Prof. Dr. Martina Metzger

Office hours during summer 2023

Upon appointment

If you need a letter of recommendation, please hand in the questionnaire. Please note that only students whom I know from my courses are entitled to receive a letter of recommendation. Please also consider to provide me with the questionnaire at least a fortnight before you have to deliver your application.

About

Areas of expertise

  • Money, macro and finance
  • Exchange rate regimes
  • Financial sector development of emerging markets and developing countries
  • Regional financial and monetary co-operation
  • Shadow banking (incl. Fintechs)
  • Financial market regulation (Basel I-III, macroprudential supervision)
  • National and international financial and monetary architecture

Current service to the profession

  • Liaison person of BSEL co-operation with Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE Chengdu/China) and Deutsche Bundesbank Berlin on monetary policy
  • Head of Commission for Equal Opportunities at HWR Berlin
  • Deputy Member of Academic Senate of HWR  
  • Study course co-ordinator for the MA module ‘Development Economics’ and for the MA module ‘Current Issues in International Economics’ (MA International Economics)
  • Study course co-ordinator for the BA module ‘National and International Financial Relations’ (BA Economics)
  • Study course co-ordinator for the BA module ‘International Economics / Internationale Wirtschaft’ (BA Economics; BA Business Administration; International Business Management)

Professional profile

Before joining BSEL I worked for the non-partisan Berlin Institute for Financial Market Research, of which I was executive director. I was also with the Division on Globalisation and Development Strategies of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Geneva). I have studied economics and political science at the Rheinische Friedrich Wilhelms University of Bonn and economics at the Free University of Berlin.

After receiving my diploma in economics (equivalent to a master degree) in Berlin I worked as a lecturer, research fellow and assistant professor for international economics and macroeconomics at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, the University of Applied Science (Berlin) and the Free University of Berlin from which I also hold a doctoral degree. For my research on regional monetary co-operation and international banking regulation (Basel II) I was granted financial support by the Thyssen-Foundation and the German Research Foundation respectively. With my colleagues at the Institute for International Political Economy at BSEL I share concerns about the extent and frequency of financial crises as well as about rising global inequality and (financial, social and economic) exclusion of individuals, communities and even complete countries.

Whom I support

  • Though according to German law tenured professors as civil servants are not allowed to strike, they are nevertheless employees. Hence, I am member of a trade union.
  • Since 2015 I am an appointed Lay Judge at the Berlin Social Court. I am assigned to chambers dealing with disputes of the statutory social insurance system, in particularly the public care, health and pension insurances.
  • Empowerment of civil society also requires the means and opportunities to speak up and give independent voices leverage. Hence, I am happy to subscribe and donate to both Afrika Süd (a journal on Southern African issues) and IZ3W (Information Centre Third World).
  • I also contribute to the Joe Strummer Foundation which devotes its activities around the world to empowerment through music

On my behalf

Professional and personal integrity are of importance to me. So, besides the usual professional memberships like for instance the German Keynes Society, SUERF – The European Money and Finance Forum or the German and American Economic Association I am also a member of the Association for Integrity and Responsible Leadership in Economics and Associated Profession (AIRLEAP). Regrettably my discipline is not at the forefront of promoting professional economic ethics. Or as Georgio DeMartino (2012, p.2), one of the editors of The Oxford Handbook of Professional Economic Ethics, stated “Today, economics is certainly among the most important of professions in terms of its impact on the world. But in all that time the profession has never attended to the ethical burdens associated with influence over others.” The German Economic Association (Verein für Socialpolitik) has accepted a code of ethics only in July 2012. Nevertheless there are huge blind spots not being dealt with until today. This applies to many countries, but in particularly to Germany whose institutional setting to enforce (individual and structural) compliance in academia has to be assessed as weak. We do not have resilient self-control mechanisms or any form of whistle blower culture.

