Sascha O. Becker

Russia wants to push Ukraine into the Stone Age — to freeze us, exhaust us, and leave us without a future. That will not happen.

This why Kyiv School of Economics is hosting a 3-day Science Mini School for high school students and early-year undergraduates, right now in Kyiv. 1/

Our survey on Gender and Religion is now published 🎉

doi.org/10.1017/dem....

See 🧵 below.

Thanks to the wonderful @jeanetbentzen.bsky.social and @chuncheekokecon.bsky.social 🙏

Research Assistant - 137867 Research Assistant - 137867 | Careers at UC San Diego

Please apply to this pre-doc position to work on projects related to culture, political economy, and development in DRC and Mozambique. Strong data analysis skills required. First round of applications reviewed Feb. 2. employment.ucsd.edu/research-ass...

🆕 RFBerlin Discussion Paper! Our project leaders @essobecker.bsky.social, Christian Dustmann & Hyejin Ku show that skills and technology reinforce each other: early tech adoption increases demand for skilled labor, which in turn boosts further innovation. 🔗 www.rfberlin.com/wp-content/u...

In just over eight months, Berlin will hold its 20th state election since 1946. While its well known East West divide in voting behaviour is often attributed to the city’s former split into capitalist and socialist halves, these differences existed even before the city’s division. A thread. 🧵

The Carney doctrine Open comment thread on the PM's Davos speech

Mark Carney's speech really is terrific: full text is here and very much worth your time.

Lessons from the Age of Steam still relevant for the digital future The United Kingdom has some of the highest levels of inequality between regions in the industrialised world. Inequalities in pay, productivity, skills and health outcomes have endured for decades desp...

Recent WP with C Dustmann and H Ku @rfberlin.bsky.social 🚂
warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/econ...

Mark Carney is a fantastic demonstration of why having a coherent political and economic worldview is so important for a politician.

When you encounter something out of the scope of what you’ve previously experienced, you can derive your approach from first principles.

Labour: take notes.

Should I wear that shirt again? 👇

To stay relevant, I am simplifying my syllabuses by replacing all international trade and political economy papers with this single one: academic.oup.com/ej/article-a...

Worth noting that the EU’s reluctant tariff concessions to the US, agreed between VdL and Trump at Turnberry, haven’t yet been approved by the European Parliament.

There’s no realistic prospect of the US deal going through now.

No European style welfare state in US either?

No. This is a de-escalation in that he is no longer threatening violence. The lesson is that when the EU shows a bit of resolve and muscle bullies back off.

Our paper is now published at QJE ... it is open access!!!

academic.oup.com/qje/article/...

Important paper on "Deaths of Despair and the Decline of American Religion" by Tyler Giles, Dan Hungerman and Tamar Oostrom

👉 doi.org/10.1093/jeea...

Coventry Canal Basin covered in ice ❄️

Ideally by field 😎

Different estimators. Will do a proper series of posts soon(ish).
Now 💤

🧵 (7/N) Simulations have been running for several months and further constellations are running on the server as we speak.

We are also working on re-estimations of published papers (including our own).

Working paper coming soon 🤞

🧵 (6/N) We look at power.

🧵 (5/N) We look at size.

🧵 (4/N) We look at (small-sample) bias.

🧵 (3/N) The correction methods

🧵 (2/N) Our simulations

We presented results on spatial unit roots etc at ASSA 2026 in Philadelphia.
Joint work with @pdavidboll.bsky.social and @jvoth.bsky.social

Short 🧵 (1/N)

cc @andreamatranga.bsky.social @paulgp.com

How have economic warfare and sanctions been applied in modern history? New book by @mark4harrison.bsky.social and Stephen Broadberry looks across three centuries of global history for clues to how economic sanctions and warfare worked and why their effects often came as a surprise.
buff.ly/2vOcWIl

Cantus arcticus, Op. 61, "Concerto for Birds and Orchestra": I. The Bog

Given the increasing geopolitical interest in the Arctic, here is some classical music to match: the stunningly beautiful "Cantus arcticus" by Einojuhani Rautavaara ❤️

open.spotify.com/track/5gyMOu...

🚨CALL FOR PAPERS🚨

Hey #EconTwitter!

We are now accepting submissions for Season 12 of the Applied Young Economist Webinar!

Deadline: Sunday, 25 January 2026

Submission: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…
(Email us your paper if you cannot access it)

Details below⬇️

Thousands in Berlin Go Days Without Power and Cell Service After Cables Are Set on Fire

Incredible how little attention this is getting outside Germany. "In its third full day, a ... power failure in Berlin resulting from an arson attack...tens of thousands...making do without heat, electricity, cellphone service & warm food or drinks." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/w...