Press Releases

2024

Press Releases

October

22 October 2024
GBP Monitor: German Companies Skeptical about the Bureaucracy Reduction Act – Most Companies Do Not Expect Any Noticeable Relief
The federal government wants to ease the burden on the German economy with numerous new laws. According to the latest results of the German Business Panel (GBP), however, companies in Germany are cautious about the effects of the Fourth Bureaucracy Reduction Act (Viertes Bürokratieentlastungsgesetz (BEG IV)). Although the law aims to reduce bureaucratic costs by almost one billion euros per year, only ten percent of the companies in the survey expect a significant reduction in their bureaucratic workload. The manufacturing industry, healthcare, construction, and retail sectors have particularly low expectations.

9 October 2024
“Taking the Pulse of the Country:” Anti-Semitic, Anti-Zionist and Pro-Palestinian Attitudes in Germany
In the latest installment of the series “Taking the Pulse of the Country,” Mannheim professors Dr. Marc Helbling and Dr. Richard Traunmüller investigate the connections between longstanding anti-Semitic sentiments, anti-Zionist beliefs, and pro-Palestinian attitudes across various age groups, political affiliations, and educational backgrounds in Germany.

7 October 2024
The Health and Social Consequences of Obesity Depend on Where You Live
Obesity can have serious social, socio-economic and health consequences. A new study shows that the problems are less serious for people who live in areas where obesity is common.

2 October 2024
Ceremonial Handover of the President’s Office at the University of Mannheim
Science minister Petra Olschowski bid farewell to Professor Dr. Thomas Puhl / Professor Dr. Thomas Fetzer accepted the Chain of Office as the new President of the University of Mannheim with a first programmatic speech on Monday / Core topic: Promoting research

September

20 September 2024
People Consume Online News That Align with Their Political Preferences
In the digital age, there are clear individual differences in online news consumption, particularly with regard to political content. A new study by the GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences in collaboration with the University of Mannheim has shown that political news is consumed less frequently than nonpolitical content and is more strongly influenced by one's own political preferences. This trend is particularly striking in the United States, where the most conservative news users tend to favor far-right sources for political news.

13 September 2024
Biomedical AI Research: Most Publications Come from Asia but in Terms of Quality, Other Regions Are More Convincing
Artificial intelligence is changing medicine. However, progress in biomedical AI research is unevenly distributed across the globe, a new study shows. This might hinder equitable access to health care in some regions of the world.

August

30 August 2024
A New Approach to Financial Education: How the “MetaFin” Project Aims to Advance Financial Education Research
“MetaFin” is the title of the new five-year collaborative project of the Mannheim Institute for Financial Education (University of Mannheim and Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research) and the Institute for Economic Education (University of Oldenburg) which aims to make lasting changes in the research and spread of financial education in Germany. Today, Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Jens Brandenburg presented the official funding notification to the project team in the Senatssaal of the University of Mannheim.

19 August 2024
“Taking the Pulse of the Country:” Examining Germany’s Dignity Gap in Politics, Society, and at Work
In their first policy brief “Taking the Pulse of the Country,” University of Mannheim professors Dr. Oliver Spalt and Dr. Richard Traunmüller set out to examine the level of approval and respect people in Germany experience from politicians, within society, and at work. The political realm reveals the biggest discrepancy between expectations and reality, a phenomenon that is also known as the “dignity gap.”

July

22 July 2024
GBP Monitor: Despite the Supply Chain Act, Financial Factors Dominate the Selection of Business Relationships – Sustainability Takes a Backseat
For companies, proven criteria such as price, the reliability of payment terms or the length of the business relationship continue to play the most important role when selecting their customers and suppliers. Sustainability aspects are clearly subordinate – despite the new Supply Chain Act. This is shown in a new study of the German Business Panel (GBP).

17 July 2024
Mannheim Professor of Law Advises Federal Ministry of Finance on Simplifying Corporate Tax
Together with 12 other experts, Professor Dr. Erik Röder prepared a report with proposals for simplifying corporate taxation and lessen the bureaucratic burden on companies. The report has now been handed over to Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner.

8 July 2024
Tone of letters influences capital flows into mutual funds
The writing style of shareholder letters from US fund companies influences how much capital flows from investors into the fund. If they are written dishonestly or negatively, it does not go down well with investors.

June

24 June 2024
Trustworthy AI Made in Mannheim
How can we use artificial intelligence (AI) to make comprehensible medical decisions? A new project at the University of Mannheim, which has received funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), will analyze this question.

19 June 2024
Only One in Three People Enjoy Talking about Politics – The Reasons Are More Social than Political
The current issue of the “MZES Focus” series, published by the Mannheim Center for European Social Research (MZES), is dedicated to attitudes towards political conversations – both in general and in the case of differences in opinion.

May

7 May 2024
Study on Survivors of Sexual Violence Comes to Astonishing Conclusion
The study of two political scientists from Mannheim and Bergen in Norway shows that – contrary to previous assumptions – survivors of sexual violence are more involved in local communities than before.

6 May 2024
Study on EU Climate Policy Shows that Pricing Carbon Dioxide Is An Effective Tool for Reducing French Producers’ Emissions
A study conducted by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Mannheim and Bonn shows that EU emissions trading works.