To the blind spots belong the following three issues. Although it is meanwhile a kind of international standard that researchers display the amount of research funding which they receive from external entities, the Code of Ethics of the German Economic Association only requires naming the external sources, but not the concrete amounts nor the regularity of that kind of finance. Second, by current law, German civil-servant professors are entitled to devote up to 20 per cent of their working time to so-called extra-mural activities. The only requirement is that they notify these activities in advance to the HR of their university and make an official request for permission; approval is a pure formality as long as the 20 per cent cap is not overdrawn. This leaves professors and contracting entities with an almost unlimited discretionary scope: they only need to fiddle with the daily lump sum to comply with this ‘requirement’. Professors are not automatically obliged to disclose their earnings derived from these extra-mural activities. Everyone who is familiar with the salary levels of German civil servants would not be surprised if many of these extra-mural activities generate revenues as much or even more than the official salary - and with that substantial conflicts of interest may rise. Third, professors are frequently offered discounts on private goods and services, for instance by publishing houses, for sample copies of text books for their courses. But also newspapers and non-academic journals, software and hardware companies and even private (health) insurances offer discounts. On the other side there is a strong rise in academic journals  requiring researchers to pay for the referee process of their submitted papers. While the former should constitute the acceptance of amenities for private purpose which according to the letters of the law is strictly forbidden for civil servants, the latter might be caused by a cut-down of library budgets during the last 25 years which had been a steady source of finance in former times. But none of the two trends and the potential conflict of interests arising from them are dealt with in the Code of Ethics of the German Economic Association.

Team

Tim Riedler, Research Associate

Tim Riedler, who was already a student assistant of Prof. Metzger during his Bachelor studies on economics, is now a PhD candidate at the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne since 2020. He worked in the Hans Böckler Foundation project "(Spatial) employment effects of increasing online retail" until June 2022. Tim Riedler received his M.A. in International and Development Economics from the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. He previously received his B.A. in Economics from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. Tim Riedler gained relevant work experience at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the NGO Global Innovation Gathering and as a freelancer in a project of the Global Labour University.

Tim Riedler is part of BSEL’s team working on the GIZ project OurVillage in Cameroon, which introduces a Blockchain-based digital means of payment in rural communities.

Moritz Peist, Student Assistant

Moritz Peist graduated with a Franco-German double degree from the Berlin School of Economics and Law (BA International Business Management) and EDHEC Business School Lille (BBA International Business). He wrote his BA thesis about "Original Sin in the WAEMU" with Prof. Metzger. Prior to his studies, Moritz spent a year in Kpalimé, Togo as a development cooperation volunteer and worked during his studies in Berlin's fintech sector. At BSEL, Moritz Peist is part of the team working on the GIZ project OurVillage in Cameroon, which introduces a Blockchain-based digital means of payment in rural communities. During an ASA scholarship of 3 months in 2022, he supports the local GIZ team in West Cameroon. Additionally, he is conducting his current studies in Business Information Systems (BSc) at TU Berlin. He started working for Prof. Metzger in April 2022.

Mariana Pellegrini, Student Assistant

Mariana Pellegrini, was a student of the Master's of International Economics from HWR, Berlin.

Dennis Gegenfurtner, Student Assistant

Dennis Gegenfurtner, was a student of the Master's of International Economics from HWR, Berlin.

Sarah Godar, Research Associate

Sarah Godar was research associate in the Master's Programme Tax Policy and Tax Administration and assisted both the Academic Director of the programme and the students in academic issues. She studied Economics and Sociology at the University of Potsdam and graduated in International Economics (M.A.) at the Berlin School of Economics and Law. Her research interests include tax policy, income distribution and macroeconomics. Since 2017 she is accepted into BSEL’s PhD programme.

Rebekka Voget, Project Assistant

Rebekka Voget was project assistant for the Master's Programme Tax Policy and Tax Administration. Before graduating in Economics (B.A.) at Berlin School of Economics and Law, she worked as a student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics.

Caroline Seligmann, Student Assistant

Caroline Seligmann was student assistant in the co-operation between BSEL and the National University of Science and Technology (Windhoek/Namibia). She studies Accounting / Controlling (M.A.) at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Clark Banach, Student Assistant

Clark Banach was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics of BSEL. He is a funded PhD student in economics at JFK Institute for North American Studies at Free University of Berlin. He completed his coursework for an International Economics (M.A.) at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Ben Schumann, Student Assistant

Ben Schumann was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics. He studies Public Economics (M.A.) at Free University of Berlin. He graduated in Economics (B.A.) at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Maria Høst, Student Assistant

Maria Høst was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics. She studied International Economics (M.A.) at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Maximilian Marcisiak, Student Assistant

Maximilian Marcisiak was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics. He studied Business Administration (B.A.) at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Irina Sterzer, Student Assistant

