game-theoretic methods in different fields of economics. Topics: games; static and dynamic games with complete and incomplete information; solution concepts: Nash equilibrium, subgame-perfect equilibrium, Bayes-Nash equilibrium, perfect Bayesian equilibrium; exercises.
Prerequisites: Microeconomics I and II
Außenhandel/International Trade (6 ECTS)
Die Teilnehmer an diesem Modul lernen grundlegende Konzepte der Außenhandelstheorie kennen. Sie lernen, wie man die Theorie des allgemeinen Gleichgewichts auf Fragen des Außenhandels anwenden kann und wie man mit Hilfe einfacher komparativ statischer Analyse außenhandelspolitische Fragen beantworten kann. In den Übungen wird vor allem das Verständnis der Modelle vertieft. Themen: Ricardo, spezifische Faktoren, Heckscher-Ohlin, Standard-Handelstheorie, monopolistischer Wettbewerb, Handelsrestriktionen im Partialmodell, Beispiele.
The module covers the first part (chs. 2-12: World Trade, Ricardian Model, Specific Factors, Heckscher-Ohlin Model, Standard Trade Model, External Economies of Scale, Firms in the Global Economy, Instruments of Trade Policy, Political Economy of Trade Policy, Trade Policy in Developing Countries, Controversies in Trade Policy) of Krugman, Obstfeld, and Melitz’s International Economics. The participants get to know the fundamental concepts of the theory of international trade. They learn how to apply general equilibrium theory to questions of trade, and how simple comparative statics can be used to answer trade policy questions. Exercises deepen the understanding of the models and their applications.
Grundlagen der Finanzwissenschaft/Principles of Public Economics (6 ECTS)
Die Vorlesung behandelt die grundlegenden Fragen der Finanzwissenschaft, insbesondere die Begründung staatlichen Handelns und die Finanzierung der wirtschaftlichen Aktivitäten des Staates. Dabei werden die Theorien öffentlicher Güter, Externalitäten und natürlicher Monopole ebenso wie die Hauptziele des Wohlfahrtsstaates, Sozialversicherung und Armutsbekämpfung diskutiert. Weiterhin beschäftigt sich die Veranstaltung mit Theorie und Politik der öffentlichen Einnahmen und mit Problemen der kollektiven Entscheidungsfindung. Kenntnisse der mikroökonomischen Theorie werden vorausgesetzt.
Studierende, die die Prüfungen Einführung in die Finanzwissenschaft I (70806) oder Einführung in die Finanzwissenschaft II (70807) von Herrn Prof. Dr. Blankart bereits bestanden haben, sind von der Prüfung Grundlagen der Finanzwissenschaft ausgeschlossen.
The course deals with the fundamental questions of public economics, in particular the justification for government activity and the financing of the economic activities of the state. The theories of public goods, externalities, and natural monopoly are discussed as well as the main objectives of the welfare state, social insurance, and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, the course addresses the theory and politics of public revenues, as well as problems of collective decision-making. Knowledge of microeconomics are a prerequisite.
Students who have passed the exam in “Einführung in die Finanzwissenschaft I” (70806) or “Einführung in die Finanzwissenschaft II” (70807) by Prof. Dr. Blankart cannot take the exam in “Grundlagen der Finanzwissenschaft.”
Entscheidungen des Haushalts/Decisions of the Household (6 ECTS)
Die Vorlesung „Entscheidungen des Haushalts“ und die parallel laufende Übung sollen den Studierenden ein umfassendes Verständnis für die ökonomische Interpretation von Entscheidungsprozessen in Haushalten darlegen. Die Vorlesung vermittelt so primär angewandte Methoden einer modernen Mikroökonomik. Die Grundlage ökonomischer Dynamiken sind die Entscheidungen von Individuen und von Haushalten. Um makroökonomische Prozesse zu verstehen und Veränderungen von politischen und regulatorischen Rahmenbedingungen abschätzen zu können, ist ein umfassendes Verständnis der Entscheidungsoptionen und Faktoren sowie der Grenzen der ökonomischen Analyse nötig. Der Unterschied zwischen Entwicklungsländern und entwickelten Ländern wird in jeder Vorlesung an geeigneter Stelle hervorgehoben. Die Vorlesung konzentriert sich zunächst auf die zentralen Ergebnistreiber der Haushalte. Investitionen in Bildung und Gesundheit sowie die Teilnahme am Arbeitsmarkt bestimmen die langfristige Ressourcenausstattung der Haushalte und sind damit zentrale Determinanten. Danach vermittelt die Vorlesung die grundlegenden Entscheidungsprozesse sowie die Hintergründe in Bezug auf Spar- und Konsumentscheidungen. Dabei spielen besonders Kapitalmarktkonditionenn und -imperfektionen eine Rolle. Abschließend werden dem klassischen Grundgerüst des homo oeconomicus neuere Erkenntnisse aus der Verhaltensforschung zugefügt, um etwaige Abweichungen zu erklären. Der Fokus auf verschiedene soziale und psychologische Aspekte der Analyse unterstreicht die Interdisziplinarität dieses Forschungsfeldes.
