On May 3, 2023, the inaugural lecture of Dr. Nikolas Wölfing, Professor of Economics, took place in the auditorium of HWG LU. The President of the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Gunther Piller, and the Dean of the Department, Prof. Dr. Eveline Häusler, were very pleased to welcome not only numerous colleagues and students, but also the family.
The topic of emissions trading has shaped Professor Wölfing's scientific work since his doctorate at the University Panthéon-Sorbonne Paris. This was followed by publications and expert opinions on energy economics issues such as electricity market design and the evaluation of tax incentives in the field of energy taxes. In his work on energy economics, he has also addressed geopolitical aspects. Of particular relevance here from a current perspective is a paper in IAEE Energy Forum, 2015, on "Geopolitics is back on the agenda: Turmoil in Ukraine and its Impact on Risk Perceptions Among Energy Experts."
Prior to his appointment to the professorship in Economics at the Department of Management, Controlling, HealthCare in February 2022, Dr. Wölfing held a junior professorship at the Faculty of Business Administration, Area Accounting & Taxation, Institute for Sustainable Energy Studies at the University of Mannheim. Thus, he worked at the interface between sustainability and corporate accounting, which is of great importance for the strategic development of the department towards sustainability management. Previously, he worked at ZEW in Mannheim in the area of environmental and resource economics. It is an enrichment for the activities at HWG LU that the cooperation with ZEW continues.
In her welcome address, Dean Prof. Dr. Eveline Häusler pointed out the professional impulses Prof. Dr. Wölfing has already set in the first semesters. "Namely, I am thinking of the further development in the field of statistical methods in connection with Data Science in our study programs as well as the accreditation of study programs in the field of sustainability, which is currently being prepared. Each of these topics is also associated with a wide range of potentials, including for application-oriented research," said Eveline Häusler.
The president and dean expressed their best wishes for many years of productive work in teaching as well as research and transfer at the department and the university.
In his lecture, Prof. Dr. Nikolas Wölfing used the example of climate change to demonstrate the necessity of pricing the use of limited natural resources into the microeconomic calculation. To this end, he presented emissions trading as a market-based instrument and explained its mode of operation. Based on the price development for emission certificates, he succeeded in vividly elaborating the challenges of market design. With a view to future generations and with reference to the fact that society has benefited in recent decades from a peace and demographic dividend, among other things, he called on the audience to make an active contribution to the ecological transformation of the economy and society.
As the conversations during the subsequent drinks at the invitation of Prof. Dr. Wölfing made clear, with his inaugural lecture he not only succeeded in letting the professional "spark of enthusiasm" for energy and environmental economics jump over to the auditorium, but also in introducing himself as a committed colleague.
Technical contact:
Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences
Department of Management, Controlling, HealthCare
Prof. Dr. Nikolas Wölfing
Chair of Economics
Tel. 0621/5203-209
E-mail: Nikolas.Woelfing@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 hwg-lu.de