23 May 2024
Mannheim Economist Michèle Tertilt Receives 2024 Birgit Grodal Award
Professor Tertilt is the first German to receive the Birgit Grodal Award of the European Economic Association (EEA) for her outstanding work in the field of macroeconomics, development economics, and family economics.

22 May 2024
Students of the University of Mannheim Receive the City of Mannheim’s Sustainability Award
For the second time, the City of Mannheim has honored students for their final theses on sustainability. At the University of Mannheim, Jan Schweers, a master’s student, and Jennifer Hahn, an alumna, have received this year’s Sustainability Award.

21 May 2024
Legal Scholar Shows That Legal Obligations to Protect Future Generations Already Exist
The obligations of politicians towards future generations can be derived from the existing legal system. This is shown by Mannheim jurist Svenja Behrendt in her latest publication.

10 May 2024
Job loss due to milking machines – a blessing for Norwegian women
Artificial intelligence, self-driving cars or smart robots are rapidly changing the way we work. People are more and more afraid of being replaced by machines. A study by the Mannheim professor Philipp Ager shows that the career outlook is not necessarily negative.

8 May 2024
The Top 10 Percent Are the Main Beneficiaries of Globalization
A study of Dr. Valentin Lang, junior professor of Political Economy at the University of Mannheim, and his co-author Marina M. Tavares of the International Monetary Fund, shows that the top ten percent of the national income distributions, in particular, have benefited from globalization.

3 May 2024
CHE University Ranking: University of Mannheim Offers Excellent Conditions for Studying
Political Science and Sociology receive top rankings

April

17 April 2024
Senate of the University of Mannheim Has Elected New Vice Presidents / Digitalization and Diversity Will Be Integrated More Deeply into the Work of the President's Office

  • Professor Dr. Jutta Mata, Professor Dr. Heiko Paulheim and Professor Dr. Cornelia Ruhe will become new members of the President's Office on 1 October 2024
  • Professor Dr. Moritz Fleischmann has been re-elected

10 April 2024
International QS Ranking: The University of Mannheim Is Germany’s Best University in Economics and Business Administration Again
In the worldwide comparison of the “QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024”, the University of Mannheim ranked number 136 in the Social Sciences and Management category. In the area Accounting & Finance, it ranks first in Germany once again, in the areas of Business & Management Studies and Economics & Econometrics it ranks second.

March
14 March 2024
Open Science Office at the University of Mannheim Made Permanent
The Open Science Office at the University of Mannheim, founded in 2021, will be made permanent after three years of start-up funding. This decision underlines the University's clear commitment to transparent and reproducible research and its active role in promoting Open Science.

12 March 2024
University of Mannheim Is Part of the National Research Hub Neuroethics
The aim of the new Research Hub Neuroethics (RHUNE) is to create and promote a strong and sustainable network for neuroethics research in Germany and to increase the visibility of German neuroethics research internationally. Mannheim researcher Philipp Kellmeyer contributes to the establishment of the innovative, collaborative project.

12 March 2024
Social Acceptance of Immigrants Working as Politicians or Judges Is Low
Often, the dominant society develops negative attitudes towards immigrants and their descendants because their integration is too successful – and not, because they are unwilling to integrate. This is the finding of a new study, conducted by researchers of the University of Mannheim and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

February

12 February 2024
Surprising Finding: Higher Alcohol and Cigarette Taxes Reduce Marijuana Use
Young people often use marijuana in combination with alcohol and cigarettes. Therefore, a combination of tax increases on all three counterbalances rising marijuana use among youth after legalization. These are empirical findings of the discussion paper “More than Joints: Multi-Substance Use, Choice Limitations, and Policy Implications” by the EPoS Economic Research Center at the Universities of Bonn and Mannheim.

7 February 2024
The Higher the Level of Corporate Social Responsibility, the More Ethical the Private Behavior of Employees
When companies become more involved in social and environmental issues, this also has a positive effect on the moral behavior of their employees outside of work. This is the finding of a new study conducted by researchers of the Business School of the University of Mannheim.

January

31 January 2024
Thomas Fetzer Elected New President of the University of Mannheim
The Professor of Law and current Vice President is set to take over from President Thomas Puhl in October

19 January 2024
GBP Monitor in January: Sustainable Companies Are Not More Honest than Others When It Comes to Financial Reporting
Since this year, many companies are obliged to publish their key sustainability figures in the same way they publish their financial information. But how do companies deal with the non-financial ESG figures which include environmental and social aspects as well as governance? The latest report of the German Business Panel (GBP) shows that more than a quarter of these companies exercise accounting discretion, this means they use the legal room for maneuver to present their results in a more positive way.

12 January 2024
New Ways for a Compromise in Migration Policy
The German populations’ immigration policy preferences are more nuanced than commonly understood and it is possible to bring together contrasting views. This is shown in a current study of sociologists and political scientists of the University of Mannheim and New York University.

8 January 2024
Study Shows that Language-Based AI Models Have Hidden Morals and Values
Just like humans, AI-based large-language models have characteristics such as morals and values. However, these are not always transparent. Researchers of the University of Mannheim and GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences have now analyzed how the settings of the language models can be made visible and have examined the consequences these prejudices might have on society.

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