Teaching Program
Winter term 2025/26

Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Rainald Borck, Dr. Max Deter, Andra Volintiru

Dates:

n.a.

The Bachelor Colloquium Finance is the accompanying event for the writing of your Bachelor Thesis. For general information on the bachelor thesis, application formalities and the writing process, please refer to the pages Theses and Bachelor Theses.

Content:

• Supervision of the writing process of the bachelor thesis
• Preparation of an exposé
• Presentation of the results in a 20-minute lecture

Qualifikation goals:

Students

• know the formal and content-related requirements for a Bachelor's thesis,
• are familiar with the techniques of scientific work,
• are able to develop a research question and a research design with the support of the lecturer,
• are able to present and defend their research projects appropriately.
   

Final conditions:

• Exposé (3-5 pages, ungraded)
• Please refer to the schedule for writing a thesis for mandatory interview appointments. Please make appointments with our assistant Annett Wadewitz.
   

Modules:

BFKVWL110

Lecturer: Dr. Max Deter

Time: Wednesday, 8:30-10:00 a.m., room 3.06.S13

Language: English

The seminar examines the political economy of autocratic regimes from an empirical perspective. At the center is the question of why autocracies emerge, how they govern, how they can be challenged, and what long-term legacies they leave behind. The course is based on recent empirical research on countries such as the GDR, Nazi Germany, China, or Russia.

Thematic focus:

1. The Rise of Autocracies (e.g., resource dependence, war and state-building, technologies of repression)

2. Policies of Autocracies (e.g., ideological education, use of bureaucracy, digital surveillance)

3. Tackling Autocracies (e.g., social media and protest mobilization)

4. Persistence of Autocracies (e.g., aftermath of repression, normative change)

The studies discussed employ modern empirical methods (e.g., IV, RDD, Difference-in-Differences, Event Studies) and data sources such as archival material, geodata, historical administrative data, or online behavior.

Goals & Competencies:
Students will

• acquire in-depth knowledge of autocratic systems and their economic logic;
• learn to critically read, present, and discuss research papers;
• develop an independent research question in economics related to autocracies;
• practice empirical reasoning, the development of research designs, and the writing of research proposals.

Structure & Assessment:
The course consists of two parts:

1. Discussion of recent research papers:

• weekly reading of one paper (provided via Moodle)
• discussion in small groups
• student presentations & discussions

2. Development of an independent research project:

• written research proposal (in groups of 2–3)
• presentation of the idea and feedback rounds
• support with data access (e.g., SOEP, NSDAP membership data, GDR data, Federal Archives)

Grading:

• 25% active participation & discussion
• 75% written research proposal

Modules: MA-P-630, MA-P-620, MA-E-220, MA-E-210, MA-W-220, MA-W-210