The lecture “Decisions of the Household” and the exercise are intended to give students a comprehensive understanding of the economic decision-making processes of the households. The lecture primarily teaches applied methods of modern microeconomics. The basis of economic dynamics are the decisions of individuals and households. The difference between developing and developed countries is highlighted in each lecture at the appropriate place. The lecture initially concentrates on the central earnings drivers of households. Investments in education and health as well as participation in the labor market determine the long-term resources of households and are therefore key determinants. Following this, the lecture will provide the basic decision-making processes as well as background information on savings and consumption decisions. Capital market conditions and imperfections play a particularly important role here. Finally, new findings from behavioral research are added to the classical framework of homo oeconomicus in order to explain possible deviations.
Empirische Forschung/Empirical Research (6 ECTS)
Dieses Seminar soll alle Studierende an die eigenständige Durchführung und Präsentation eines wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen empirischen Forschungsprojektes heranführen und stellt damit eine sehr sinnvolle Vorbereitung für eine empirische Bachelorarbeit dar. Das Seminar richtet sich an Bachelorstudierende im fünften Fachsemester. Die Veranstaltung beginnt mit einer Einführung in das Softwarepaket STATA und mit einem Überblick über Probleme des Forschungsdesigns und der Durchführung von experimentellen Studien auf Basis von beobachteten Daten oder Archivdaten. Anschließend wird anhand praktischer Beispiele vermittelt, wie deskriptive und einfache hypothesenprüfende Analysen mit STATA durchgeführt und die Ergebnisse anschaulich dargestellt und präsentiert werden. Es werden empirische Forschungsprojekte aus den Bereichen Accounting, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Management und Wirtschaftsgeschichte erarbeitet. Zum erfolgreichen Abschluss des Seminars müssen die Teilnehmer/innen ein empirisches Projekt eigenständig durchführen und präsentieren. Die maximale Teilnehmerzahl ist auf 21 Personen beschränkt, wobei die Teilnehmerzahl pro beteiligten Fachbereich maximal 7 Personen beträgt.
This seminar should lead all students to independently carry out and present a scientific empirical research project. In this way, it serves as a reasonable preparation for an empirical bachelor thesis. It is aimed at the bachelor students in their fifth semester of study. The course begins with an introduction to the software STATA and with an overview of problems of research designs and carrying out of experimental studies based on observational data or archive data. Subsequently, it is shown how descriptive and simple hypothesis-proving analyses with STATA are done, using practical examples, and how they are depicted and presented. We will deal with empirical research projects from accounting, economics, finance, management, and history of economic thought. To successfully complete the seminar, the participants have to independently carry out an empirical project and present it. The seminar is limited to 21 participants, with an additional limit of 7 participants per field of interest.
Mikroökonomie II/Microeconomics II (6 ECTS)
Die Vorlesung behandelt den unvollständigen Wettbewerb, die Theorie des Monopols, Preisdiskriminierung, die Theorie homogener sowie heterogener Oligopolmärkte und die Funktionsweise von Märkten bei externen Effekten, öffentlichen Gütern und asymmetrischer Information. Grundlagen der Spieltheorie werden vermittelt. Themen: Theorie des Monopols, Preisdiskriminierung, oligopolistischer Wettbewerb, Auktionen, externe Effekte und öffentliche Güter, asymmetrische Information: adverse Selektion, Prinzipal-Agenten-Probleme; Übungsaufgaben.
