Chair of Empirical Economics

Welcome to the Website of the Chair of Empirical Research in Economics of Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar!

Here you will find information about the chair, the courses offered and the main research topics.

Für die deutsche Version bitte auf den Sprachenschalter oben in der grauen Leiste klicken.

NEWS

Prof. Cassar, Denise Feigl and co-authors win the 2nd Education Research Grant 2024

Prof. Lea Cassar is the principal investigator of the project "Improving Early Horizontal Tracking: An RCT on Boosting Cooperative Decision-Making Between Parents and Children", which won the 2nd Education Research Grant 2024, sponsored by the UniCredit Foundation. Besides her co-authors Christina Felfe de Ormeno and Maximilian Müller, Denise Feigl from the Chair of Empirical Economics is involved in this project.

You can find the official announcement here.

01.08.2023

Secretary's Office on Holidays

The secretariat will be closed from 7th to 27th of August 2023.

After this period all requests will again be processed as quickly as possible by e-mail.

Guest Lecture

Michele Bonanno from Impakter will give a guest lecture on "A green future: How to build a sustainable startup" as part of the Course Social Entrepeneurship on the 15.06.2023. The presentation will take place via Zoom. You can find the link on grips (link for the tutorial in this time slot).

Guest Lecture

Jens Eckberg will give a guest lecture on Thriving Green as part of the Course Social Entrepeneurship on the 04.05.2023. The presentation will take place via Zoom. You can find the link on grips (link for the tutorial in this time slot). 

Secretary's Office on Easter Holidays

The secretariat will be closed from 6th to 16th of April 2023 due to the Easter Holidays.

After this period all requests will again be processed as quickly as possible by e-mail.

Christmas Holidays

The Chair of Empirical Economics is on Christmas Holidays from the 22.12.2022 to 08.01.2023!

We wish you all MERRY CHRISTMAS and a good start into the NEW YEAR 2023!

Secretary's Office on Vacation

The secretariat will be closed from 8th to 29th of August 2022 due to holidays.

After this period all requests will again be processed as quickly as possible by e-mail.

Secretary's Office on Vacation

The secretariat will be closed from 3rd June to 13th June 2022 due to holidays.

From 14th of June 2022 all requests will again be processed as quickly as possible by e-mail.

Secretary's Office on Vacation

The secretariat will be closed from 28th February to 4th March 2022 due to holidays.

From 7th of March 2022 all requests will again be processed as quickly as possible by e-mail.

Prof. Lea Cassar on Research Sabbatical

The course "Social Entrepreneurship" will NOT take place in the summer semester 2022 due to a research sabbatical of Prof. Lea Cassar.

Secretariat on Christmas holiday

The secretariat will be closed from 22.12.21 to 09.01.22. 

Stay well!

Prof. Lea Cassar in the Handelsblatt Young Economist Ranking: Among the Top 10 Percent

Prof. Lea Cassar is listed in this year's Young Economist Ranking of the Handelsblatt, which every two years evaluates the research performance of German-speaking economists below the age of 40.

At 62nd place, Prof. Lea Cassar is among the top 10 percent of German-speaking economists worldwide. Referring to the publications "A and A+", she is even among the top 5 percent (29th rank). Prof. Lea Cassar is one of only 8 women listed in this year's ranking.

You can find the complete Young Economist Ranking here.

WHK (35 hrs / month) wanted, starting 16.11.2021

Photo: Chase Clark on Unsplash

Dear students,

For the upcoming winter semester our chair is looking for a WHK (working student with a bachelor's degree), starting 16.11.2021. In their role as WHK, the successful candidate will support Prof. Cassar in conducting her research as well as with administrative tasks. The person is required to work 35 hrs / month and will be compensated with 420 € monthly.

For further information please have a look at the job description.

Please submit your CV, transcript of records (flexnow) and a short cover letter via email (sekretariat.cassar@ur.de) by 24.09.2021.

We're looking forward to having you on board! :)

Dr. Helena Fornwagner to win "Euregio Young Researcher Award"

Photo: Land Tyrol/Sedlak

We have great news to share: Dr. Helena Fornwagner was able to win the "Euregio Young Researcher Award" for her joint project with Dr. Oliver Hauser (University of Exeter) - "Climate Action for (my) children".

She prevailed against 23 other young researchers from all scientific disciplines with her written application and performance at a competitive final presentation round.

The award is very prestigious in the Tyrol - South Tyrol - Trentino region ("Euregio"). It was awarded to her at a big ceremony during the European Forum Alpbach by the three provincial governors and is worth 5,000 €.

Congratulations, Helena!

Video of "Regensburg Research Hour" with Dr. Helena Fornwagner online

As announced earlier, Dr. Helena Fornwagner gave a presentation on "Auf die Plätze, fertig, los! Über Wettbewerbsverhalten aus ökonomischer Sicht" as part of the "Regensburg Research Hour". A video of the event can be watched here.

