The Berlin School of Economics (BSoE) opened its new academic year on October 8, 2025, with its annual Welcome Event, hosted by the Hertie School in the Henrik Enderlein Forum. The evening brought together faculty, researchers, and students from across BSoE’s partner institutions to celebrate the start of a new year of research and collaboration.
Welcoming the Community
In her opening remarks, Cornelia Woll, President of the Hertie School, emphasized the importance of the BSoE as a joint academic venture uniting Berlin’s major research institutions in a single structure for doctoral and postdoctoral development.
She described the School as “a place where rigorous economic research meets pressing social challenges,” built on the legacies of the BDPEMS and BERA programmes and the spirit of collaboration among institutions such as the Hertie School, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, WZB, DIW, and others.
Following her remarks, Roland Strausz, Professor of Economics at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Speaker of the BSoE, introduced the 28 new PhD students, 18 Research Associates, and 11 new Faculty Members, marking the largest cohort in the School’s history. He underlined that the BSoE’s strength lies in collaboration rather than competition, bringing together institutions and researchers to advance economics in Berlin and beyond.
Introducing a New Partner Institution
Alexandra Spitz-Oener, Professor of Economics at HU Berlin and Deputy Director of the ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RF Berlin), presented the Foundation as the newest partner of the BSoE network.
Founded in 2021 by Christian Dustmann (UCL) and funded by the ROCKWOOL Foundation Denmark, RF Berlin conducts international research on migration, equity, inclusion, and human capital, and connects with over 400 research fellows worldwide. Collaborations extend to institutions such as CEPR, Harvard University, and Georgetown University, enhancing the network’s global engagement.
Keynote Lecture: The Economics of Women’s Rights
The evening’s highlight was the opening lecture by Michèle Tertilt, Professor of Economics at the University of Mannheim, on “The Economics of Women’s Rights.”
Tertilt began with a simple yet powerful question: Why do women in wealthier countries tend to have more rights — and where do these rights come from? Her talk explored the origins rather than the consequences of women’s rights, combining historical evidence with economic theory.
She structured her talk around four major phases in the evolution of women’s rights in the United States:
Her lecture highlighted that progress in women’s rights has not been linear. In the early 20th century, so-called “protective” labor laws limited women’s working hours and job types, often justified as safeguarding their well-being but in practice restricting economic participation.
Drawing on her joint research with Matthias Doepke and others, Tertilt presented a political economy model explaining that reforms were often driven not by moral awakening but by economic incentives and structural change. When economies shifted from agriculture to industrial and modern sectors, some groups—especially unskilled men—feared labor competition from women and supported restrictions, while rising female labor-force participation later helped lift those same barriers.
In her conclusion, Tertilt showed that the interaction between economic development, labor markets, and political power can both expand and contract women’s rights, offering an economic explanation for why gender equality evolves differently across societies.
Looking Ahead
The event closed with a reception and lively discussions among members of the Berlin economics community. As the BSoE begins a new academic year, the evening underscored the School’s central mission: fostering cooperation across institutions and generations to produce research that informs and inspires.
