Dr. Philipp Bach moves to the FU Berlin

25 June 2025

Photo: privat

Dr. Philipp Bach has accepted a tenure-track junior professorship in econometrics at Freie Universität Berlin, starting July 1, 2025. There he will continue his research on causal machine learning. He has written a personal farewell message.

A look back: My time at the University of Hamburg

In 2016, I began my doctoral studies at the University of Hamburg under Prof. Dr. Spindler in the field of statistics in business administration, which I completed in 2020. Since then, I have been working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hamburg and have continued to specialize in the field of causal machine learning. Especially in my first years at the University of Hamburg Business School and the Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE), I benefited from generous research funding, excellent facilities, and active exchange with other researchers. In addition, the collegial atmosphere among other members of the faculty and the “short distances” in the administration helped me to concentrate very well on my research. In teaching, I fondly remember the positive interaction with the students I was able to accompany in introductory and advanced courses in statistics. A highlight, of course, was the Digital Causality Lab, which made a lasting contribution to digital literacy at the Business School and at the University of Hamburg.

A look into the future

I am very much looking forward to my new responsibilities as assistant professor of econometrics at the FU Berlin. The spacious and beautifully designed campus in southwest Berlin and the dynamic department appealed to me right from the start. So, of course, I didn't have to think twice when I was offered the position. Berlin is home to one of the largest research centers in Germany, offering extensive opportunities for research collaboration with its universities and research institutes. Affiliated with the Department of Economics, I will focus my teaching on data science and causal machine learning. In research, I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues, especially in the areas of causal inference, empirical economic research, and econometrics.

Acknowledgments

Finally, I would like to say thank you once again. First of all, I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Martin Spindler for his support during my doctoral and postdoctoral studies. A big thank you also goes to my colleagues at the Chair of Statistics with Applications in Business Administration, who accompanied me during my time at the University of Hamburg. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the other departments, as well as the faculty administration team and the Student Office, for their positive cooperation. I would also like to thank the many talented and motivated students for their commitment, interest, and feedback. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the University of Hamburg and will cherish the memories. In recent years, the University of Hamburg Business School has set an important course for the future, for example through EQUIS accreditation. I wish the Business School and its members continued success on this path.