Irina Sterzer was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics. She studied Business Administration at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Ersan Türkel, Student Assistant

Ersan Türkel was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics. He studied Business Administration at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Ofer Kulka, Student Assistant

Ofer Kulka was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics. He studied Business Intelligence and Process Management at Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Racheal MacGregor, Student Assistant

Racheal MacGregor was student assistant at the Department of Business and Economics. She studied economics at the Complutense University of Madrid and the Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Lectures, Seminars & Theses

Summer term 2023

Winter term 2022/2023

Theses

In the following we list supervised theses from the last years and provide access to excellent theses (with honours and distinction).

2022

  • Mucaj, Franko: Original Sin in East Asia since the Financial Crisis of the 1990s
  • Russo, David: An SDG Impact Framework for Community Currencies: The Case of Sarafu Credit in Kenya
  • Syed, Maria: Gendered Austerity and Cash Transfers in Pakistan and Brazil: A Gender-Sensitive Budgeting Assessment

2021

  • Dotta, Vitor: Addressing Systemic Risk in Europe during Covid-19: policies, limitations, and challenges ahead
  • Gegenfurtner, Dennis: The Causes of Original Sin – an Empirical Investigation of Emerging Market and Developing Countries
  • Kirkina, Daria & Rost, Mykhailo (Collaborative work): De-industrialization in transition economies: The case of Ukraine
  • Licaj, Ronaldo: The macroeconomic determinants of the current account balance for the United Kingdom
  • Tucci, Candelaria Fernández: Original Sin and South-South Cooperation: Lessons for a Regional Monetary Cooperation in the Mercosur

2020

  • Bergamini Lopes, Tais: The political and macroeconomic features of populism in Latin America
  • Crusius, Anja: The Political Economy of Substainable Finance Strategy German GLS and Deutsche Bank Between Top-Down and Bottom-Up Substainable Finance
  • Fiallos, Andrea: Macroeconomic Impacts of Remittances Inflows: A Central American Perspective
  • Hartmann, Laura: The Political Economy of Digital Colonialism and Alternatives – the DECODE Project
  • Jenyo, Olawale: African Continental Free Trade Area: The real deal?
  • Kardava, Anna: The Role of Sanctions in Shaping National Economy
  • Samsonova, Anastasiia & Voronina, Polina (Collaborative work): The digitalization impact on the performance of the Russian banking sector. Trends and cyber threads
  • Schiffler, Robin: The Role of Credit guarantee schemes in Promoting SME Finance in Developing Countries
  • Vuilletet, Colin: Financial Instability, the Sovereign-Bank Nexus and Eurobonds: a Post-Keynesian Stock Flow Consistent Model

2019

  • Erdoğan, Furkan Serdar: The Spillover Effects and Implications of Monetary Policy on Emerging Markets After 2008 Financial Crisis: A Case Study for Brazil and Turkey
  • González del Castillo, Maite: Women and Climate Change – Integrating a Gender Perspective into Climate Policies
  • Murariki, Chenai: An Analysis on the Role of Mobile Banking of Financial Inclusion in Developing Countries: Case study of Zimbabwe
  • Rhys-Williams, Francesca: The Impact of Unconventional Monetary Policies on Gender and Racial Wealth Inequality: Evidence from the Large-Scale Asset Purchases in the United States
  • Rotermund, Sophie-Dorothee: Assessing Systemic Risk: An Analysis of the German Banking Sector
  • Stöckel, Michael: Regulation of Shadow Banking: Effectiveness of Financial Stability Reforms after the Global Financial Crisis - Assessment of the European Union's Plan to construct a 'resilient' Market for Securitisations
  • Wolf, Louisa Antonia: Digital Solutions to Assist Inclusive Financial Systems? Status Quo and Potential of Ghana
  • Zahid, Ali: Corruption and Capital Flight: An Empirical Assessment of Pakistan

2018

  • Ball, Thomas: Prevention of Money Laundering by Financial Institutions in Germany
  • Bedoya, Sarahstrid: On the Trials and Tribulations of Capital Flows: How to Manage them in Emerging Market Economies?
  • Fung, Tommy: Cryptocurrencies
  • Metelchenko, Natalia: Transfer Pricing as a Driver of Global Profit Shifting
  • Osman, Melek: The road to the Euro: Bulgaria's Economic Development since 1989 under Currency Board Conditions
  • Titz, Sebastian: The European FinTech Sector - Do we Need a New Kind of Regulation?
  • Vonk, Rhianna: Financial Regulations and Free Trade Agreements: An Analytical Framework for Assessing Protections for Financial Regulations in Free Trade Agreements

