I hold a PhD from the University of Göttingen, where I graduated at the RTG Globalization and Development supervised by  Prof. Axel Dreher and Prof. Andreas Fuchs. You can find my PhD thesis titled The Impact and Implementation of International Development Finance here.

Currently, I serve as a Research Fellow at SoDa Labs, Monash University, starting from January 2024. 

My primary research examines the international development finance examining the effect of aid on migration, the effectiveness of aid as soft power instrument, and the agency of individuals in international organizations. My research combines large, individual-level datasets with robust methods for causal inference. 

Additionally, I delve into the economic ramifications of warfare and the resurgence of far-right ideologies, particularly in 20th century Germany. 

I obtained a Master's degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. My academic journey also involved studying Economics at the Universities of Bayreuth, Bordeaux, and Sao Paulo. Furthermore, I gained practical experience in development and project finance through positions at KfW Development Bank and IPEX Bank. 

You can find my CV here.

Get in touch: lukas.wellner[at]monash.edu