Humboldt Professorship: Top research attracts international talent!

Humboldt Professorship: Top research attracts international talent!

Michael Weber, an outstanding economist at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, was recently awarded the Humboldt Professorship. This award is of outstanding importance as it is endowed with up to 5 million euros and serves to attract top international researchers to Germany. The professorship is financed by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space and by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awarded. The aim of this initiative is to promote long-term and important research projects in Germany.

Weber is the first recipient of the Humboldt Professorship to be awarded at a business school. ESMT President Jörg Rocholl highlights that Weber's appointment will not only strengthen research in economics and politics, but also position ESMT as a leading center for evidence-based insights in Europe.

Michael Weber's main research interests

Michael Weber is known for his innovative research that combines behavioral economics with macroeconomic theory. His focus is on how inflation expectations influence consumer behavior, savings decisions, and trust in economic institutions. A key finding of his work shows that clear and accessible communication from central banks increases their credibility and effectiveness.

To further strengthen his research work, Weber plans to found the European Expectations Center at ESMT. This center will function as a research institution that studies how household and business expectations about inflation arise and how they influence economic decisions. It does this by conducting a global annual survey, publishing academic and policy-oriented papers, and organizing events with stakeholders across Europe and beyond.

Context of the Humboldt Professorship

The Humboldt Professorship is awarded each year to up to ten international researchers who have the potential to sustainably enrich the German research landscape. According to information from Humboldt Foundation Universities in Germany and non-university research institutions are entitled to make nominations. In order to submit a nomination, the proposals must be routed through the rectors or presidents of the universities as well as other scientific management bodies of the research institutions.

Important criteria for nomination are the scientific quality of the candidates and integration into the strategic goals of the nominating institution. These requirements ensure that only exceptionally qualified researchers are considered to support the institutions' development strategies.

Michael Weber is expected to start working at ESMT in spring 2026 and will thus make a valuable contribution to the scientific community in Germany.

The developments surrounding the Humboldt Professorship illustrate Germany's commitment to attracting world-leading scientists and promoting innovative research. Additional research, such as those by Tobias Rötheli, show that the connection between behavioral economics and macroeconomic aspects is highly relevant for understanding contemporary economic challenges.