Student Research Assistant (m/f/d)

The Research Center "International Development" (Dr. Lennart Kaplan) at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy is looking for a Student Research Assistant (m/f/d, min 10 hours per month, initially limited to six months with possible extension)

Your Role

• Research/data work: data collection, coding, database management, GIS, quantitative analysis
• Research communication: tables, figures, literature reviews, papers/reports, occasional website updates

Your Profile

We are looking for a candidate who meets the following criteria:

• Enrolled Bachelor or Master student in Economics, Political Science, Geography, Data Science, or a related field
• Good or very good academic performance
• Strong interest in empirical research on economic development, international trade and/or development cooperation
• Basic knowledge of quantitative data analysis and a willingness to work with large datasets
• Experience with or strong interest in geospatial data and GIS, particularly QGIS and/or spatial analysis in R, is an advantage.
• Ability to systematically extract, code and document information from academic and project documents
• High attention to detail and ability to document data sources and coding decisions carefully and work independently
• Interest in machine learning and automated text classification is an advantage
• Experience with or interest in working with economic and trade data is an advantage
• Team spirit and flexibility
• Good command of English; German is not required

We are offering

• Insights into current topics of economic development
• An international work environment.

Further information

• The hourly wage amounts to 15.20€ for student assistants, and 16.20 € for research assistants with a bachelor degree.
• The start date is November 1, 2026.
• Initial appointment for six months, with the possibility of extension. We are particularly interested in candidates who can commit to at least one year.

The research project aims to advance understanding of Aid for Trade (AfT) by combining country-level, subnational and micro-level data. Building on innovative methods, including ML/text classification, we will compile new data on different types of AfT and integrate these with geospatial, trade and firm-level information. The project will examine how different types of AfT affect exports and how infrastructure corridors, including those supported by the EU's Global Gateway, affect trade costs.

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy values diversity. We welcome applications regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The Kiel Institute is an equal opportunity employer with a certified family-friendly policy. We promote the professional opportunities of women and strongly encourage them to apply. Women with equivalent qualifications, competence and expertise will be given preference. We are committed to employing persons with recognized disabilities and will therefore give them preference over persons without disabilities if they are equally qualified. 

Please submit your application online, using ID-No. “09_26_INDEV_Hiwi_01”, including your CV, cover letter, transcript of records, high-school diploma and Bachelor certificate in electronic form. The application deadline is October 15, 2026. For further questions, please contact Lennart Kaplan.

Application photos should not be included.

Lennart Kaplan
Lennart.Kaplan@uni-goettingen.de

Min 10 hours per month

Initially limited to six months with possible extension

ID-No. “09_26_INDEV_Hiwi_01

Application deadline is October 15, 2026