Thiemo Fetzer

{{Short description|German British economist}}

{{Infobox scientist | name = Thiemo Fetzer | birth_date = | nationality = German | workplaces = University of Warwick
University of Bonn | fields = Applied Economics
Political Economy
Economic Development
Data Science | awards = Philip Leverhulme Prize
ERC Starting Grant | website = http://www.trfetzer.com }}

Thiemo Fetzer is a German economist and professor at the University of Warwick and the University of Bonn. His research focuses on applied economics, political economy, and economic development, with a particular emphasis on the use of artificial intelligence, data science, and machine learning methodologies. Fetzer's work has contributed to major policy discussions and has received coverage in both national and international media outlets.{{Cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/tfetzer/|title=Professor Thiemo Fetzer|publisher=University of Warwick|access-date=2024-11-24}}

== Career ==

Fetzer was raised in Ulm, Germany, where he completed his Abitur at the Schubart Gymnasium. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Economics from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, supported by a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. He subsequently completed a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics at the London School of Economics (LSE), funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Promotionskolleg Soziale Marktwirtschaft, and the Tibor Scitovsky Fellowship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.premiacap.com/news/LSE_DonorsAndScholars_2010.pdf|title=LSE Donors and Scholars Report 2010|publisher=LSE|access-date=2024-11-24}}

Following the completion of his doctorate, Fetzer held academic positions at the University of Warwick, the University of Chicago, and served as a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. He was appointed Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick in 2021 and at the University of Bonn in 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/news/2022/10/philip_leverhulme_prize_success_for_researchers/|title=Philip Leverhulme Prize Success|publisher=University of Warwick|access-date=2024-11-24}}

Fetzer has worked with policymakers and international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Brookings Institution. His research has addressed a range of global economic and political issues, such as Brexit, austerity policies, deforestation in Brazil, and the tariffs implemented during the Trump administration.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2016/oct/18/hague-calls-for-bank-of-england-and-other-central-banks-to-raise-interest-rates-or-lose-independence-politics-live?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-5805e93de4b005f21833a9ae#block-5805e93de4b005f21833a9ae |title=Cameron could have won EU referendum if he had eased austerity by £3bn, study claims |newspaper=The Guardian |date=18 October 2016 |access-date=2024-11-24}}{{Cite journal |url=https://hbr.org/2019/08/did-austerity-in-the-uk-lead-to-the-brexit-crisis |title=Did Austerity in the UK Lead to the Brexit Crisis? |journal=Harvard Business Review |date=23 August 2019 |access-date=2024-11-24 |last1=Fetzer |first1=Thiemo }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/2019/04/tariffs-and-politics-evidence-from-trump-s-trade-wars/ |title=Tariffs and Politics: Evidence from Trump's Trade Wars |publisher=World Economic Forum |access-date=2024-11-24}}{{Cite journal |last1=Fetzer |first1=Thiemo |last2=Schwarz |first2=Carlo |title=Tariffs and Politics: Evidence from Trump's Trade Wars |journal=The Economic Journal |volume=131 |issue=636 |pages=1717–1741 |date=May 2021 |doi=10.1093/ej/ueaa122 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueaa122 |access-date=2024-11-24|hdl=10419/198913 |hdl-access=free }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2019/04/27/why-you-should-never-start-a-trade-war-with-an-autocracy |title=Why you should never start a trade war with an autocracy |publisher=The Economist |date=27 April 2019 |access-date=2024-11-24}}

== Research and Impact ==

Fetzer’s research spans a range of topics in economics, including political economy, public policy, and environmental economics. His work examining the political and economic factors of Brexit, particularly the role of austerity, has been referenced in studies on the Causes of the vote in favour of Brexit.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/opinion/britain-centrists-labour-conservatives.html|title=Opinion: Britain's Centrists Need to Grow Up|work=New York Times|date=28 August 2018 |access-date=2024-11-24 |last1=Shenker |first1=Jack }}{{Cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/05/07/global-order-finance-economy-book-helen-thompson-disorder/|title=How to Get Recent History All Wrong|work=Foreign Policy|access-date=2024-11-29}} The work has also inspired artists to discuss the wider societal impact of austerity and contributed to shaping public discourse in the UK and beyond.{{Cite web |url=https://www.trfetzer.com/2023/07/26/jonathan-pie-austerity-and-brexit/ |title=Jonathan Pie: Austerity and Brexit |website=Thiemo Fetzer |date=26 July 2023 |access-date=2024-11-29 |author1=Thiemo }}

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fetzer investigated aspects of public policy implementation and digital infrastructure. His research included analysis on contact tracing errors and the UK government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/18db20d8-7726-43e2-87f1-c5861ad3dff5|title=Data glitch may have led to more than 1,500 COVID deaths in England|newspaper=Financial Times|date=24 June 2021 |access-date=2024-11-24 |last1=Harford |first1=Tim }}{{Cite journal|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03140-4|title=COVID-19: Eat Out to Help Out and Increased Infections|issue=7834 |pages=344 |journal=Nature|date=10 November 2020 |volume=587 |doi=10.1038/d41586-020-03140-4 |access-date=2024-11-24 |last1=Cyranoski |first1=David |pmid=33173217 |url-access=subscription }}{{Cite web |url=http://hassler-j.iies.su.se/nobel/covid.html |title=Nobel Symposium: Covid-19 and the Economy – Policies and Impacts |website=Institute for International Economic Studies |author=John Hassler |access-date=2024-11-29}}

He has also conducted research on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in India, focusing on its role in enhancing climate resilience. His findings suggest that employment guarantee programs may mitigate the effects of adverse weather shocks and reduce the risk of conflict.{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/07/05/confronting-conflict-and-fragility-in-africa |title=Confronting Conflict and Fragility in Africa |website=World Bank |date=5 July 2015 |access-date=2024-11-24}}Fetzer, Thiemo. "Can Workfare Programs Moderate Conflict? Evidence from India." Journal of the European Economic Association, vol. 18, no. 6, Dec. 2020, pp. 3337–3375. Oxford University Press, 5 Feb. 2020, [https://doi.org/10.1093/jeea/jvz062 https://doi.org/10.1093/jeea/jvz062].

Fetzer’s work on the economic and environmental implications of shale gas production and the global energy transition has also been part of his broader research agenda.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

His research has been published in leading journals such as American Economic Review, The Economic Journal, and Science. He is among the most highly cited economists.{{Cite web |url=https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.young.html#15 |title=Top Young Economists |website=IDEAS/RePEc |access-date=2024-11-29}}{{Cite web |url=https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.person.all10.html |title=Top Economists by Publications (Last 10 Years) |website=IDEAS/RePEc |access-date=2024-11-29}}