Meet new PhD student Simon Postler
Simon Postler is one of five new PhD students joining the department this autumn. Originally from Cologne, his interest in development economics and curiosity for exploring complex questions led him to pursue a career in research.
Simon Postler is originally from Cologne, Germany, where he did his Bachelor’s in Economics and then did his Master’s in Public Policy and Development at the Toulouse School of Economics. He has lived in Paris and Toulouse in France for the last three years, where he recently worked as a Predoctoral Researcher on an Educational and Behavioral RCT.
What sparked your interest in pursuing research?
"My interest in pursuing research was first sparked during my Bachelor’s specialization in Development Economics, where I first saw applied papers like the persistence literature. Really digging into a question, with the investigation of data, the institutional or historical context, an identification strategy and all other aspects involved very much resonated with my interests and curiosity."
What are you hoping to learn or develop during your time as a PhD student?
"I am mostly interested in Development Economics, Economic History, and Labor Economics, in the latter field especially questions related to education and migration. On my PhD journey, I am hoping to develop the necessary tools and techniques on how to conduct rigorous research; from how to come up with interesting research ideas to how to properly publish a paper."
What made you choose to apply to the University of Gothenburg?
"The strong match with the department in terms of the research focus and research themes. I had also visited Gothenburg before and really liked the atmosphere of the city and its location close to the sea."