Secretary's Office on Vacation

The secretary's office won't be occupied from 13th August until 5th September 2021.

Mrs. Gilg will repsond to your emails as soon as possible upon her return.

Please note that due to the Covid-19 pandemic the secretary's office is still not occupied physically. Please continue sending your requests via email to: sekretariat.cassar@ur.de .

Thank you for your understanding and stay healthy!

Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar's paper featured in The Guardian

The paper "Macroeconomic Conditions When Young Shape Job Preferences for Life" written by Lea Cassar, Stephan Meier, Maria Cotofan and Robert Dur was featured in an article by The Guardian.

Read the whole article "Our First Economic Experiences Affect our Relationship with Work for Life" here.

Tutors wanted for "Einführung in die Ökonometrie"! (German speakers only)

Liebe Studierende,

Ihnen macht Ökonometrie Spaß? Sie sind auf der Suche nach einer Stelle im Wintersemester? Und Sie wollten schon immer einmal wissen, wie es ist, die Seiten zu wechseln und zu unterrichten, statt unterrichtet zu werden? Dann sind Sie hier genau richtig!

Unser Lehrstuhl ist auf der Suche nach Übungsleiter/innen für den Kurs Einführung in die Ökonometrie (Bachelor) im Wintersemester 2021/2022.

Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Bewerbungen bis spätestens 30.7.2021. Mehr Informationen zur Stellenausschreibung und zum Bewerbungsverfahren finden Sie hier.

Article on paper co-authored by Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar published in The Wall Street Journal

The paper "Intentions for Doing Good Matter for Doing Well: The Negative Effects of Prosocial Incentives" written by Lea Cassar and Stephan Meier was discussed in an article by The Wall Street Journal.

Read the whole article "Using Philanthropy to Motivate Employees Can Backfire" here.

Guest Lecture by Kofi Hope

On Wednesday, 30th June 2021 at 4.00 - 5.30 p.m., Kofi Hope, CEO & Co-founder of "Monumental" (Toronto, Canada), will talk about the importance of the redistribution of power in unjust systems and why now is the best time for change. The presentation is part of the lecture "Social Entrepreneurship" and will take place via Zoom.

Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar's interview with "Zeit Campus" published

Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar discusses the paper "Macroeconomic Conditions When Young Shape Job Preferences for Life" written by herself, Stephan Meier, Maria Cotofan and Robert Dur in an interview with the German newspaper ZEIT Campus.

Read the whole interview "Ein Job mit Sinn ist Luxus" here.

Guest Lecture in Course "Social Entrepreneurship"

On Monday, 21st June 2021 at 12.15 p.m., Annika Schneider from "Purpose" will give a lecture on "Steward Ownership (Verantwortungseigentum)". The presentation is part of the lecture "Social Entrepreneurship" and will take place via Zoom.

Presentation "Auf die Plätze, fertig, los! Über Wettbewerbsverhalten aus ökonomischer Sicht" by Dr. Helena Fornwagner

Graphic: Dr. Helena Fornwagner

On Monday, 28th June 2021 from 5.00 - 6.00 p.m., Dr. Helena Fornwagner will give a presentation on "Auf die Plätze, fertig, los! Über Wettbewerbsverhalten aus ökonomischer Sicht" as part of the "Regensburg Research Hour".

The presentation will take place via Zoom. For more information and login details, please follow this link.

Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar's article "Für die Generation Corona wird Geld wichtiger als Sinn" published in Süddeutsche Zeitung

Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar's article "Für die Generation Corona wird Geld wichtiger als Sinn" was published in Süddeutsche Zeitung. In this article, Prof. Cassar discusses the findings of the paper “Macroeconomic Conditions When Young Shape Job Preferences for Life”, which was written by Lea Cassar, Stephan Meier, Maria Cotofan and Robert Dur.

Read the article here.

Symposium "Social AND Entrepreneurship - the new standard?"

On Wednesday, 2nd June 2021 at 10.15 am, our chair hosts a symposium on the topic "Social AND Entrepreneurship - the new standard?" as part of the Regensburger Nachhaltigkeitswoche 2021 ("week for sustainability").

In our panel discussion we want to discuss the potential of social entrepreneurship in the post-Covid-19 economy. Has the Covid-19 pandemic helped or hindered the foundation of social businesses? Has social entrepreneurship the potential to revolutionize the way we do business and to become the new standard in a future economy? If yes, how do we get there?

Our guests will be

• Kristina Notz from Social Entrepreneurship Academy, Munich
• Thomas Greulich from Bean United, Munich
• Michele Bonanno from Impakter, London
• Annika Schneider from Purpose, Cologne

The discussion will be moderated by Prof. Lea Cassar. We're looking forward to an interesting discussion!

The event will be held via Zoom. Please use this link to dial in.

Secretary's Office on Vacation

The secretary's office won't be occupied from 25th May until 31st May 2021.

Mrs. Gilg will repsond to your emails as soon as possible upon her return.