2017

  • Bois von Kursk, Olivier: An Institutional Economic Analysis of Green Finance
  • Borysko, Sofiia: Early Warning Indicators of the Crisis. Financial Vulnerabilities in Caucus and Central Asia
  • Letnikava, Anastasiya: External Debt in Emerging and Developing Countries - Risks and Means to Enhance Resilience
  • Rieger, Hannah: IMF Loan Conditionality - The Effect of Financial Crisis Loan Conditionality on the Wellbeing of a Country's Population - A Comparative Case Study Analysis

2016

  • Mokgatlhong, Dineo Dorcus: Critical Examination of Tax Treaties in Botswana
  • Nakku, Mwajumah Mubiru: The Status of Double Taxation Agreements in Uganda - Opportunities and Challenges

2022

  • Akyüz, Alper: Inwieweit hat der Marshall Plan das deutsche „Wirtschaftswunder“ beeinflusst?
  • Heinrich, Stefanie: The curse of Venezuela’s oil. A descriptive analysis of Dutch disease symptoms
  • Miller, Jasmin: Bewertung der ökologischen Nachhaltigkeit von Universalbanken am Beispiel zweier, ausgewählter Ratingeinrichtungen
  • Reutter, Justus: Die Anforderungen an den digitalen Euro aus der Perspektive relevanter Stakeholder
  • Röder, Yunus: The devaluation oft the Turkish Lira: What caused its inflation from 2016 to 2018

2021

  • Alexander, Timon: Zentralbanken in der COVID-19 Pandemie: Analyse der gelpolitischen Maßnahmen für die Finanz- und Realwirtschaft am Beispiel Neuseelands
  • Hellwig, Oskar: What are key factors of growth national economies? Analysing two known examples in their respective region: Republic of Korea for the East Asian region and Republic of Ireland for the European region
  • Nahrstedt, Jan: US Economic Sanctions on Cuba: An Analysis of the Reasons for their Maintenance
  • Paulini, Sebastian: An Analysis of Economic Structure and Commodity Flows in the German Armament Industry
  • Peist, Moritz: Regional integration and cooperation through the CFA Franc? – A case study on the influence of a currency arrangement on the WAEMU region
  • Stein, Viktoria: Corona-Krise: Auswirkungen der fiskalpolitischen Maßnahmen der Realwirtschaft

2020

  • Al-Eryani, Hadil: The Impacts of the Austerity policy between 2009-2012 on the Healthcare system in Spain
  • Aytutucu, Hasan: Umwelt- und Klimaschutz in den Nachhaltigkeitskapiteln der Handelsabkommen der Europäischen Union
  • Fritzler, Kevin: Shadow banking in Argentina: What caused the rise of the phenomenon in this emerging economy?
  • Yapici, Onur: Beschäftigungswirkungen der deutschen Leistungsbilanzüberschüsse

2019

2018

  • Kleebank, Michael: Sportmarketing - Geschäft ohne Verantwortung?
  • Thiele, Jonas: Corporate Venture Capital als Strategiemittel zum Wandel der deutschen Automobilindustrie zum Service - und Mobilitätsdienstleister

2017

2016

2015

  • Behrens, Alexandra: Eurobonds als Instrument zur Finanzmarktentwicklung?
  • Rätscher, Matthias: Schattenbanken – Eine unterschätzte Gefahr für das Finanzsystem?
  • Ringler, Katharina: Between Paradigms – Renewable Energy Policy of Chile

Publications & Talks

  • Studies and position papers on national and regional financial market development, e.g. on North Africa and Middle East countries (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia), Sub-Saharan Africa (CMA, SACU, SADC, CFA, ECOWAS), South Asia (SAARC), Brazil, India and South Africa
  • Development of concepts and programmes for financial sector related schemes and capacity building, e.g. for representatives of central banks and regulatory authorities from the PRoC and Viet Nam
  • Expert opinions, e.g. on behalf of the Financial Committee of the German Bundestag
  • Advisory capacity for conferences, seminars and workshops with both international, regional and local policy makers, supervisory authorities and practitioners, e.g. in India and South Africa
  • Talks and lectures, e.g. on behalf of Central Banking Events; missions abroad.
     

