Unsere Mission als Wirtschaftswissenschaftlicher Bereich ist es, die Welt heute und für zukünftige Generationen durch exzellente Forschung, Bildung und gesellschaftliches Engagement zu verbessern. Die wirtschaftlichen, gesellschaftlichen und persönlichen Transformationsprozesse einer zunehmend komplexer werdenden Welt möchten wir verstehen, vermitteln und verändern. Dies tun wir in den Bereichen Nachhaltigkeit, Digitalisierung und Governance.

Das Team der Professur für Statistik setzt dies in Lehrveranstaltungen, Projekten und wissenschaftlicher Forschung um. Beispielsweise wird …

• in der Lehre durch die Vermittlung der Kompetenz der Statistical Literacy einer der wichtigsten Grundsteine dafür gelegt, dass in der digitalisierten Welt omnipräsente, auf statistischen Informationen basierende Aussagen und Argumente richtig verstanden und kritisch reflektiert werden können. Dies wiederum ist Grundvoraussetzung für eine sachlich fundierte Partizipation an gesellschaftlichen (Entscheidungs-)Prozessen und damit einer derjenigen Bausteine, der kontextuell vielfältige „Good Governance“ ermöglicht.

• in der Forschung im Rahmen interdisziplinärer Projekte Wissen im Kontext verschiedener wirtschaftlicher und gesellschaftlich relevanter Themen generiert; darunter im Kontext der Bewältigung der sogenannten „Plastikkrise“ durch kreislaufwirtschaftliche Ansätze, der Arbeitsmarktsituation von Menschen mit Behinderungen, der Jugendarbeits- bzw. Jugendhilfestrukturen in der Stadt Halle (Saale) oder des Katastrophenmanagements. So leisten wir einen Beitrag zur Erarbeitung und Implementierung von ökologisch, ökonomisch und sozial nachhaltigen Lösungsstrategien für aktuelle gesellschaftliche Probleme.

• durch unsere inter- und transdisziplinäre Arbeit ein Transfer von Methodenkompetenzen und Forschungsergebnissen realisiert. So arbeiten wir beispielsweise eng mit ausgewählten Jugendhilfeträgern der Stadt Halle (Saale) zusammen und erreichen durch Forschungsleistung und Praxisprojekte eine enge Verzahnung von Forschung, Lehre und Governance-Strukturen.

Successful completion of our field project

On 23rd of November 2023, the results presentation of our course "Praxisprojekt empirische Sozialforschung (Teil I): Qualitative Exploration eines neuen Forschungsfeldes" from the summer term 2023 took place.

The field project, in which highly motivated students from the Master programs in Economics took part, dealt with the current discussion about youth work and youth crime in Halle (Saale). 16 Master students conducted 33 interviews with actors, who are directly or indirectly involved in this debate. The collected qualitative data was then analyzed using the method GABEK®   . The results were presented at a meeting of the Master students and interviewees. Further valuable discussions developed during the following get-together.

The event was supported by our alumni association insitu e.V.

In the winter term 2023/2024, part II of the field project takes place under the title "Punktuelle, quantitativ-empirische Vertiefung & Verbreiterung der Ergebnisse des ersten Teils", for which 26 Master students have registered.

News from research

In the new issue of GAIA    – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society – there are two exciting articles about our research.

Together with Prof. Dr. Amelie Wuppermann (Chair of Empirical Microeconomics) and our former student assistant Valerija Gottselig, Dr. Christoph Herrmann has published an article on the effect of green nudges on consumer evaluation of sustainable food. The paper is based on the results of the master thesis of Ms. Gottselig. We are very pleased that such an exciting publication has resulted from her thesis.

In addition, Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter is featured in the same issue together with our former colleague Dr. Sebastian Rhein with a study on the circular economy strategies of German retailers regarding plastic packaging.
We are pleased about this great presence of our faculty and chairs in GAIA.

The open access papers can be read at the following links:

Gottselig, V., Wuppermann, A., & Herrmann, C. (2023). Effects of green nudges on consumer valuation of sustainable food: A discrete choice experiment. GAIA-Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 32(2). 233-240. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.32.2.6   .

Sträter, K. F., & Rhein, S. (2023). Plastic packaging: Are German retailers on the way towards a circular economy? Companies’ strategies and perspectives on consumers. GAIA-Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 32(2), 241-248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14512/gaia.32.2.7   .

GAIA_02/2023

End of summer term

The summer term 2023 is coming to an end. – A reason for us to celebrate this again this year with the traditional end-of-semester barbecue of the Faculty of Law and Economics in the WiWi courtyard, in which numerous colleagues participated.

For the upcoming exams, we wish our students much success and good luck.

L. V. Kantorovič Research Award

On 11 July 2023, the L. V. Kantorovič Research Prize was awarded to Dr. Sebastian Rhein for his PhD thesis, which was graded "summa cum laude", entitled "On the way towards a circular economy? An empirical analysis of consumer and corporate attitudes regarding a sustainable use of plastic packaging".

