09-09-2025

Young KU scientists attend Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Talking to Nobel Prize winners about their own research project – two young scientists from the KU now had this rare opportunity. Seraphin Schwarzbauer and Terhemen Agabo, research associates at the Ingolstadt School of Management, took part in the eighth Lindau Nobel Meeting in Economic Sciences. The international event, which took place at the end of August, is regarded as a unique forum for scientific dialog and networking. Lindau has been a venue for top scientific meetings since 1951, regularly bringing together experts from the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine and economics.

Terhemen Agabo, who works at the Chair Economics of with a focus on Microeconomics, describes his time in Lindau as a "life-changing experience": The varied program included panel discussions, lectures, joint sports sessions and a field trip to the flower island of Mainau, offering numerous opportunities to engage in conversation with the participants. "What I liked best was the open exchange with Nobel laureates. A small group of young scientists come together in a room with a Nobel laureate. You can ask them questions or ask for clarity on a certain research topic that you are working on. You get very personal and helpful advice." He was lucky enough to speak with Prof. Daniel McFadden and Prof. Oliver Simon D'Arcy Hart. The American Daniel McFadden, a scientist from the field of econometrics, received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2000, while the American Oliver Simon D'Arcy Hart received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2016 for contributions to contract theory.

© Agabo Souvenir photo: Terhemen Agabo together with Nobel Prize winner Prof. Daniel McFadden.

Seraphin Schwarzbauer, a member of staff at the Chair of Economics / Public Finance, had the opportunity to talk to the American economist James Heckman over a walk and coffee. Heckman received the Nobel Prize in 2000. And he discussed beer foam over a meal with Philip Dybvig, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Economics. The presentations by the Nobel Prize winners on their current research projects and the dialog with other young scientists were also outstanding experiences for Agabo: "They helped me understand the application of certain economic concepts better. I also hope to work with some of these young scientists in the future."

© Schwarzbauer Young economists also had the opportunity to meet Nobel Prize winners in Lindau in 2025.

Although the participants were only in Lindau for just under a week, Schwarzbauer says they developed a strong sense of community: "I left with the impression of having formed lasting connections." Through the exchange with colleagues, he realized how much he could gain from understanding different approaches, cultures and experiences. "That's why I am now all the more motivated to maintain curiosity and passion in my research and to engage with diverse perspectives."

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