2019

  • Freie Universität Berlin, Makroprudentielle Überwachung nach der Globalen Finanzkrise (engl. Macroprudential Supervision after the Global Financial Crisis), Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Ringvorlesung ‚Finanzkrisen und Geldsysteme‘, Berlin, 10 July.

2018

  • Finanzausschuss des Deutschen Bundestages, Sachverständige in der öffentlichen Anhörung des Finanzausschusses des Deutschen Bundestages zum Antrag der Fraktion der DIE LINKE „Zehn Jahren nach der Pleite der Investmentbank Lehman Brothers“ sowie zum dem Antrag der Fraktion BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN „Finanzwende anpacken“ (engl. Expert opinion during the public hearing of the Financial Committee of the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany on 10 years after Lehman Brothers Default), Berlin, 10 December 2018.
  • Southwestern University of Finance and Economics Chengdu (China), Berlin School of Economics and Law, Deutsche Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Berlin and Brandenburg, The People’s Bank of China, Shanghai Head Office, Macroprudential Supervision in Europe, 19th Monetary Policy Workshop ‘Monetary Policy and Financial Security’, Shanghai, 13-14 November 2018.
  • Politischer Salon Manstein 4, Last Exit Basel – Braucht der Finanzmarkt immer mehr Regulierung? (engl. Last Exit Basel – Do Financial Markets Need More Regulation?), Berlin, 16 May.
  • Salon der Komischen Oper und der Schering Stiftung, Mikro, Makro, Markt? Zu den Auswirkungen einer globalisierten Marktwirtschaft (engl. Micro, Macro, Market? On the Impacts of a Globalised Market Economy), Berlin, 23 April.

2017

  • International Economic Association (IEA), The Real Exchange Rate, Structural Change and Female Labor Force Participation, 18th World Congress, Mexico City (Mexico), 19-23 June. 
  • International Network for Economic Research (INFER) with Labaratoire d’Analyse et de Recherche en Economie et Finance Internationales and Université Bordeaux, The Real Exchange Rate and Female Labor Force Participation, INFER 19th Annual Conference, Bordeaux (France), 7-9 June. 
  • Berliner Börsenverein e.V., Private X Public Saving – Discussion on Private Pensions, Berlin, 1 June. 
  • International Monetary Fund, The Real Exchange Rate and Female Labor Force Participation, Conference on Gender and Macroeconomics, Washington, D.C. (USA), March 23-24, 2017.

2016

  • University of Tübingen, „BREXIT – (Gem)Einsamer Markt? (engl. BREXIT – A (Desolate) Market?), Forum Scientiarum Universität Tübingen Ökonomische Schuldverhältnisse – Perspektiven auf Verschuldung, Tübingen (Germany), 6 July.
  • Free University Berlin, Die Große Finanzkrise (engl. The Global Financial Crisis),  Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Modul Wirtschaftsgeschichte ‚Finanzkrise und Geldsystem‘, Berlin (Germany), 16 June 2016.
  • African Tax Administration Forum, Berlin School of Economics and Law and GIZ, Graduation Celebration Speech for MA Tax graduates, Pretoria (South Africa) 17 March.
  • Levy Economics Institute of Bard College, Discussant on “Developing a Macro-Micro Model for Analysis of Gender Impact of Public Policy” by Jerome de Henau and Susan Himmelweit, Gender and Macroeconomics – Current State of Research and Future Directions, New York (USA), 9-11 March.
  • Verein für Entwicklungsökonomische Forschungsförderung and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), ‚Mobilisierung von privatem Kapital für Entwicklungsfinanzierung‘ (engl.Mobilising Private Capital for Development Finance), Schloss Montabaur (Germany), 4.-5. February.

Current work in progress:

  • 2018-2020 (with Hansjörg Herr): Public Debt and Monetary Policy – A Research Project Funded by the Deutsche Bundesbank.
  • 2020 (with Brigitte Young): Distributional Impacts of Unconventional Monetary Policy
  • 2019 (with Jennifer Pédussel Wu): Moving Minds and Money: The Political Economy of Migrant Transfers - A Research Agenda Proposal.
  • 2019 (with Jennifer Pédussel Wu and Stephanie Radosevic): International Migration and Remittances.

