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"Deliberate ignorance can be understood as a cultural skill"

We live in a knowledge society in which science and education is of particular importance. Knowledge is also considered a key driver for economic growth. But under certain circumstances, we all benefit from deliberate ignorance.

Harry Potter and Deliberate Ignorance in Welfare Economics

Deliberately ignoring information can sometimes lead to better decisions. This can also be the case in the relationship between the market and the state — that is, in whether the state should intervene in the economy to correct for a market failure, for example. Economist Felix Bierbrauer presents examples from welfare economics and considers the potential effects on fairness, freedom, and individual motivation.

Armin Steinbach joins HEC Paris as Professor

Armin Steinbach has accepted an offer to join HEC Paris as Full Professor from September 2021. Currently, he heads the fiscal policy division in the German Ministry of Finance in Berlin. Previously, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the MPI, where he pursued his habilitation in 2017.

Hanjo Hamann is Rising Researcher of the Year 2020

Hanjo Hamann is the first legal scholar to receive the academics.de Junior Award and is named Rising Researcher of the Year 2020. This prize is awarded by the German University Association (Deutscher Hochschulverband) during the "Gala of German Science" for outstanding commitment to science and research. The jury was particularly impressed by the successful combination of law and linguistics using quantitative methods. The institute congratulates!

Sebastian O. Schneider was a guest on radioeins rbb

In the broadcast “Warum wir uns an Hygieneregeln halten oder nicht" ["Why we follow hygiene rules or not"] he was interviewed on the question why some people adhere to the measures to fight Covid-19, and how to help everyone follow these measures. This is a question of behavioral economics that he has addressed in a study. You can listen to the interview (in German) here.