The lecture covers chapters 17 (Auctions), 24 (Monopoly), 25 (Monopoly Behaviour), 27-30 (Oligopoly, Game Theory, Game Applications, Behavioral Economics), and 34-37 (Externalities, Information Technology, Public Goods, Asymmetric Information) of Varian’s Intermediate Microeconomics. The lecture is more formal than the textbook and the exercises concentrate on the mathematical methods taught.
Verhaltensökonomische Aspekte der Finanzwissenschaft/Behavioral Aspects in Public Economics (6 ECTS)
Die Vorlesung behandelt verhaltensökonomische Einsichten zu Fragen der Finanzwissenschaft. Insbesondere werden theoretische Modelle zu systematischen Abweichungen von rationaler Eigennutzmaximierung sowie empirische und experimentelle Evidenz zu Verhaltensvorhersagen der Finanzwissenschaft betrachtet. Beispiele sind (freiwillige) Beiträge zu öffentlichen Gütern, Effektivität von Mechanismen zur Bereitstellung öffentlicher Güter, Steuerehrlichkeit, Steueräquivalenz, Abstimmungsverfahren, Verzerrungen in Versicherungs- und Pensionsentscheidungen.
Voraussetzung: Grundlagen der Finanzwissenschaft oder Äquivalent
The course deals with insights from behavioral economics into fundamental questions of public economics. In particular, it considers empirical and experimental evidence of systematic deviations from rational selfish utility maximization and their relevance for problem of public economics, as well as theoretical models of these deviations. Topics include (voluntary) contributions to public goods, the effectiveness of mechanisms for the provision of public goods, tax honesty, tax incidence equivalence, the valuation of external effects, mechanisms for collective decision-making, biases in insurance and pension decisions.
Prerequisite: “Grundlagen der Finanzwissenschaft” or equivalent
Behavioral Economic Theory (6 ECTS)
Behavioral Economics emerged out of a number of empirical and experimental puzzles, which were difficult to explain with the standard economic paradigm, the homo oeconomicus. Why do default decisions matter even if transaction costs are low? Why do people borrow on credit cards and, at the same time, hold substantial illiquid wealth? Why do people engage in charitable giving? Behavioral economics is the attempt to shed light on these and other puzzles by enriching standard theory with psychological realism, i.e., creating models about behavior that bring more accurate predictions. The aim of the course is to make students familiar with the most important workhorse models in behavioral economics. At the end of the course, students should be able to apply these models to particular economic problems, e.g., moral hazard, savings for retirement, etc. This course has a strong focus on formal theoretical models, but we will occasionally survey empirical and experimental studies without going into full details.
The actors in the labor market: workers, firms, government; labor supply and labor demand; labor market equilibrium; compensating wage differentials; human capital; the wage structure; labor mobility; labor market discrimination; unemployment; labor market policy.
Industrial Organization (6 ECTS)
The students learn the general principles, topics and methods of the economic analysis of industrial organization, based on theoretical models and stylized facts (in particular, case studies). They are familiar with various topics in industrial organization and have a deeper understanding of the structure, functioning and outcomes of markets with imperfect competition.
Decision Theory and Rational Choice (6 ECTS)
The students learn the general principles, topics and methods of decision theory, based on theoretical models and stylized facts (especially from experiments, including thought experiments). They understand the decision theoretic foundations of economics, in particular with regards to the concept of “rationality” and welfare analyses.
Strategie, Organisation und Information Technology/Strategy, Organization and Information Technology (6 ECTS)
Woche 1 bis 7: Existenz und Grenzen von Unternehmen; Wettbewerb und Kooperation; Zielkonflikte und Organisationsprobleme; strategische Selbst¬bindung.
[Woche 8 bis 14: IT-Implikationen für Strategie und Organisation; Geschäftsprozessmanagement und -modellierung; betriebliche Informations-systeme; Datenmanagement]
Studierende der StO/PO 2010 besuchen nur den Teil Strategie und Organisation der VL/UE.
