I’m truly grateful for the collaborations, conversations, and support that made this journey so rewarding.

Now, I’m really looking forward to everything that lies ahead in my new role!

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege to work with many inspiring colleagues, co-authors, and friends in academia, especially at @iza.org and @roamaastricht.bsky.social.

Yet, I am still extremely sad about IZA's main assets - the institute itself, its postdoc program, it's Berlin and Bonn campus, the guest program and the workshop series - being cancelled. It remains a big loss.

For context: www.deutsche-post-stiftung.org/media/202502...

As we learned yesterday, this ladder will be removed by the end of the year. This is incredibly sad and devastating news, for me personally, for the profession of labor economics, but first and foremost for all current IZA researchers and admin staff, for whom I feel terribly sorry. (4/4)

In my experience, IZA has always been a place that offers ladders in a proverbial sense by rendering assistance and support to those attempting to climb the shoulders of said giants to advance our knowledge for the benefit of society. (3/4)

During my time at IZA, I was not only able to climb the career ladder. You all may know the phrase that, as scientists, we stand on the shoulders of giants, i.e., we are “using the understanding gained by major thinkers who have gone before in order to make intellectual progress”. (2/4)

I'm currently listening to an interesting podcast about him (in German): www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/agen...