Inauguration of the Alexander von Humboldt Professorship

The Alexander von Humboldt Professorship is Germany’s most prestigious and best-funded international research award. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space and awarded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, it is designed to attract outstanding international researchers to German universities and foster long-term academic collaboration. With Prof. Weber’s appointment, ESMT becomes the first business school in Germany to host an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship.

Prof. Weber joins ESMT from the Purdue University Mitch Daniels School of Business and is internationally recognized for his research on household finance, inflation expectations, and macroeconomics. As part of the professorship, he will establish the European Expectations Center at ESMT, a new research hub dedicated to understanding how households and firms form economic expectations and how these influence consumption, financial markets, and economic policy.

The inauguration will feature a keynote address by Boris Vujčić, vice-president of the European Central Bank, followed by a laudatory address by Prof. Dr. Fritzi Köhler-Geib, member of the executive board of the Deutsche Bundesbank. Prof. Weber will then deliver his inaugural speech, followed by a panel discussion on “Economic expectations and the need for evidence-based policy making: bridging micro behavior and macroeconomic dynamics.” The discussion will explore how expectations shape economic decision-making and evidence-based policymaking, particularly in times of economic uncertainty and geopolitical change, bringing together perspectives from academia and policy.

Event details
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
5:30 p.m. Registration opens (Main foyer)
6:00 p.m. Inauguration ceremony (Audimax)
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Reception (Foyer II)