Prof. Dr. Andreas Steiner has been appointed Professor of International Economic Relations at the Wiesbaden Business School of Hochschule RheinMain (HSRM) as of February 1, 2024. Professor Steiner studied economics at the Universities of Tübingen and Mannheim and spent time abroad at the University of Edinburgh and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. After completing his doctorate at the University of Mannheim on central banks' currency reserves, he completed his habilitation at the Chair of International Economic Policy at the University of Osnabrück. Steiner worked as a research assistant at the Center for Business Cycle Research and Surveys at the ifo Institute in Munich and was a member of the Joint Economic Forecast project group. From 2016 to 2024, Steiner was Assistant Professor of International Monetary Macroeconomics at the University of Groningen, where he also chaired the Teaching Quality Assurance Committee. Since 2021, he has also been a member of the editorial board of the journal International Economics.

What aspect of your research fascinates you the most?

Research is like hiking a mountain: sometimes it feels strenuous when crossing over scree, sometimes it feels like going backwards when the path temporarily goes downhill; sometimes it gives you the feeling of being lost; it requires a lot of stamina; it is only feasible with good equipment, that is, good education and support; but it is always combined with the joy of being on the road and discovering new things; and the view from the summit always remains a surprise, offering insights that cannot be predicted.

I work with large data sets of a large number of countries over periods of up to 50 years and try to recognize long-term patterns in the data. The fact that I have the freedom to pursue my own research questions, that I get to choose my own favorite mountains so to say, is a gift.

What does “good teaching” mean to you?

In my field – macroeconomics – good teaching means providing the theoretical foundations and empirical facts needed to discuss current economic policy issues in a well-founded manner. If, in addition, we manage to get students to actively contribute to this discussion and continue with it outside the university, we have achieved a lot.

What did you want to be growing up?

I wanted to work for Lufthansa, but not as a pilot – as most kids do – but in route and fleet planning. Or maybe host a family-run hotel in the Alps? It ended up being research and teaching. Flying and hotels are left for the vacation season.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spending time with my family (married, one son) and cycling in the countryside.