THE BERLIN OFFICE OF RWI
RWI in Berlin: Science meets politics
Since 2007, the RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research has been combining economic research with practical policy advice at its Berlin location. Our Berlin office strengthens the institute's presence in the German capital. We build bridges between research and politics.
Dual expertise: scientific networking and policy advice
The team in Berlin works closely with Berlin universities and communicates research findings directly to decision-makers. Politicians, media professionals and other stakeholders can find expert answers to economic questions here.
The team consists of researchers from all RWI areas of expertise as well as from the research groups Global Migration and Microstructure of Tax and Transfer Systems.
Active networking in the research landscape
Since 2023, the RWI Berlin Network Seminar has regularly invited leading scientists from Berlin and the surrounding area. Interested parties can participate after registering.
Furthermore, we coordinate important Berlin research networks and seminar series together with our partner institutions:
Knowledge transfer through events
Our Berlin office organises conferences, workshops and dialogue formats on current economic policy issues. We bring research, politics and society into conversation.
At RWI Impuls, you will find a confidential space for scientifically sound policy discussions. Here, research and decision-making come together directly. RWI Impuls is our exclusive round-table format in Berlin.
If you would like to learn more about our events or participate in our networking seminar, please contact us at Claudia.Schmiedchen@rwi-essen.de.
Upcoming events
14.01.2026: RWI Berlin Network Seminar
Speaker: Dr. Barbora Šedová (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK))
Location: Hybrid – Berlin Office and Teams Link
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Titel: Global food prices and migration in Sub-Saharan Africa
Abstract: In this paper, we study the effect of exogenous global food price changes on out-migration from agricultural and non-agricultural households in Sub-Saharan Africa due to economic reasons. We show that the effect of a locally relevant global food price increase on household out-migration depends on the initial household wealth. Higher international producer prices relax the budget constraint of poor agricultural households and facilitate migration. Unlike positive weather shocks, which mostly facilitate internal rural-urban migration, positive income shocks through rising producer prices only increase migration to neighboring African countries. We further find evidence that higher producer prices increase output conflict over the appropriation of surplus in agricultural districts, which serves as a parallel mechanism explaining the household decision to send a member as a migrant.
29.04.2026: RWI Berlin Network Seminar
Speaker: Moritz Lubczyk (ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin)
Location: Hybrid – Berlin Office and Teams Link
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Title: tba
10.06.2026: RWI Berlin Network Seminar
Speaker: Sevrin Waights (HU Berlin)
Location: Hybrid – Berlin Office and Teams Link
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Title: tba
14.10.2026: RWI Berlin Network Seminar
Speaker: Johanna Arlinghaus (Hertie School)
Location: Hybrid – Berlin Office and Teams Link
Time: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Title: tba
