DEconomist Armin Falk will not become head of the Bonn Institute for the Future of Work (IZA) after all. This was announced by the German Postal Foundation on Monday afternoon. After nearly 700 economists last week wrote an open letter of protest against his appointment, in which they threatened to leave the IZA research network if Falk was appointed head of IZA, the funder has now announced that Falk has asked it to withdraw his appeal.
According to the statement, the foundation is fulfilling this request “with regret and great respect for his outstanding scientific achievements.” It is still unclear what the future leadership of the Economic Research Institute will be. Current Chief Financial Officer Martin T. Clemens will continue to provide administrative leadership.
Armin Falk’s appointment has sparked outrage among economists, with Falk criticized for the way the Brick Institute, which he heads, responded to allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power brought against him last year. In its initial response to the allegations on social media, the institute wrote that it was considering “libel action.”
The Post Foundation now states in its report that in March 2023, after an investigation, the University of Bonn concluded that Armin Falk was “fully acquitted of the charges.” The threat of a mass resignation of around 700 economists now appears to have prompted a rethink: “IZA’s unique strength is its excellent global research network,” it said in a statement. Its ongoing maintenance and expansion is an integral part of IZA’s mission.
Source: Frantfurter Allgemeine
Elizabeth Gray is a writer at the World Herald News. He covers trending news, and his name appears frequently in online search results for stories covering the latest developments in international politics and business.
