Media information
Gabriel Felbermayr to Be New President of the Kiel Institute
For Kiel University and its Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Sciences, Gabriel Felbermayr fulfills all the required criteria of academic excellence, policy consultation experience, and directorship of a major economic research institute, commented the President of Kiel University, Professor Lutz Kipp, in welcoming the new appointment: “Gabriel Felbermayr is a respected expert in international trade and a formidable personality. He is well connected in the academic community, both in Germany and beyond, and brings a very broad-based teaching portfolio to the students here in Kiel. We are confident that Professor Felbermayr will soon be making a very visible mark as the new President of the Kiel Institute.”
On behalf of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Minister-President Daniel Günther and Minister of Education Karin Prien issued the following statement: “The State Government is extremely pleased with the appointment of Professor Felbermayr, a man who excels in both academia and policy consultation, and who is exceptionally well suited to lead such a major non-university research institute. Professor Felbermayr is a regular commentator on major global economic issues, including import tariffs, export credits, and free trade agreements. He shares his insights with government policymakers and the public at large in many different ways.” Dr. Oliver Grundei, Head of the Kiel Institute’s Board of Governors and Schleswig-Holstein State Secretary of Science and Culture, noted that the Institute, University, and the Federal State of Schleswig-Holstein all stand to benefit from this new academic appointment and that the Institute in particular will be able to expand its reputation.
Professor Sonja Peterson, Scientific Director at the Kiel Institute, said: “The Institute is delighted to have found such expert new leadership. With his excellent reputation in international economics, Professor Felbermayr is the perfect fit for the academic profile of our organization. It is also very gratifying that the process has been completed so quickly, which means our incoming President can actively participate in the upcoming evaluation of the Kiel Institute by the Leibniz Association.”
Professor Felbermayr himself is looking forward “to working with the top researchers who are already here in Kiel and making policy-relevant contributions to the academic analysis of globalization. My goal is to help make Kiel a leading center of global economic research in Europe.”
A press photo of Professor Felbermayr will be made available on request by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Background information
About Gabriel Felbermayr
Gabriel Felbermayr (42) was born in 1976 in Austria. He studied economics at the University of Linz and received his Ph.D. from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, for his work on economic growth and international trade. He then held the position of Assistant Professor at the University of Tübingen from 2005 to 2008. He also received his habilitation there in 2008, with a thesis on trade and unemployment. From 2008 to 2011, he was Professor of Economics (with an emphasis on international economics and policies) at the University of Hohenheim. Since 2010, Felbermayr has been Director of the ifo Center for International Economics at the ifo Institute in Munich. He has combined this role since 2011 with a Professorship of Economics at the University of Munich (LMU). Felbermayr is a member of the Board of Academic Advisors to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and of the editorial boards of the European Economic Review and the Journal of the European Economic Association.
About the Kiel Institute
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy is one of the leading centers for global economic research, economic policy consultation, and economic education. An associated research institute of Kiel University (CAU), the Kiel Institute works closely with the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Social Sciences. The main role of the Institute is to develop innovative new solutions to problems affecting the global economy. Drawing on this research, the Institute provides advice to decision makers of government, business, and social policy while also informing the wider public on important economic issues.
The Kiel Institute has approximately 170 staff, including 95 academics. The annual budget is around EUR 14.5 million (2017). Basic funding is provided by the German Federal Government and the German federal states. In addition, the Institute receives third-party funding for selected research and other projects.
American economist Professor Dennis J. Snower (67) has been President of the Kiel Institute since 2004. His term ends in February 2019, due to having reached retirement age.