Most recent publications:

1. Monographs

2. Contributions to refereed journals and series

3. Contributions to books

  • (2015) Regional Integration and Co-operation, in: Niikondo, A. (ed.), The Management and Administration of Development in the Southern African Development Community Region, Cape Town: Publishing World SA, pp. 38-72.
  • (2011) (with Günther Taube) The Art of Supervision by Emerging Markets: Impacts on the Global Financial Governance Agenda, in: Metzger, M. (ed.), Global Financial Stability: A Dialogue on Regulation and Cooperation. Selected Expert Papers from the Dialogue Forums 2010. Deutsche Gesellschaft für international Zusammenarbeit: Berlin, pp. 47-62.

4. Non-refereed contributions, studies and research memoranda

Projects

Moving minds and money (MMM) is a project currently comprising three core components. Its goal is to produce well-founded research on the global financial industry in transition, as well as to support and initiate real-world projects in the context of financial inclusion and leveraging digital financial solutions with the objective of emancipation and independence.

OurVillage

Summer school (2022) and DiGiCamp (2023) in cooperation with FSEGT of Tunis El Manar

The international summer school programs are a joint initiative of HWR Berlin and FSEGT Tunis revolving around critical questions concerning the development and rapidly progressing digitalization of the global financial industry. The programs encourage student involvement and seek their input in developing novel solutions and approaches to pressing questions within the field.

Research Into Financial Services Settings (RIFTS)

This is an international working group currently focusing on the influence of pro-poor digital financial services on the remittance market, in particularly in Africa, and financial inclusion in general. A first Workshop ‘FinTechs, Remittances and Development’ took place in Berlin, 21-22 June 2018.

Co-operation partners: Namibian University of Science and Technology (Windhoek/Namibia), LIEI Research Center, University Tunis El MANAR, University of Cantabria (Spain), Universita degli di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale (Italy)

In co-operation with Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE Chengdu/China) and Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin and Brandenburg as well as the People’s Bank of China, Shanghai Head Office BSEL holds regularly monetary policy workshops. Actually, BSEL has a long-standing co-operation with SWUFE, going back as far as 1986; meanwhile it covers a double degree Master’s programme, regular exchanges of students, lecturers and professors, joint research projects and the monetary-policy-workshop series.

The workshops seek to bring together representatives of academia with central bankers and policy makers for a dialogue on current issues of domestic monetary policy and international monetary architecture. They are alternately organised by SWUFE and BSEL. So, in November 2018 we were happy to meet our colleagues at the 19. Monetary Policy Workshop at the People's Bank of China, Shanghai. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the in-presence workshops had to stop for the time being.

Co-operation partners: Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin, SWUFE Chengdu.

Funding: Deutsche Bundesbank, SWUFE, own resources.

In this project we analyse the interplay of the risks arising from sovereign bonds in the banking system and the conduct of independent monetary policy. Although the banking union in the EZ is not completed, nor been put to test, yet, the institutional design promises the reduction of the bank-sovereign nexus (Breckenfelder/Schwaab 2015) in order to break-up the "diabolic loop" (Schoenmaker 2014, p.3) of deteriorating banks' balance sheets and rising public debt. However, the banking union can be only effective in that respect if and when the banking system is the starting point of that vicious circle.

Method: Both theoretical analysis and semi-structured interviews with involved agents.

Co-operation partner: In order to conduct a comparative study, we will carry out a joint research project with partners from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) Chengdu.
Funding: Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin and Brandenburg


 

Macroprudential oversight is an essential task to ensure financial market stability. Until the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007/08 advanced countries used rather microprudential indicators and policies to analyse and assess financial sector risks which have turned out to be insufficient. In this project, we would like to analyse the theoretical foundation of macroprudential oversight as well as the tasks of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), the German Financial Stability Committee (G-FSC) and the Deutsche Bundesbank’s role within this institutional setting.

We are particularly interested in possible overlaps and inconsistencies within the newly introduced institutions and their activities, including issues of (lacking) reciprocity of macroprudential policies across the EU. Additionally, we would like to find out whether there are blind spots in the oversight mechanisms. Also potential conflicts of interest between the Deutsche Bundesbank and the ECB, in terms of their mandate, will be discussed.

