Dr Bastian Westbrock

My teaching experience spans various areas of Microeconomics, including game theory, network economics, industrial organization, and behavioural economics. I actively integrate my research into my teaching, ensuring students engage with the latest developments in the field. Recently, I have conducted classroom experiments to examine the effects of learning interventions—such as personal study goals and AI support—on student outcomes. These experiments not only inform my own research but also provide students with valuable insights into the effectiveness of different learning strategies.

My research focuses on the role of social and economic networks in shaping a wide range of outcomes, from firms’ innovative capabilities and organisational learning to broader issues such as global income inequality. I have published work in leading international journals, including the Journal of Economic Theory, RAND Journal of Economics, and Journal of Public Economics, and my findings have also contributed to policy discussions on platforms such as VoxEU.

In recent years, I have broadened my research to explore the game-theoretic and psychological foundations of network behaviour, particularly examining how peer interactions influence personal motivation and satisfaction. To deepen this inquiry, I conduct classroom experiments within my lectures, using real-world educational settings to generate insights that both inform my research and provide students with an applied perspective on these dynamics.

I maintain an active research collaboration network with fellow scholars at the universities of Utrecht (NL), Rotterdam (NL), Hagen (DE), Hamburg (DE), and Linz (AUT).