Please note that due to the Covid-19 pandemic the secretary's office is still not occupied physically. Please continue sending your requests via email to: sekretariat.cassar@ur.de .

Thank you for your understanding and stay healthy!

Dr. Alekseev's paper "Experiments on the fly" published in Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

We want to congratulate Dr. Aleksandr Alekseev and his colleagues on the publication of their paper "Experiments on the fly" in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization in June 2021!

In this paper, they conduct a laboratory experiment to examine the "flypaper effect" and find consistent and robust evidence that grants increase expenditures more than an equal increase in income. The abstract can be accessed via this link.

Congratulations, Alex!

Guest Lecture in the Course "Social Entrepreneurship"

On Wednesday, 28th April 2021 at 10.15 a.m., Jens Eckberg from "Thriving Green" will give a lecture on "Thriving Green - Experiences and Learnings in Social Entrepreneurship". The presentation is part of the lecture "Social Entrepreneurship" and will take place via Zoom.

Dr. Alekseev's paper "Give me a challenge or give me a raise" published in Experimental Economics

We want to congratulate Dr. Aleksandr Alekseev on the publication of his paper “Give me a challenge or give me a raise” in the international journal Experimental Economics in March 2021!

In this paper, he discusses the relations between task difficulty, incentives and effort. The paper can be accessed via this link.

Congratulations, Alex!

Secretary's Office on Vacation

The secretary's office won't be occupied from 1st April until 7th April 2021.

Mrs. Gilg will repsond to your emails as soon as possible upon her return.

Please note that due to the Covid-19 pandemic the secretary's office is still not occupied physically. Please continue sending your requests via email to: sekretariat.cassar@ur.de .

Thank you for your understanding and stay healthy!

Courses in the Summer Term

Aware that English is probably not the native language of the participants, possible language barriers are taken into account.

Dr. Helena Fornwagner to receive funding

Dr. Helena Fornwagner (postdoc at our chair) applied for research funding from the University of Regensburg’s Foundation Lucia and Dr. Otfried Eberz. She was able to convince the foundation board of her proposed project and received funding of 11,500 euros for her research in the field of gender research and competitive behavior.

Congratulations!

Secretariat on Vacation

The secretariat is on holiday from 22 December to 7 January.

Please note that due to Covid-19 the secretariat is still not occupied personally. Therefore, please carry on sending your requests by e-mail to: sekretariat.cassar@ur.de

They will be processed in the Home Office.

Thank you for your understanding. Stay healthy and well!

Enactus Regensburg e.V. - Kick-Off 2020 via Zoom

On Thursday, 12th November at 6 p.m., the team of Enactus Regensburg e.V. invites everyone who is interested to their Kick-Off-Meeting 2020 via Zoom.

Enactus Regensburg e.V. is a voluntary student organization with the purpose of helping socially disadvantaged people and the environment. New members are always welcome. The login details for the Zoom meeting can be found on their Facebook and Instagram channel.

For more information about Enactus Regensburg e.V., please follow this link.

Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar on Parental Leave

Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar is on parental leave in winter term 2020/21 (November 2020 - February 2021).

Guest Lecture in the Course "Social Entrepreneurship"

On Wednesday 8th July at 10.15 a.m. Annika Schneider from "Purpose" will give a guest lecture on "Steward Ownership". The lecture will take place via Zoom in the course "Social Entrepreneurship".

Guest Lecture in the Course "Social Entrepreneurship"

On Wednesday 20th May at 10.15 a.m. Jens Eckberg from "Thriving Green" will be a guest of the course "Social Entrepreneurship". He will give a lecture on the topic "Thriving Green - Experiences and Learnings in Social Entrepreneurship" via Zoom.

Guest Lecture in the Course "Social Entrepreneurship"

On Monday, May 18, 12.15 p.m., Bernadette Stöckl from the Social Entrepreneurship Academy will give a lecture on the topic "Socialentrepreneurship Ecosystem and Financing Instruments for Social Entrepreneurs". The lecture will take place via Zoom in the course "Social Entrepreneurship".

Towards a New Economy: The Social Enterprise

In this video Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar promotes social entrepreneurship as a vehicle for social change in the relaunch of the economy post Covid-19 and encourages students to get involved.

Home Office of the Secretary

Courses in the Summer Term

Social Entrepreneurship

• Bachelor, Study Phase 2
• Summer Term
• Lecture and Tutorial

Aware that English is probably not the native language of the participants, possible language barriers are benevolently / indulgently taken into account. I look forward to welcoming many students who wish to take up this challenge.

Corona Update

Econ in Practice: Part 11 - Home Office

As part of the series "Econ in Practice", Prof. Dr. Lea Cassar talks about the opportunities, challenges and limits of working in the home office. More videos and information on the video blog, which deals with the economic aspects of the Corona crisis, can be found here.

Welcome to the Chair of Empirical Economics

As of October 1, 2019, Prof. Lea Cassar is professor for economics at the University of Regensburg and holder of the chair in empirical economics.