Method: Both theoretical analysis and semi-structured interviews with involved agents.

Co-operation partner: In order to conduct a comparative study, partners from SWUFE are going to examine the Chinese macroprudential oversight mechanisms. Both results will be inter alia presented at the 19. Monetary Policy Workshop in Chengdu in autumn 2018.

Funding: Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin and Brandenburg

The Master´s programme in Tax Policy and Tax Administration (MA Tax) is a 15-month executive MA programme with a strong African and international focus. It is designed for experienced tax officials and policy-makers in Sub-Saharan Africa and the wider Global South. A functioning public-finance system represents the backbone of a capable state that provides public goods and services according to citizens’ basic needs and demands in a transparent and accountable manner. Thus it is suggested, then, that governments are committed to providing systems that ensure the effective, simple and fair collection of taxes in order to finance inclusive and sustainable development. The MA Tax programme intends to contribute to these goals.

The third cohort of the MA Tax programme, in co-operation with ATAF and GIZ, has been put on hold until further notice. Although Berlin School of Economics and Law intended to open applications in the Fall of 2018, GIZ informed us that there would be a call coming for a renewed co-operation between ATAF, GIZ, and an eligible university to jointly offer a MA Degree in taxation.  Given this new situation, Berlin School of Economics and Law decided to postpone the opening of the application for the MA Tax programme. Any change to the Berlin School of Economics and Law position will be announced here. If you would like to be informed about future changes in the MA Tax programme by the Berlin School of Economics and Law, please send us an e-mail.

Co-operation partners: African Tax Administration Forum,  Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD Brighton/UK), University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg/South Africa).

Funding: European Union, German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.

This relatively recent co-operation, launched only in 2015, operates since then with a limited exchange of students, lecturers and professors. We intend to deepen the co-operation with workshops on a topic of mutual interest and relevance for promoting sustainable development, for instance on FinTechs. Accordingly, we were happy to host the international workshop ‘FinTechs, Remittances and Development’ in Berlin, 21-22 June 2018. While in Africa still a relevant share of population is cut-off from traditional financial services, the access to digital services and the coverage with mobile phones is in the overwhelming majority of African countries comprehensive.

In some African countries, we even find several pioneers of digital financial services. The most famous country pioneering digital financial services is Kenya, in which the traditional rift between telecommunication and financial services has been resolved. Several other countries are also displaying innovative entrepreneurial initiatives worthwhile to explore deeply the triggering and hampering factors in diverse macroeconomic and regulative environments. 

Funding: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Projects

Moving minds and money (MMM) is a project currently comprising three core components. Its goal is to produce well-founded research on the global financial industry in transition, as well as to support and initiate real-world projects in the context of financial inclusion and leveraging digital financial solutions with the objective of emancipation and independence.

OurVillage

Summer school (2022) and DiGiCamp (2023) in cooperation with FSEGT of Tunis El Manar

The international summer school programs are a joint initiative of HWR Berlin and FSEGT Tunis revolving around critical questions concerning the development and rapidly progressing digitalization of the global financial industry. The programs encourage student involvement and seek their input in developing novel solutions and approaches to pressing questions within the field.

Research Into Financial Services Settings (RIFTS)

This is an international working group currently focusing on the influence of pro-poor digital financial services on the remittance market, in particularly in Africa, and financial inclusion in general. A first Workshop ‘FinTechs, Remittances and Development’ took place in Berlin, 21-22 June 2018.

Co-operation partners: Namibian University of Science and Technology (Windhoek/Namibia), LIEI Research Center, University Tunis El MANAR, University of Cantabria (Spain), Universita degli di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale (Italy)

In co-operation with Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE Chengdu/China) and Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin and Brandenburg as well as the People’s Bank of China, Shanghai Head Office BSEL holds regularly monetary policy workshops. Actually, BSEL has a long-standing co-operation with SWUFE, going back as far as 1986; meanwhile it covers a double degree Master’s programme, regular exchanges of students, lecturers and professors, joint research projects and the monetary-policy-workshop series.

The workshops seek to bring together representatives of academia with central bankers and policy makers for a dialogue on current issues of domestic monetary policy and international monetary architecture. They are alternately organised by SWUFE and BSEL. So, in November 2018 we were happy to meet our colleagues at the 19. Monetary Policy Workshop at the People's Bank of China, Shanghai. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the in-presence workshops had to stop for the time being.