This course addresses the following selected problems in the area of Strategy and Organization: explanatory approaches for the existence and boundaries of firms; competition and cooperation; conflicting goals and organizational problems in companies; strategic self-commitment. Using the selected problems, students learn to apply the theoretical approaches of industrial economics and New Institutional Economics to the questions of strategic interaction with competitors and the internal organization of companies.
Grundlagen der Personalökonomik/Principles of Personnel Economics (6 ECTS)
Dieser Kurs beschäftigt sich mit grundlegenden Fragestellungen aus dem Gebiet der Personalökonomik. Die folgenden Themen werden behandelt: Investitionen in Humankapital; Selektion und Motivation von Mitarbeitern bei Informationsasymmetrien (Rekrutierungsstrategien, Anreizverträge, relative Leistungsentlohnung, Beförderungen, nicht-monetäre Motivation); Teamarbeit. Bestandteil der Veranstaltung ist eine unbenotete Präsentation (30 min).
This course addresses the core questions of personnel economics. The following topics are discussed: interventions in human capital, selection and motivation of workers in case of information asymmetries (reconstruction strategies, incentive contracts, relative performance-based remuneration, promotions, nonmonetary motivation).
Literature:
Lazear and Gibbs (2009): Personnel Economics in Practice, Wiley
Garibaldi (2006): Personnel Economics in Imperfect Labour Markets, Oxford University Press.
Aktuelle Probleme der Wirtschaftspolitik/Current Problems of Economic Policy (6 ECTS)
Die Teilnehmer an diesem Seminar lernen wirtschaftspolitische Fragestellungen zu formulieren und mit Hilfe wirtschaftswissenschaftlicher Ansätze zu diskutieren. Sie recherchieren und dokumentieren zunächst aktuelle Ereignisse aus einem von vier bis fünf vorgegebenen Themenblöcken. Nach der Diskussion der Ergebnisse dieser Recherche im Seminar suchen die Teilnehmer wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Arbeiten, die Aspekte der Problematik aufgreifen. Sie stellen dar, wie die aktuelle politische Diskussion theoretisch erfasst wird und diskutieren die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des Ansatzes. Jeder Seminarteilnehmer diskutiert darüber hinaus je eine einführende und eine weiterführende Arbeit. Das Seminar ist Voraussetzung für das Anfertigen einer Bachelorarbeit, die jedoch auf jeden Fall (auch im Umfang) deutlich über die beiden Seminararbeiten hinausgeht. Die Themen werden aus der jeweils aktuellen wirtschaftspolitischen Diskussion ausgewählt.
Voraussetzung: Mikroökonomie I.
This seminar prepares the Bachelor thesis and is therefore not open for exchange students.
Studienabschlussseminar – Personal- und Organisationsökonomik/Graduation Seminar – Personnel- and Organisational Economics (0 ECTS)
Studierende erlernen den Aufbau wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten und die selbständige Recherche zu einer wissenschaftlichen Fragestellung. Weiterhin werden Methoden vertieft, die für die Erstellung einer Bachelor-Arbeit im Bereich der Personal- und Organisationsökonomik notwendig sind. Themen: Aufbau einer wissenschaftlichen Arbeit, Recherche zu einer wissenschaftlichen Fragestellung, Vertiefung von Methoden. Zur Erarbeitung eines Themas für die Bachelorarbeit präsentieren die Studierenden Ideen und die dazugehörige grundlegende Literatur im Seminar. Die endgültige Vergabe des Themas und Anmeldung zur Bachelorarbeit erfolgt nach Abschluss der Vorträge. Mögliche Themen sollen einem der folgenden personalökonomischen Bereiche zuzuordnen sein: Anreizsysteme, Teamarbeit, Leadership, Soziale Präferenzen oder die Delegation von Entscheidungsrechten.
Students learn to independently research and structure a scientific paper, addressing a scientific question. Additionally, methods on how to write a bachelor thesis are developed further. In preparation of a topic for the bachelor thesis, students present their ideas and the corresponding literature in the seminar. The final allocation of the topic and the registration of the bachelor thesis take place after the completion of the presentations.
Supervision of a Bachelor Thesis
Prerequisite for the supervision of a bachelor thesis at the chair of Management is a pass in the exam of the lecture “Personnel Economics.” The bachelor thesis is supervised as part of the graduation seminar (see above). The number of participants is limited to 20. Details as to the registration are published on the webpage of the Management chair nearer the time.
