Candidates from all four IWH departments will enter the academic job market in 2025/2026. Visit our job market page and learn more about them and their research. 

The Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) is a leading German economic research institute with a strong international presence and reputation.

The researchers at the IWH are world-leading experts in these fields, among others:

• Financial markets
• Legislation, regulation and factor markets
• Macroeconomics
• Structural change and productivity

At the IWH, we train young researchers as part of their doctoral studies so that they can analyse and interpret current challenges in science, society and politics using state-of-the-art methods. To this end, we are looking for the best graduates with a Master's degree in economics or related subjects such as mathematics, statistics, business administration, accounting and finance to apply each year.

Doctoral students at IWH are characterised by very good degrees, academic ambition and performance and the ability to work in an academic team.

Compared to a doctorate directly at a university, doctoral programmes in economics at IWH have the following key advantages:

1. Close supervision by professors with excellent international networks in science and policy consulting
2. Excellent access to commercial and proprietary data for your own research
3. Active support in building your own research networks, e.g. through funded visits to conferences, summer schools, seminars or research stays.
4. Early involvement in ongoing research and policy advice projects and clear assignment to a research group and department

28 students from 15 countries are currently working towards a doctorate in economics as part of the DPE programme. Many of our alumni have taken up excellent positions worldwide after completing their PhD studies at IWH, for example at universities, research institutions, central banks, ministries and in the private sector.

The IWH PhD programme has been in existence since April 2012 and has received international recognition, most recently in the prestigious INOMICS Career Guide 2023 and 2024.

What to expect from a doctorate at IWH?

The IWH offers ideal conditions for outstanding academic achievements and successful doctorates.  

Over 100 scientists from around 20 nations work at the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle (IWH). The small campus with its offices, a library and conference rooms is located in the centre of Halle, within walking distance of Martin Luther University and the train station. There are modern, well-equipped offices, which doctoral students usually share in pairs.

In a typical week, doctoral students take part in a doctoral seminar, attend an internal brown bag seminar or meet leading researchers from renowned universities who present their work in a research seminar. You also work together with your supervisor on a research project, carry out data analyses or discuss research questions. Supervising professors coach IWH-DPE students at regular intervals in order to structurally accompany the progress of the doctoral thesis. All junior researchers are clearly assigned to a department and research group from the outset and therefore have equally clear contacts for technical and administrative matters.

Research at IWH is supported by a variety of measures that enable optimal academic development and successful doctoral work.

Firstly, researchers at IWH benefit from advice and support at the highest international academic level. This is impressively confirmed by the citations of the work of IWH researchers and the successful careers of former doctoral students. Numerous professors employed at the Institute are not only actively involved in teaching and research, but also have extensive experience in supervising doctoral theses. Doctoral students are usually accompanied by teams of two supervisors in the development of their ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ skills.

Secondly, all doctoral students at the IWH have exclusive access to high-quality data from the institute and its cooperation partners. In contrast to many other research institutions, these data accesses are included and available at the IWH, which allows doctoral students to concentrate fully on the actual analysis work.

In addition, the IWH offers doctoral students the opportunity to present and enrich their research results at international conferences. Travel expenses are usually covered and supervisors specifically point out important events for the doctoral candidates. This ensures that doctoral students can present their research findings to a global audience and establish valuable networks.

Through these comprehensive support measures, the IWH creates ideal conditions for outstanding academic achievements and successful doctorates. The Institute works bilingually in German and English, although it is also sufficient to speak only English on the doctoral programme.