16.04.2025

Successful Conference on Geoeconomics Sparks Engaging Debate at Schloss Hohentübingen

We are delighted to report that the Conference on Geoeconomics: New Developments and Historical Perspectives took place with great success on April 11–12, 2025, at the historic Castle Tübingen. Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the two-day event brought together leading scholars in economics, history, and international relations for a series of insightful presentations and vibrant discussions.

Organized by Jörg Baten, Anna Gumpert, Ralph Lütticke, Gernot Müller (University of Tübingen & CEPR), and Moritz Schularick (IfW Kiel, Sciences Po & CEPR), the conference featured a carefully curated program exploring the long-term impacts of trade, fiscal policy under conflict, global capital flows, economic sanctions, and inequality.

Highlights included a keynote lecture by Mathias Thoenig (University of Lausanne & CEPR), whose talk sparked a lively conversation on the current US tariff policies and potential rationalisations. 

Throughout the sessions, participants engaged deeply with topics such as:

• The role of trade in historical transitions (Johannes Boehm)
• Economic warfare over three centuries (Stephen Broadberry)
• State financing during wartime (Jonathan Federle)
• Fiscal strategy and disaster prevention (Vytautas Valaitis)
• Global investment barriers and technological diffusion (Bruno Pellegrino, Antoine Levy)
• Sanctions and trade dynamics (Banu Demir Pakel, Beata Javorcik)
• Geopolitics and inequality (Adam Spencer, Ralph Lütticke)

Each session fostered critical dialogue, thanks in part to thoughtful commentary from expert discussants and an engaged audience.

The organizers wish to thank all participants for their contributions and look forward to continuing the conversation on geoeconomics in future academic forums.