Simeon Lauterbach, Class of 2020

Can you take us through your academic background?

I started my studies with a double-bachelor’s in Social and Political Science between Sciences Po Paris, Campus of Nancy, and the Free University of Berlin. My first bachelor with Sciences Po allowed me to gain insight into a lot of different subjects, such as sociology, economics, history, or law. I also lived for the first time in France and met amazing people at the campus in Nancy. I completed my second bachelor at the Free University of Berlin, where I studied political science, but specialized in political economy. Finally, during my last year, I decided to continue my academic journey with a master’s degree in economics at the doctoral school. Currently, I am a PhD student in development economics at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.

What inspired your interest in Economics?

I was always interested by topics related to international development. I was wondering why countries stay poor, develop differently and what can be done about economic inequalities across, but also within countries. Economics is a very enriching field to study those questions. While it does have a lot of mathematics, you can approach the field from very different angles, such as macroeconomics, microeconomics, economic history, and you can always come to very different conclusions. Further, I was always interested in policy-evaluations, where economics teaches you the necessary tools to do so. Lastly, economics opens a lot of professional doors, which also played a role in my decision to join the doctoral school.

What skills did your years as a student at the School of Research (formerly the Doctoral School) give you?

The master’s in economics gives you a very profound technical training on how to approach economic issues and how to conduct research. It has certainly a lot of mathematics and statistics, but in particular statistics is a field that can be applied pretty much everywhere. The classes at the doctoral school are small, individual and there is a very close contact to the professors, you are working with. For instance, they helped me a lot in the preparation of my master thesis.  You also work in teams, as the problem sets are often solved in groups. But the master is also very time-intensive and leaves little time for other activities, which I sometimes regret a bit.

Where do you work today and how has the master contributed to the position you work in currently?

Without my training and technical knowledge from the master, I would have certainly not entered the PhD in development economics at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.  Also, my professors to whom I had a close contact supported me in the application process, helped me with my writing samples and provided references letters. They still give me some tips today. The master also sparked my interest in education, labour markets and migration, which are currently my PhD topics. Further, I teach statistics and development economics, subjects I first encountered at the doctoral school.

Do you have any advice for students hoping to enter the sector you work in today?

If you decide to do a PhD, see first, if you like working on your own, in small teams and if you can image to work on a few topics for a long time. If yes, then go for it. Also, it is completely normal not to know your exact topic before you haven’t even started your doctoral program!
When applying for doctoral schools, be aware that the application process takes a long time, and it might be wise to apply to a lot of places. As the selection process can be very random, you might not be taken for reasons, which have nothing to do with your application. It may also make sense to do a professional year before applying. Even though I started the PhD straight after the master, it can help to slow things down, to get some work experience and to take the necessary time for applications. And if you do a PhD, enjoy the time, the flexibility, and the curiosity of your other PhD fellows!

Learn more

• About Master’s in Economics

=> See all the Graduates' Portraits

>[ January 2022 ]