From 14 to 17 September 2025, this year’s Association Conference will be held at the University of Cologne under the heading “Revival of Industrial Policy”.
The VfS Annual Conferences are among the largest economics conferences in the German-speaking world. In addition to the core conference and the open conference section – featuring over 400 paper presentations, award ceremonies, and evening events for academic exchange – this year’s programme will also integrate the Association’s current focus on Open Science.
Open Science stands for open, transparent, and reproducible research. Its most important aspects include:
- Open Access: Research findings should be freely accessible to all without paywalls.
- Open Data: Research data should – wherever possible – be made publicly available to promote reproducibility and reuse.
- Open Source: The disclosure of software, source code, and analysis scripts enables traceability and strengthens the quality of academic work.
“Open Science enhances the quality of academic research, promotes transparency and reproducibility, and accelerates the exchange of knowledge – a key driver for excellent and sustainable research,” explains Association President Klaus M. Schmidt on the significance of the current focus.
As part of the Open Access initiative, the Association’s two journals, Perspektiven der Wirtschaftspolitik and German Economic Review, have been published in Open Access since this year.
A specially established expert working group within the Association is devoting itself intensively to the topic of Open Science – with the aim of promoting exchange on this subject, better informing the academic community, and stimulating active discussion on the opportunities and challenges of Open Science.
As a first step, the working group conducted a member survey to gain insights into experiences, knowledge, and expectations regarding Open Science. The VfS website will continuously provide further information on Open Access, Open Data, and Open Source.
As part of the Association Conference, the following events are planned:
- Practice-oriented workshop: “Practical Guidance for Open Science in Your Research” (14.09.25 / 15:00–17:00)
- Panel discussion: “Open Science – Increasing Research Transparency in Economics” (15.09.25 / 17:00–18:00)
In addition, Klaus M. Schmidt is involved in a working group of the Leopoldina, which is addressing Open Access and the future of academic publishing. A first discussion paper by this group has already been published and is intended to stimulate further debate.
About the Verein für Socialpolitik:
The Verein für Socialpolitik was founded in 1873 and looks back on a long tradition. As an umbrella organisation of and for economists from a variety of academic backgrounds, it counts more than 4,000 members, including 1,200 university professors and 2,000 early-career researchers. While its members come from all over the world, the majority are based in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The Association pursues its objectives through the scholarly discussion of economic and social science issues. In addition, it fosters the cultivation of international relations within the discipline.
