The department is pleased to announce the successful habilitation of Lisa Windsteiger in Economics. Her achievement further strengthens the department’s research and teaching profile in the fields of behavioral economics, public economics and political economy. Congratulations, Lisa!

Luca Onorante, Head of the Forecasting Group at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, visited our department from December 1 to 4. During his stay, he engaged actively with colleagues across the department, discussing projects on econometric modelling, forecasting, and structural analysis. Our PhD students benefited in particular, gaining first-hand insights into the policy process at the European Commission and the role research plays in shaping economic policymaking in Europe. In addition, he contributed to discussions on the department’s strategic orientation in meetings with the department leadership.

On 18 November 2025 Gabriel Felbermayr (WIFO) gave a public lecture on free trade and geopolitics. The lecture was held in German and was followed by a discussion with the audience. Felbermayr describes how Europe is coming under pressure in the new era of power politics between the US, Russia and China, while global tensions and economic dependencies are increasing. Free trade is increasingly being supplanted by geopolitical, ecological and protectionist measures, both globally and within the EU. For strongly export-oriented Central European countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, this development threatens their economic prosperity.