PROFESSUR FÜR INTERNATIONALE WETTBEWERBSÖKONOMIK Prof. Dr. Fabian Herweg Magdalena Helfrich M.Sc. Universität Bayreuth • 95440 Bayreuth In the summer term 2015, the Professorship for International Competition Policy offers a research based seminar course for Master’s students and advanced Bachelor’s students enrolled in Economics, IWG (IWE), and Philosophy & Economics entitled: TOPICS IN ECONOMIC THEORY The seminar is designed as a reading course. The idea is that participants read selected recent contributions to Microeconomic Theory, with a focus on the field of Industrial Organization, Behavioral Economics and Contract Theory, and meet on a regular basis to discuss them. Participants get an insight into current research and learn how to read and critically evaluate technically and conceptually demanding research papers, and to summarize and present the main results. As a starting point, we have listed a number of papers below. Students are welcome to suggest literature to be added to the reading list. For students writing their master thesis at our chair, the seminar offers an opportunity to discuss literature related to their thesis topic. Students taking part in the seminar should have a profound knowledge of Microeconomic Theory. Participants are expected to attend the course regularly and to read the respective paper(s) before each meeting. At most 15 students will be accepted for the seminar. Priority in the allocation of places will be given to students of higher semesters. Language of Seminar  Presentation and Discussion: English  Term Paper: English Assessment  Participation in class, presentation of a short summary of at least one paper and a 13-15 pages term paper.  Credits in  Economics/IWG: “Individueller Schwerpunkt”, 6cp  P&E: “Elective Seminar”, 6cp 2 Dates and Deadlines  Preliminary meeting: Tuesday, February 10 th 2015, 10:15am, room S 66, RW (participation in the meeting is not compulsory)  Registration deadline: Monday, March 2 nd 2015 (belated registration might be possible)  First meeting Friday, April 17 th 2015 (number and dates of subsequent meetings will be fixed in the first meeting) Enrolment/Registration To enroll, please send an e-mail with the following information to [email protected] (subject line: Seminar – Economic Theory): In a comma-delimited list: Last name, First name, Mat-Nr., Degree, Semester, E-mail address Example: Herweg,Fabian,1478249,EconMSc.,2,[email protected]. Allocation of seminar places will be made by Monday, March 9 th 2015. You will be notified by e-mail. Literature: 1. Chen, Z. and P. Rey (2012): “Loss Leading as an Exploitative Practice”, American Economic Review 102 (7), 3461-3482. 2. Heidhues, P., B. Kőszegi and T. Murooka (2015): “Exploitative Innovation”, American Economic Journal: Microeconomics (forthcoming). 3. Kőszegi, B. and A. Szeidl (2013): “A Model of Focusing in Economic Choice”, Quarterly Journal of Economics 128 (1): 53-104. 4. Krähmer, D. and R. Strausz (2015): “Optimal Sales Contracts with Withdrawal Rights”, Review of Economic Studies (forthcoming). 5. Spiegler, R. (2014): “Competitive Framing”, American Economic Journal: Microeconomics 6 (3): 35-58.