DRESDEN LECTURES ON ECONOMIC POLICY: EDUCATION CREATES PROSPERITY: STRATEGIES FOR CAPABILITIES AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

The academic performance of German students in the core subjects of German, mathematics, and science has been declining for over a decade, and at the same time, the inequality in educational opportunities for children from different family backgrounds is striking. Yet strong educational performance is the foundation not only for individual success in the labor market but also for our overall economic prosperity. This presentation will outline the scientific findings on the significant economic importance of a good education, as well as the current state of educational achievement in Germany, and, based on this, will propose effective reforms to improve capabilities and promote equity of opportunity in the education system. Research shows that neither low academic performance nor high inequality is inevitable; rather, both can be actively shaped. In this respect, the lecture is a plea not to slide blindly into a decades-long crisis, but rather to view effective educational measures as a long-term investment in the foundations of our society and economy.

The evening’s advisor is Prof. Dr. Ludger Wößmann, Director of the ifo Center for the Economics of Education and Professor of Economics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Prof. Dr. Marcel Thum and Prof. Dr. Joachim Ragnitz will moderate the event. The lecture will take place on Monday, September 30, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the ifo Institute, Dresden Branch, Einsteinstraße 3, 01069 Dresden.

We cordially invite you to this lecture and look forward to welcoming you to this event. Due to limited seating, we ask that you register using our online form at https://tu-dresden.de/bu/wirtschaft/die-fakultaet/vortraege-wirtschaftspolitik/anmeldung-woessmann.