Bachelor/Master
Datengrundlagen der Wirtschaftspolitik/Data Foundations of Economic Policy
(6 ECTS)
Das Seminar umfasst folgende Themengebiete: Adäquation und Operationalisierung, Datenproduzenten und Datenquellen in Deutschland und der EU, Datenqualität und Datenschutz, Bevölkerungsstatistik, Bildungs- und Hochschulstatistik, Arbeitsmarktstatistik, Verbraucherpreisstatistik national und europäisch (Messung der Teuerung), Produktionsstatistik und Konjunkturtests. Im Mittelpunkt des Seminars steht die eigenständige wissenschaftliche Bearbeitung von Themen des Seminarprogramms durch die Studierenden selbst. Aus dem Angebot dieses Programms können die Studierenden frei nach Motivation und Interessenlage auswählen. Die Schwerpunkte des Seminars werden durch kurze Vorlesungen zu den Grundlagen dieser Kapitel eingeführt und mittels kleinerer Übungen vertieft. Darauf aufbauend folgt die wissenschaftliche Arbeit zu den ausgewählten Themen aus den Stoffkomplexen durch die Studierenden. Das Programm wird ergänzt durch digitale Lernszenarien sowie durch Vorträge von Experten, u.a. aus der Amtlichen Bundes- und Landesstatistik. Bestandteil des Seminars ist eine unbenotete Präsentation.
Teilnahmemodalitäten: Die Anmeldung zum Seminar ist vom 01. September bis zum 01. Oktober 2019 möglich. Die Zahl der Teilnehmer ist auf 20 Studierende begrenzt. Anmeldung über https://hu.berlin/DGWP. Studierende, bei denen ein Härtefall nach § 90 (1) ZSP HU vorliegt (gesundheitliche, soziale, behinderungsbedingte oder familiäre Gründe) werden bei der Auswahl bevorzugt (Nachweise sind im Zeitraum der Anmeldung einzureichen). Ansonsten entscheidet das Los.
The seminar covers the following topics: adequation and operationalization, data producers and data sources in Germany and the EU, data quality and data protection, population statistics, education and university statistics, labor market statistics, national and European consumer price statistics (measurement of inflation), production statistics and business cycle indicators. The focus of the seminar is the independent scientific processing of seminar topics by the students themselves. Students can choose from the seminar program according to their motivation and interest. The topics of the seminar will be introduced by short lectures and deepened by means of small exercises. Based on this, the scientific work on the selected topics is conducted by the students. The program is complemented by digital learning units and lectures by experts, e.g. from the official statistics. Part of the seminar is an ungraded presentation.
Participation modalities: Registration for the seminar is possible from the 1st of September to the 1st of October 2019. The number of participants is limited to 20 students. Registration is possible via https://hu.berlin/DGWP. Selection procedure: Students who have a hardship under § 90 (1) ZSP HU (health, social, disability-related or family reasons) are preferred in the selection process (proof must be submitted during the registration period). Otherwise, the lot decides.
Theory of Social Choice (6 ECTS)
This course discusses the problem of aggregating the preferences of citizens or voters from different angles. It starts out with Arrow’s famous Impossibility Theorem, then looks at the majority rule under various domain restrictions, examines the exercise of individual rights in social choice, the issue of manipulability of preferences and takes a look at various scoring rules. Furthermore, the aspect of equity and justice is related to Rawls and Utilitarianism. Finally, axiomatic bargaining is discussed from the perspective of proposals made by Nash as well as by Kalai and Smorodinsky. Students who want to take the final exam have to write a short essay (6-8 pages, ungraded) on a topic related to this course, which should be presented in class (15 min.).
Studienabschlussseminar zu Themen der angewandten Arbeitsmarktökonomik (0 ECTS)
This seminar offers bachelor and master students the opportunity to write an empirical thesis on a labor market topic. Participants are expected to perform an empirical analysis, discuss the relevant literature, data sources, methodology and to acquaint themselves with the necessary institutional details and to present and discuss their work. Generally, the seminar presentations will be held in English. Bachelor students may hold their presentations in German after consultation with the lecturer.
