In the INOMICS interview series, Prof. Dr. Marcel Fratzscher asks economists questions about their field, their opinions on economics, some of their favorite things, and more. Today we took the chance to interview Dr. Jan Ditzen, an econometrician with a robust research presence. The interview, named Fratzscher vs. Ditzen (as is tradition), enlightens us on the contributions of Hashem Pesaran, the beauty of mountain scenery, details about econometrics and why its rigor is important for economics, and more.

The following article first appeared in the INOMICS Handbook 2023. Download the INOMICS Handbook

Here INOMICS will be offering the latest news on how the coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting the world of economics, so you can keep abreast of what the pandemic means for higher education, careers, and academia.

With a fresh year fast approaching, you might be thinking about recruiting new members of staff - forward-thinking talent that will drive your institution forward and take its offerings to the next level.

Since its inception in the 1970s, microfinance has become the darling of development organisations the world over - the idea with the potential to save the planet’s poor. Pioneered by Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus, it provides the financially marginalized with banking services that, given their impoverishment, would otherwise be out of reach. Such provision, its proponents claim, empowers the poor to take control of their own lives and plot their own path out of poverty - an antidote that is humane, retains the dignity of it recipients, and is lucrative. Aside from bank accounts and insurance, it is mostly implemented in the form of microloans.

With a fresh year in full swing, it’s time to start thinking about fresh blood, or in other words: attracting new, prosperous students to your institution. You know that you’re worthy; you know that you have something unique to offer, and you know that you have the faculty, as well as the facilities, to provide an exciting, inspirational academic experience.

For as long as we can remember, Mother Nature has been serving mankind as our major root source of livelihood. From the land that provides the nutrients for our crops, to the stone for our roads and buildings, to the oil for transport in our globalized world, we rely on these natural resources to maintain our modern way of life.