Mission Statement

The Department of Finance within Goethe University’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration has a reputation for excellence in teaching and research in the German-speaking world. Our goal is to maintain this leading position, and also to become a premier center for finance-related research in Europe as a whole.

Profile

Unique Research Environment: With ten professors working with approximately 50 researchers the department is the biggest single unit for finance-related research in Germany.

Excellent Research Output: The department's leading position as a center for research in finance in the German speaking world is illustrated by the quantity and quality of publications in academic journals, the participation in national and international conferences, and the number of successfully completed Ph.D. theses and habilitations (the latter still being a prerequisite for a tenured professorial position at most German universities).

Wide Range of Research Topics: Members of the department teach and do research in the areas of banking, capital markets, corporate finance, corporate governance, derivatives, financial engineering, financial systems, investment and pension finance, mergers and acquisitions, microfinance, risk management, stock exchanges, and the theory of finance. Besides, the department members also cooperate with researchers from other areas of business administration, economics and further related fields.

International Orientation: It is the department’s goal to be internationally recognized and respected for our research and for the education of young researchers, and also to establish and deepen relationships with renowned colleagues from abroad. Most of the researchers in the department have spent some time at a university abroad, either teaching or conducting research. Regularly foreign researchers come as visitors and guest lecturers. Most of the research papers are written in English so that they can be considered for publication in scientific journals worldwide.

Practical Relevance: The department cultivates strong linkages with the banking and financial services industry so that research is also of practical relevance. There is a regular interact with practitioners in both teaching and research, which also helps to optimally prepare students for their future working life.