Master
Introduction to Advanced Microeconomic Analysis (6 ECTS)
The course emphasizes a sample of topics ranging from the theory of competitive markets to industrial organization, welfare economics, information, and incentives. The lectures are supplemented by problem-solving exercises and in-class presentations by participants. Topics: general equilibrium; partial equilibrium; externalities; imperfect competition; asymmetric information; behavioral aspects; model application exercises.
Advanced Microeconomic Theory (PhD level) (6 ECTS)
The students understand fundamental microeconomic concepts and tools on a very advanced level. Topics: theory of consumption and production, optimal decision under uncertainty, general equilibrium, matching, introduction to game theory.
Social Preferences - Theories and Evidence (6 ECTS)
Social or other-regarding preferences refer to preferences of economic agents regarding other people’s outcomes. These preferences can be both benevolent and malevolent, but crucially they differ from selfish preferences without any regard for others. The course provides an introduction to key evidence about the relevance of social preferences in economic interaction as well as the most important theoretical approaches that aim at explaining these results. Most of the discussed evidence will be from controlled laboratory experiments. Critique regarding the relevance of (laboratory) experiments on social preferences will be discussed as well. Apart from methodological critique, experimental studies that critically reflect on prominent papers and research agendas will be presented in order to highlight the relevance of apparent subtleties in experimental design.
Specific requirements: Some knowledge of game theory is helpful, but fairly basic experience is mostly sufficient. Knowledge of statistical analysis will make it easier to follow the data analysis in the experimental papers and thus enable a more critical view, but is not strictly necessary.
Empirical Labor Economics (6 ECTS)
This course provides an overview on the economic analysis of labor markets. The emphasis is on applied microeconomics and empirical analysis. Topics to be covered include: labor supply and demand, human capital, education and training, changes in the wages structure and inequality, biased technological change and returns to skills, organizational change and skill demand, the closing gender gap. The introduction of topics will be on textbook level, but the focus will be on the discussion of empirical implementation strategies used in recent publications.
Organization and Management (6 ECTS)
Students get familiar with fundamental incentive and coordination problems in organizations. They learn how to identify and discuss these problems based on concepts from New Institutional Economics. Topics: boundaries and structure of the firm, incentive contracts, ownership and property rights.
Incentives in Organizations (6 ECTS)
Students get familiar with advanced problems of coordination and incentive provision within and between firms. They learn how to identify and discuss these problems based on concepts from organizational economics and contract theory. Topics: incentive and coordination problems within and between firms: adverse selection, team problems, relational contracts, relative performance evaluation. Part of the course is an ungraded presentation.
Graduate Student Seminar Econometrics and Applied Labor Markets (0 ECTS)
Graduate students in the field of econometrics and applied labor markets present and discuss their ongoing research projects.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with game-theoretic methods that are used in various fields of economics. Topics: normal-form games, extensive-form games, games with incomplete information, standard solution concepts and refinements; exercises.
The course reviews the main topics and models of incentive theory. It focuses on the principal-agent paradigm where the principal delegates an action to a single agent through the take-it-or-leave-it offer of a contract. Major topics are the problem of adverse selection, which occurs when the agent learns some piece of information relevant to the contractual relationship, and the problem of moral hazard, which appears as soon as the agent’s actions are not observable. First, the trade-offs that emerge in these contexts are characterized: the rent extraction-efficiency trade-off under adverse selection and the trade-offs between the extraction of limited-liability rent and efficiency and also between insurance and efficiency under moral hazard. Then, extensions of the basic framework to more complex environments are discussed. Mixed models with adverse selection, moral hazard, and nonverifiability of the state of the world are also covered. Principal-agent models with adverse selection and moral hazard are finally considered in a dynamic context. Topics: problem of adverse selection; revelation principle; solution techniques; ex post vs. ex ante contracting; limited liability; problem of moral hazard; first-order approach.
Prerequisites: “Introduction to Advanced Microeconomic Analysis” and “Game Theory”
Information Economics (6 ECTS)
This course is about the effect of asymmetric information in economic markets. Students learn about the crucial role of the information structure that underlies an economic market and to apply these ideas and concepts to concrete economic problems. Topics: incomplete quality information (Lemons Problem); labor markets with asymmetric information (signaling, efficiency wages, equilibrium unemployment); insurance markets with asymmetric information (screening); credit markets with asymmetric information (rationing); principal-agent problems.
