Joint graduate school of the universities of Frankfurt, Mainz, and Darmstadt offers international training at highest level in economics and finance

Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management designed to promote outstanding early career researchers

03.12.2008

Goethe University Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and Technische Universität Darmstadt have joined forces to found the Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management (GSEFM), which is intended to become one of the leading European centers for postgraduate education in the fields of economics and finance. The graduate school is located in Frankfurt, i.e., the core mainland European hub of financial markets and central bank institutions. It will be offering up to 200 doctoral students and 80 Master's degree students from around the world a first-class, English-language based education in economics, finance, and business management. "Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is currently expanding its support structures for the promotion of young research talents and has thus created an extensive program of structured graduate training. Our objective is to put in place a competitive postgraduate training concept with a clear profile," said the President of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Professor Georg Krausch. "Thus we welcome and support this collaboration of our Faculty of Law, Management and Economics with Goethe University Frankfurt and TU Darmstadt. The joint graduate school will also contribute towards further networking among the universities of the Rhine-Main region."

"The Graduate School of Economics, Finance, and Management will be offering high-quality programs with an international focus that are designed for outstanding Master's degree students and doctoral candidates, who want to become economists with an academic perspective," explained the President of Goethe University Frankfurt, Professor Rudolf Steinberg. The Dean of GSEFM, Professor Michael Binder, Ph.D., added: "The founding of the graduate school is coming at a time when it can be expected that the European point of view will carry much more weight in the discussion of international economic and financial policy-related issues than in the past. Our training of experts with innovative insights on these issues will support this process."

The goal of GSEFM is to train outstanding economists who want to pursue an academic career at a leading university or offer their expertise to other institutions in the public or private sectors. Potential candidates will be expected to meet very stringent requirements by the selection committee, which is comprised of professors from Frankfurt, Mainz, and Darmstadt. The admitted students are to be among the top ten percent of their graduating year with degrees primarily in the economics disciplines or, under certain circumstances, in engineering or mathematics. The graduate program is modelled on the English-language Master in Quantitative Economics and Ph.D. in Economics courses offered by the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Goethe University Frankfurt, both of which have already proved to be effective in the past. Currently enrolled on these are approximately 180 students from about 30 different countries. "The international character of the graduate program will significantly prepare the students for the challenges of globally interwoven decision-making structures and markets", emphasized Binder.