Labor economics, educational economics, experimental economics, behavioral economics

Laura Ehrmantraut was a PhD candidate at the Bonn Graduate School of Economics. Furthermore, she was a Student Fellow at the Institute on Behavior & Inequality (briq) and the Collaborative Research Center Transregio 244 (CRC TR 244).

Discussion papers

• The Expected (Signaling) Value of Higher Education

Policy briefs

• Bildungsrendite: Was erhoffen sich Studierende von ihrem Abschluss?

What is the best thing about your job?

Two things: First, the freedom to do research on the questions I find intriguing and socially relevant. Second, being able to work with great colleagues who burn for the same topics, have great knowledge and are very determined.

If you had not gone into research, what would you be doing today?

In fact, I considered studying medicine a few years ago. Yet I’m sure that sooner or later I would have gone into research in this field as well.

Who or what inspires you?

The exchange with people who not only talk about change, but also do something about it. In everyday life, I draw my motivation for new projects from conversations with my colleagues. In particular, my fellow PhD student encourages me to stay on top of things, and experienced researchers like my colleague Pia Pinger show me how much is actually possible.

When was the last time you had to change your mind?

For me, this is one of the most important aspects of research and the most challenging at the same time. However, I find it e.g. exciting when sometimes a side finding turns out to be more interesting than the original question after all.

Which advice would you have needed yourself as a doctoral student?

Figuring out what you are burning for at the very beginning of your doctorate. It is a mistake to get involved in topics just because they are popular at the moment. Instead, you should rather look for a question that really stems from yourself.