Advanced Microeconomic Analysis II (PhD level) (6 ECTS)
The students understand fundamental microeconomic concepts and tools on a very advanced level. Topics: decision under uncertainty, market power, strategic interaction, game theory, asymmetric information, incentives, mechanism design, contract theory; exercises.
The students understand the structure of elementary models in industrial organization. They are able to discuss issues in competition policy with the help of such models and to develop simple models to address selected questions of competition policy. Topics: neoclassical welfare theory; normative results of static (SCP, dynamic price competition, vertical restraints) and dynamic (patent races, endogenous growth theory) industrial-organization theory; practice of the theoretic analysis of policy question with the help of simple examples.
The course covers core concepts of public economics, namely the foundation for government intervention, public-good problems, externalities, collective-action problems, taxation. Theoretical analysis will be combined with empirical results and connections to policy debates.
Selected Topics in Individual and Moral Decision-Making (6 ECTS)
The seminar will discuss a selection of the recent literature on the aforementioned topics. In particular, a significant portion of the selected literature will consist of a combination of a theoretical work and an experimental work for the relevant sub-topic. The goal of the seminar is to develop a profound understanding of the selected topics from both theoretical and experimental approach. Students are expected to give in-depth presentations in addition to active participation. Topics: (i) motivated beliefs in prosocial contexts; (ii) information preferences in social decisions; (iii) communication/persuasion in prosocial context; (iv) guilt aversion.
Behavioral and experimental economics studies the effects of psychological, cognitive, and social factors on the economic decision-making of individuals in order to explain observed puzzles and to improve the predictive power of models. Prevalent themes are the study of false perceptions, e.g., framing effects, projection bias, or time inconsistency, of preference anomalies in the form of, e.g., present-biasedness or ambiguity aversion, and of nonstandard and social preferences. Participants are expected to give a presentation in class (ungraded). A list of possible topics will be provided to registered participants before the first meeting.
Prerequisites: good knowledge of microeconomics, in particular game theory. Active participation in class is essential.
Decision-Making under Uncertainty (6 ECTS)
Topics: preferences over uncertain prospects, expected utility under risk, probability weighting, expected utility without known probabilities, ambiguity attitudes, standard financial investment problems, dynamic investments.
The course covers advanced topics from personnel economics such as monetary and nonmonetary forms of motivation, problems of performance measurement, multitasking problems, delegation of authority, and career concerns. A component of the class is an ungraded presentation (30 min).
Advanced Topics in Management (6 ECTS)
Specific current problems in personnel, managerial, and organizational economics with an eye on the master thesis. A component of the seminar is also an ungraded presentation (30 min).
Experimental Economics Reading Group (PhD level) (6 ECTS)
This seminar focuses on recent developments in experimental economics. Each week, students critically discuss one recent paper, with an emphasis on the experimental design and data analysis. A major objective of the course is for students to develop a great deal of familiarity with the design of experiments as a method for economic research. Participants are expected to attend all sessions and participate actively in the discussions.
Audience: Economics PhD students and advanced Master’s students. It is recommended that participants have passed Introduction to Advanced Microeconomic Analysis and are familiar with fundamental concepts of causal inference and data analysis.
Wirtschaftstheoretisches Seminar/Seminar on Microeconomic Theory (0 ECTS)
Leading researchers in microeconomic theory present their current research.
Microeconomic Theory Literature Study Group (PhD level) (0 ECTS)
Focusing on a specific topic within microeconomic theory, the seminar studies recent developments in the literature of mechanism design, contract theory, industrial organization, and organization theory. Students discuss and present related research papers, pointing out their interrelations and discussing their main contributions. The seminar puts a particular emphasis on understanding the theoretical underpinning behind the papers’ results and the economic mechanisms they capture. A major goal of the seminar is to find new open questions for future research. Participants are expected to attend all the sessions, read all the discussed papers beforehand, and participate actively in discussions.
