On the 22nd and 23rd of May of 2026, more than 130 economists gathered in Berlin to celebrate Christian Dustmann‘s contributions to the field of labour economics.
Held in the historic Senatssaal of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and supported by RFBerlin, CReAM, ROCKWOOL Fonden, and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the conference drew warm praise from participants and organizers alike.
Over two days, the academic programme brought together researchers across the breadth of Prof. Dustmanns’s own work. From migration, education and inequality to wage dynamics, technology and the long-run effects of policy. The event drew remarkable contributors from leading institutions across the whole world. Among the honoured guests were:
- David Card (University of California, Berkeley; Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2021)
- Richard Blundell (University College London)
- Henry S. Farber (Princeton University)
- Stephen Machin (London School of Economics)
- Nicole Fortin (Vancouver School of Economics)
- …and many more
The first day concluded with a guided boat tour along the River Spree, followed by a Welcome Reception at Firespace — an event venue tucked inside the historic Edison Höfe courtyard in Berlin-Mitte, where Germany’s first electric light bulbs were once produced.
The second day’s programme continued with academic sessions that included presentations by PhD students of Christian Dustmann, building a fitting reflection of the breadth of his mentorship and culminated in a closing address by David Card.
The conference closed with an evening celebration at the Meistersaal, a historic chamber music hall near Potsdamer Platz that later became Hansa Tonstudio’s legendary “Studio 2,” where artists such as David Bowie, Depeche Mode, Iggy Pop, and U2 once recorded.
Few scholars have shaped labour economics as profoundly as Christian Dustmann. Across more than three decades of work. His research has set the agenda for many of the questions the field. These two days in Berlin were a fitting recognition of that legacy, and of the community he has built around it.