The award ceremony took place during the members' meeting of ifu – Institut für Unternehmensforschung und Unternehmensführung an der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg e.V.

We congratulate him from our hearts.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker (Gutachterin der Dissertation), Dr.
Sebastian Rhein, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ralf Michael Ebeling
(Vorstandsvorsitzender des ifu) (v. l. n. r.)

A report about the award ceremony can also be found in our university magazine "Campus Halensis   ".

Thanks to our student assistants

Our student assistants – Birte Knüppel, Albert Neumann and Tim Gebauer – gave us great support and contributed to the success of "Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften" on 7th of July 2023.

Many thanks!

Tim Gebauer, Birte Knüppel, Albert Neumann (v. l. n. r.)

Au Revoir – Dr. Sebastian Rhein moves on

In the context of an internal chair get-together, we celebrated the – for our team very regrettable – leaving of Dr. Sebastian Rhein.

From January 2020 to June 2023, he supported and enriched the Chair of Statistics as a research assistant.

We wish him all the best for his future.

Sponsorship of insitu e.V.

Our representative professor – PD Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter – has received this year's insitu e.V. sponsorship award in the category of teaching. This was presented to her during the award ceremony on 9th of June 2023.

With the sponsorship, she would like to realize the field project "Empirische Sozialforschung Teil I u. II zum Thema Jugendarbeit/Jugendhilfe der Stadt Halle (Saale)" – a course offered by the Chair of Statistics in the summer term 2023 and winter term2023/2024.

With the sponsorship award, insitu e.V. (alumni association of the economics department) supports projects of our department in the categories teaching, research, social activities and chair equipment every year.

Martina Wellnitz (Vorstandsvorsitzende des insitu e.V.) und PD Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter

Certificate ceremony

On 28th of April 2023, our research associates – Dr. Christoph Herrmann and Dr. Sebastian Rhein – received their doctoral certificates and the Luther certificate for their PhD theses, which were graded "summa cum laude" at a ceremony in the auditorium of Löwengebäude.

PD Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter also received her postdoctoral qualification certificate during this ceremony.

Dr. Christoph Herrmann, Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker, Dr. Sebastian Rhein (v. l. n. r.)

Representative Professor at the Chair of Statistics

Since 1st of April 2023, PD Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter represents the Chair of Statistics as a representative professor. – Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker takes over the rector postion of MLU since September 2022.

PD Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter has successfully completed her postdoctoral qualification and was awarded the Venia Legendi for Economics after her qualification lecture entitled "Statistik ∀? An Exemplary Look at the Question: Why Who Should Have Statistical Literacy Competence and How?" she received the Venia Legendi for Economics.

Her qualification thesis "Mix it, baby! An exemplary discussion of the added value of qualitative methods in economics" was reviewed among others by Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker.

Successful doctorate

Our research associate – Christoph Herrmann – successfully completed his doctorate with "summa cum laude".

He defended his PhD thesis entitled "The agony of choice - A discussion of discrete choice experiments considering design aspects, methods of data analysis, and application areas" on 13th of February 2023 in front of the doctoral examination board, colleagues and his family.

Dr. Christoph Herrmann

Guest lecture by Prof. Dr. Josef Zelger

In the context of the Economics Research Colloquium of the department of Economics of MLU, Prof. Dr. Josef Zelger gave a lecture entitled "Qualitative Social Research with GABEK®" on 1st of February 2023.

Prof. Zelger is a social philosopher and has developed the method GABEK®    (Holistic Management of Complexity).

You can get the abstract here.

Prof. Dr. Josef Zelger

Postdoctoral qualification

Since 1st of February 2023, Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter has successfully completed her postdoctoral qualification and was awarded the Venia Legendi for Economics after her qualification lecture entitled "Statistik ∀? An Exemplary Look at the Question: Why Who Should Have Statistical Literacy Competence and How?" she received the Venia Legendi for Economics.

Her qualification thesis "Mix it, baby! An exemplary discussion of the added value of qualitative methods in economics" was reviewed among others by Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker.

PD Dr. Katharina Friederike Sträter

Appointment as rector

Since 01.09.2022, Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker takes over the rector position of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

Successful doctorate

In July 2022, our research associate – Dr. Sebastian Rhein – successfully completed his doctorate with "summa cum laude".

His cumulative PhD thesis entitled "On the way towards a circular economy? An empirical analysis of consumer and corporate attitudes regarding a sustainable use of plastic packaging" was defended in front of the doctoral examination board as well as colleagues, family and friends on 14 th of July 2022.

Dr. Sebastian Rhein

Teaching award 2021

On 17.01.2022 the teaching awards 2021 were awarded. Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker and her team were awarded with the 2nd place for their teaching at the Department of Economics. The teaching award was sponsored again by Volkswagen Financial Services AG.

Teaching award 2020

On 13.01.2021 the teaching awards 2020 were awarded. Prof. Dr. Claudia Becker and her team were awarded with the 2nd place for their teaching at the Department of Economics. The teaching award was sponsored again by Volkswagen Financial Services AG.