Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Volker Seiler, ICN Business School

As Associate Professor in Finance at the Berlin campus of the ICN Business School, Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Volker Seiler researches topics such as the transition to renewable energies or international economic policy. His aim is to identify connections and to initiate political and social change through his projects.

“It is important to me that my research is relevant for market participants, political decision-makers and society. It is located at the interface between macroeconomics and finance," says Dr. rer. pol. Volker Seiler. The finance expert has been working as an Associate Professor at the ICN Business School’s Berlin campus in Friedrichstrasse since the end of 2022. In his research he focuses on two important dynamics. “On the one hand, my two focal points stem from the desire to develop a better understanding of possible options for shaping climate change. On the other hand, I focus on the analysis of economic policy. For example, I am investigating the effects of fuel discounts in Germany or economic reforms in China. Policy measures often appear to be insufficiently prepared and thought out, particularly in terms of undesirable side effects.”

In one of his current projects, the Brain City Ambassador is researching possibilities for switching to renewable energies “It is a project to evaluate environmentally friendly energy sources that I am conducting together with a team at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg: A model wind farm in conjunction with an electrolysis plant is modelled. The wind power can then either be sold on the electricity exchange – or converted into hydrogen via an electrolysis plant and used as industrial hydrogen,” says Volker Seiler. The “rare earths” market is another of his areas of expertise. These metals, which are important for the energy transition, are used in LEDs and batteries, for example. A further research project on the impact of sanctions is still under development and is to be carried out in cooperation with the University of Melbourne.

Volker Seiler has been teaching and researching at Brain City Berlin for around one and a half years now. After studying economics in Paderborn, completing his doctorate in finance at the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management in Vallendar and completing his habilitation in Paderborn, he previously gained international experience in France, China and the US. He has held associate professorships at EM Normandie in Caen and at the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou. “Until I took up the associate professorship at the ICN Business School, I also spent a year commuting between Berlin and my work as a senior researcher at the Deutsche Bundesbank in Frankfurt am Main,” Volker Seiler recalls. A strenuous but exciting time. 

The Brain City Ambassador has now gained a foothold on the Spree. And there are good reasons for this: “Berlin impresses with its outstanding infrastructure of universities, non-university research institutions and libraries. It’s easy to network within the academic community here,” says Volker Seiler. “In my private life, I appreciate the cultural offers.”

His advice to young scientists in Berlin is to make intensiveuse of the good infrastructure of Brain City Berlin: “Actively approach other researchers and network.” In addition, for Berlin – as well as other academic locations – applies: One must not give up and endure lean periods. As Volker Seiler says: “A key factor for success in academia is perseverance.” (vdo)