Board of Directors

Christoph M. Schmidt, born in 1962, studied economics at the University of Mannheim, Germany, where he received his degree as Diplom-Volkswirt in 1987, at Princeton University, where he received his M.A. in 1989 and his Ph.D. in 1991, and at the University of Munich, where he received the degree of Dr. rer. pol. habil. in 1995. Since 2002 he is president of the Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Essen, and teaches at the Ruhr-University Bochum. Since 2009 he is member of the German Council of Economic Experts. In 2011 he was appointed as a member of the Enquete-Commission “Wachstum, Wohlstand, Lebensqualität” (“Growth, Welfare, Quality of Live”) of the German Bundestag, since June 2011 he is member of acatech – Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften.

Thomas Bauer is currently professor of economics at the University of Bochum (Ruhr-Universität Bochum). Since February 2004 he is Member of the Executive Board of RWI, since 2009 he is Vice-President. He studied economics at the University of Munich. In July 1997 he obtained his doctoral degree from the University of Munich. From 1997-1998 Thomas Bauer visited the Rutgers University, USA. In September 1998 he joined IZA as Senior Research Associate and became IZA Program Director in July 1999. Since 2011 he is member of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration.

Wim Kösters, geboren, 1942, studierte Volkswirtschaftslehre an der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster. 1968/69 folgte ein Postgraduierten-Studium an der Florida State University und an der Harvard University 1968/69. 1972 wurde er an der Universität Münster promoviert, 1982 habilitierte er sich an der Universität zu Köln. Bis 1991 war Kösters Professor für Volkswirtschaftslehre an der Universität Münster. Seit 1991 war er Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Theoretische Volkswirtschaftslehre I an der Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaft der Ruhr-Universität Bochum; dort war er u.a. auch Inhaber des Jean Monnet-Lehrstuhls. Im Jahr 2011 wurde er emeritiert. Von 1996 bis 2002 war Kösters Mitglied des Forschungsbeirats des RWI Essen, von 1998 bis 2002 auch dessen Vorsitzender. Seit dem 18. Februar 2003 ist er Mitglied im Vorstand des RWI.