Prerequisites: “Advanced Microeconomic Analysis” I and II
Doktorand(inn)en- und Forschungsseminar Mikroökonomie/Research Seminar on Microeconomics (PhD level) (0 ECTS)
Discussion of specific aspects of the respective papers.
Berlin Behavioral Economics Colloquium and Seminar (0 ECTS)
The Berlin Behavioral Economics Colloquium and Seminar are a joint effort between DIW, WZB, HU Berlin, and TU Berlin (in cooperation with CRC TRR 190) with the aim of fostering the exchange between active researchers in the areas of behavioral and experimental economics.
Behavioral/Experimental Economics Reading Group (0 ECTS)
Advanced students present research designs and preliminary results.
Berlin Applied Micro Seminar (BAMS) (0 ECTS)
The Berlin Applied Micro Seminar (BAMS) is a weekly seminar, jointly organized by DIW Berlin, Hertie School of Governance, HU Berlin, FU Berlin, TU Berlin, WZB, the Berlin Centre for Consumer Policies (BCCP), and the CRC TRR 190. In this seminar researchers present their current work in the field of applied microeconomic theory.
PhD
Advanced Microeconomic Theory (PhD level) (6 ECTS)
The students understand fundamental microeconomic concepts and tools on a very advanced level. Topics: theory of consumption and production, optimal decision under uncertainty, general equilibrium, matching, introduction to game theory.
Advanced Microeconomic Analysis II (PhD level) (6 ECTS)
The students understand fundamental microeconomic concepts and tools on a very advanced level. Topics: decision under uncertainty, market power, strategic interaction, game theory, asymmetric information, incentives, mechanism design, contract theory; exercises.
Experimental Economics Reading Group (PhD level) (6 ECTS)
This seminar focuses on recent developments in experimental economics. Each week, students critically discuss one recent paper, with an emphasis on the experimental design and data analysis. A major objective of the course is for students to develop a great deal of familiarity with the design of experiments as a method for economic research. Participants are expected to attend all sessions and participate actively in the discussions.
Audience: Economics PhD students and advanced Master’s students. It is recommended that participants have passed Introduction to Advanced Microeconomic Analysis and are familiar with fundamental concepts of causal inference and data analysis.
Wirtschaftstheoretisches Seminar/Seminar on Microeconomic Theory (0 ECTS)
Leading researchers in microeconomic theory present their current research.
Microeconomic Theory Literature Study Group (PhD level) (0 ECTS)
Focusing on a specific topic within microeconomic theory, the seminar studies recent developments in the literature of mechanism design, contract theory, industrial organization, and organization theory. Students discuss and present related research papers, pointing out their interrelations and discussing their main contributions. The seminar puts a particular emphasis on understanding the theoretical underpinning behind the papers’ results and the economic mechanisms they capture. A major goal of the seminar is to find new open questions for future research. Participants are expected to attend all the sessions, read all the discussed papers beforehand, and participate actively in discussions.
Prerequisites: “Advanced Microeconomic Analysis” I and II
Doktorand(inn)en- und Forschungsseminar Mikroökonomie/Research Seminar on Microeconomics (PhD level) (0 ECTS)
Discussion of specific aspects of the respective papers.
Berlin Behavioral Economics Colloquium and Seminar (0 ECTS)
The Berlin Behavioral Economics Colloquium and Seminar are a joint effort between DIW, WZB, HU Berlin ,and TU Berlin (in cooperation with CRC TRR 190) with the aim of fostering the exchange between active researchers in the areas of behavioral and experimental economics.
Behavioral/Experimental Economics Reading Group (0 ECTS)
Advanced students present research designs and preliminary results.
Berlin Applied Micro Seminar (BAMS) (0 ECTS)
The Berlin Applied Micro Seminar (BAMS) is a weekly seminar, jointly organized by DIW Berlin, Hertie School of Governance, HU Berlin, FU Berlin, TU Berlin, WZB, the Berlin Centre for Consumer Policies (BCCP), and the SFB TRR 190. In this seminar researchers present their current work in the field of applied microeconomic theory.
Graduate Student Seminar Econometrics and Applied Labor Markets (0 ECTS)
Graduate students in the field of econometrics and applied labor markets present and discuss their ongoing research projects.