Ulm in the spotlight: Doctoral students triumph at the Nobel Laureate Meeting!

Ulm in the spotlight: Doctoral students triumph at the Nobel Laureate Meeting!

The 8th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Economic Sciences took place from August 28th to 31st, 2025. The event spanned five days and took place in both Lindau Island Hall as well as on the picturesque island of Mainau in Lake Constance. The aim of the conference was to exchange ideas between 20 Nobel Prize winners and 300 selected young researchers from all over the world.

Among the participants were Chiara Schwenke and Lukas Bauer, doctoral students from Ulm University who applied for this prestigious event. Schwenke, who researches at the Institute for Business Analytics, was particularly impressed by the opening event with the theme “Research and Innovation in a Tripolar World”. She discussed together with well-known personalities such as the Nobel Prize winner in physics Steven Chu, the former President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi and the Nobel Prize winner in economics Jean Tirole.

Research focuses and inspiring encounters

Chiara Schwenke focuses her research on trustworthy and explainable artificial intelligence as well as algorithmic fairness. Next to her, Lukas Bauer is working on his dissertation on effective management control systems at the Institute for Controlling. He had the opportunity to gain exciting insights into elite American universities over lunch with Sir Oliver Hart, the 2016 Nobel Prize winner in economics.

The Lindau Conference of Economic Sciences, which has taken place every three years since 2004, has established itself as a platform for young scientists to benefit from the experience and knowledge of the Nobel Prize winners. It should be noted that curiosity and critical questioning are central elements of research, which both Schwenke and Bauer emphasized during the event.

History and significance of the Nobel Prize in Economics

The Alfred Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, which has been awarded annually since 1969, is considered the most prestigious award in this field. It is an honor in memory of Alfred Nobel and was founded by the Swedish Riksbank in 1968 on the occasion of its 300th anniversary. Since the first award ceremony until 2023, a total of 93 Nobel Prizes in Economics have been awarded, with 90 winners being men and only three being women.

Statistics show that the majority of award winners come from the United States, followed by countries such as Great Britain, Norway and France. The prizewinners are often recognized for their groundbreaking contributions to economics, which underlines the great influence of the Lindau conference and the relevance of the prize.

The event not only encourages the exchange of knowledge, but also promotes the development of sustainable networks for young scientists worldwide. The long-standing tradition of this conference shows how important dialogue between different generations of scientists is in order to master future challenges in economics.