Co-operation partners: Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin, SWUFE Chengdu.

Funding: Deutsche Bundesbank, SWUFE, own resources.

In this project we analyse the interplay of the risks arising from sovereign bonds in the banking system and the conduct of independent monetary policy. Although the banking union in the EZ is not completed, nor been put to test, yet, the institutional design promises the reduction of the bank-sovereign nexus (Breckenfelder/Schwaab 2015) in order to break-up the "diabolic loop" (Schoenmaker 2014, p.3) of deteriorating banks' balance sheets and rising public debt. However, the banking union can be only effective in that respect if and when the banking system is the starting point of that vicious circle.

Method: Both theoretical analysis and semi-structured interviews with involved agents.

Co-operation partner: In order to conduct a comparative study, we will carry out a joint research project with partners from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE) Chengdu.
Funding: Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin and Brandenburg


 

Macroprudential oversight is an essential task to ensure financial market stability. Until the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2007/08 advanced countries used rather microprudential indicators and policies to analyse and assess financial sector risks which have turned out to be insufficient. In this project, we would like to analyse the theoretical foundation of macroprudential oversight as well as the tasks of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB), the German Financial Stability Committee (G-FSC) and the Deutsche Bundesbank’s role within this institutional setting.

We are particularly interested in possible overlaps and inconsistencies within the newly introduced institutions and their activities, including issues of (lacking) reciprocity of macroprudential policies across the EU. Additionally, we would like to find out whether there are blind spots in the oversight mechanisms. Also potential conflicts of interest between the Deutsche Bundesbank and the ECB, in terms of their mandate, will be discussed.

Method: Both theoretical analysis and semi-structured interviews with involved agents.

Co-operation partner: In order to conduct a comparative study, partners from SWUFE are going to examine the Chinese macroprudential oversight mechanisms. Both results will be inter alia presented at the 19. Monetary Policy Workshop in Chengdu in autumn 2018.

Funding: Deutsche Bundesbank Regional Office Berlin and Brandenburg

The Master´s programme in Tax Policy and Tax Administration (MA Tax) is a 15-month executive MA programme with a strong African and international focus. It is designed for experienced tax officials and policy-makers in Sub-Saharan Africa and the wider Global South. A functioning public-finance system represents the backbone of a capable state that provides public goods and services according to citizens’ basic needs and demands in a transparent and accountable manner. Thus it is suggested, then, that governments are committed to providing systems that ensure the effective, simple and fair collection of taxes in order to finance inclusive and sustainable development. The MA Tax programme intends to contribute to these goals.

The third cohort of the MA Tax programme, in co-operation with ATAF and GIZ, has been put on hold until further notice. Although Berlin School of Economics and Law intended to open applications in the Fall of 2018, GIZ informed us that there would be a call coming for a renewed co-operation between ATAF, GIZ, and an eligible university to jointly offer a MA Degree in taxation.  Given this new situation, Berlin School of Economics and Law decided to postpone the opening of the application for the MA Tax programme. Any change to the Berlin School of Economics and Law position will be announced here. If you would like to be informed about future changes in the MA Tax programme by the Berlin School of Economics and Law, please send us an e-mail.

Co-operation partners: African Tax Administration Forum,  Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD Brighton/UK), University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg/South Africa).

Funding: European Union, German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit.

This relatively recent co-operation, launched only in 2015, operates since then with a limited exchange of students, lecturers and professors. We intend to deepen the co-operation with workshops on a topic of mutual interest and relevance for promoting sustainable development, for instance on FinTechs. Accordingly, we were happy to host the international workshop ‘FinTechs, Remittances and Development’ in Berlin, 21-22 June 2018. While in Africa still a relevant share of population is cut-off from traditional financial services, the access to digital services and the coverage with mobile phones is in the overwhelming majority of African countries comprehensive.

In some African countries, we even find several pioneers of digital financial services. The most famous country pioneering digital financial services is Kenya, in which the traditional rift between telecommunication and financial services has been resolved. Several other countries are also displaying innovative entrepreneurial initiatives worthwhile to explore deeply the triggering and hampering factors in diverse macroeconomic and regulative environments. 

Funding: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

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