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You are here: Home → Research → Research Profile → Individuals, Institutions and Societies

Individuals, Institutions and Societies

Each one of us is part of society. But how do we influence society as individuals and how does society impact us in our own actions? How is it for institutions? These are the questions this profile area explores. Scientists want to research key influences on the social and economic choices we make such as social cohesion, equality of opportunity, efficiency, agency, resource protection and the human factor.

In order to ascertain this wide spectrum of questions, many different perspectives need to be taken into account. Economical questions crossover with legal, political, sociological and religious questions. This list is by no means complete but makes clear that many subject areas are needed in this profile area.

One center for exchange is the Forum Internationale Wissenschaft (Forum for International Science) led by Bonn’s sociologist Prof. Rudolf Stichweh. Here, different disciplines are able to discuss their various perspectives and, together, work to develop concepts that encompass sometimes conflicting fields of democracy, science, religion as well as a digitalized society.

Data is an important asset for research in this key profile area. When there is no access to existing data, such as censuses or other official statistics, researchers build their own through large empirical studies and surveys. This is done, for example, in the BonnEconLab - one of the oldest laboratories for experimental economic research.

Inspired by tradition

The BonnEconLab was founded in 1984 by Reinhard Selten, who would later, in 1994, receive a Nobel Prize for his work in Economics. His courage to think differently still inspires scientists, such as the highly-awarded Prof. Armin Falk who leads the EconLab today. This was also inspiration for the University of Bonn in collaboration with the University of Cologne to establish the Reinhard Selten Institute. Spokesperson there for Bonn is the highly-awarded Prof. Benny Moldovanu. He and his colleagues want to create a space were top researchers can come together and set-out their own research projects.

This is just one example of how scientists in Bonn continuously develop new ways to improve research. And their work bears fruit – in the Shanghai Ranking from the University of Jiaotong in China, Bonn University’s economic studies ranks first place nationally and 29th place internationally.

Scientists at the University of Bonn not only research but also make an effort to give back the knowledge they have gained. The cooperation with politics is especially close, which is no surprise given that the questions of this key profile area are almost always relevant for politics. That is why Professor Isabel Schnabel, for example, belongs to the 10 most influencial economists in the German-speaking world, according to Frankfurt Allegmeine Zeitungs Economics ranking in 2017. Others take an active role in instiutions and communities by joining scientific advisories, as judges on the constitutional court or taking part in workshops and talk shows.