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Pension systems in most industrialised countries are unfunded, i.e. they are pay-as-you-go financed and thus depend on a well-balanced ratio (old) recipients to (young) contributors. This so-called dependency ratio will worsen significantly in the next few decades due to two developments: ageing of the population and increased labour mobility. This book analyses the viability of unfunded pension systems in the presence of the projected demographic evolution. The analysis focuses on questions concerning: efficiency considerations and the possibility of welfare improvements; political economy aspects and the feasibility of reforms, and; the process of European integration and its influence on national pension systems. The theoretical analysis is complemented in numerous ways by quantitative parts and institutional details. The consequences of the demographic crisis for the distribution of the pension burden within and across generations and in an international context are illustrated with respect to the specific situation in Germany and other European countries. It is shown for different settings of political power distribution and for different degrees of mobility what would happen without any reforms and what could and should be done to guarantee the survival of old-age security based on a fair sharing of the pension burden. Neither explosion nor erosion is the inevitable fate of unfunded pension systems. But to avoid either happening, fundamental reforms are necessary as soon as possible which loosen at least partially the intergenerational dependencies and thus reduce the pressure from the changing population structure on old-age security

Der demographische Wandel wird viele Bundesländer in Zukunft vor große wirtschaftspolitische Herausforderungen stellen, da die Abnahme der Erwerbsbevölkerung die wirtschaftliche Dynamik bremst. Dem Versuch, den Fachkräftebedarf durch verstärkte Ausbildung zu decken, sind wegen der hohen Mobilität junger Arbeitskräfte jedoch Grenzen gesetzt, denn Hochschulabsolventen sind gerade für ihre ersten Beschäftigungsverhältnisse über Bundeslandgrenzen hinweg sehr mobil. Dies schwächt für einige Bundesländer die demographisch bedingten Auswirkungen ab, während es sie für andere verstärkt. Im Rahmen dieses Beitrags soll das Wanderungsverhalten von Hochschulabsolventen analysiert werden. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt dabei auf den Wanderungsdefiziten bzw. -überschüssen während der ersten fünf Jahre nach Studienabschluss. Dies ermöglicht wirtschaftspolitische Schlussfolgerungen im Hinblick auf die Bereitstellung und Finanzierung von Hochschulbildung.

This paper aims at linking cross border mobility of students and graduates with the financing of higher education. Against the background of institutional features and empirical evidence of the European Union and Northern America, a theoretical framework is developed. This allows analyzing the optimal financing regimes for different migration scenarios, comparing them with the regimes in place and discussing possible remedies. In particular, the (optimal) sharing of education costs between students / graduates and tax-payers is studied as well as the (optimal) sharing of the tax-payers´ part between the various countries involved: he country which provides higher education (the host country), the country of previous education (the origin country) and possibly the countries which benefit from the improved skills of the workers. Alternative designs exhibiting potentially desirable properties are developed and policy recommendations derived.

Introduction / Marcel Gerard and Silke Uebelmesser -- In search of evidence : mobility of students and mobility of highly skilled workers interrelated -- International student mobility and high-skilled migration : the evidence / Gabriel Felbermayr and Isabella Reczkowski -- Are foreign top PhD students more likely to stay in the US? : some evidence from -- European economists / Linda van Bouwel and Reinhilde Veugelers -- International mobility and career consolidation of european researchers / Elisabetta Marinelli, Ana Fernandez-Zubieta and Susana Elena-Perez -- Implications of mobility for fiscal policies, especially the public provision and financing of higher education -- Human capital mobility : implications for efficiency, income distribution, and policy / David Wildasin -- Financing higher education when students and graduates are internationally mobile / Marcel Gerard and Silke Uebelmesser -- Financing higher education: mobility, quality and access -- Nicholas barr -- Choosing the risk type of income-contingent loan : risk-sharing versus risk-pooling / Elena Del Rey and MarÃ-a Racionero -- Strategic choices in education policy and economic development -- The causes and consequences of the growth in international students in higher education / Richard Murphy -- Education policy, student mobility, and brain gain / Alexander Haupt, Tim Krieger and Thomas Lange -- On the engine of innovation : the role of migration and knowledge spillovers / Luisa Gagliardi -- Contributors -- Index

We study voting over higher education finance in an economy with two regions and two separated labor markets. Households dffer in their financial endowment and their children's ability. Non-students are immobile. Students decide where to study; they return home after graduation with exogenous probability. The voters of the two regions decide on whether to subsidize higher education costs or whether to rely on tuition fees only. We find that in equilibrium, in both regions a majority votes for subsidies when the return probability is suffi ciently small. When that probability is large, both regions opt for full tuition finance. Interestingly, the higher the return probability, the smaller are the equilibrium subsidy rates, but the larger are the numbers of exchange students.

Die Auswanderung von in Deutschland ausgebildeten und beschäftigten Bürgern hat sowohl bevölkerungsstatistische und arbeitsmarktrelevante als auch fiskalpolitische Implikationen. Anhand zweier exemplarischer Auswanderer - ein Facharbeiter und eine Ärztin - werden die entsprechenden fiskalischen Bilanzen mittels Beispielsrechnungen erstellt. Dabei werden insbesondere die mit der öffentlich bereitgestellten Bildung verbundenen öffentlichen Kosten mit dem fiskalischen Nutzen verglichen, der im Fall einer Auswanderung nicht dem Land zugute kommt, das in Vorleistung getreten und die Bildung finanziert hat, sondern dem Land, in das die Absolventen immigrieren. Blieben sie in Deutschland, würden sie hingegen über ihre gesamte Lebenszeit einen positiven Beitrag für die Allgemeinheit beisteuern. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass die Auswanderung von qualifizierten Arbeitskräften erhebliche Belastungen der öffentlichen Haushalte und Sozialkassen verursacht. Deshalb sollte die Politik durch die Gestaltung des Steuer- und Abgabensystems die richtigen Anreize für Fachkräfte schaffen, in Deutschland zu bleiben.

We ask which migration policy a developed country will choose when its objective is to attain the optimal skill composition of the country's workforce, and when the policy menu consists of an entry fee and a quota. We compare these two policies under the assumptions that individuals are heterogeneous in their skill level as well as in their skill type, and that individuals of one skill type, say "scientists," confer a positive externality on overall productivity whereas individuals of the other skill type, say "managers," do not confer such an externality. We find that a uniform entry fee encourages self-selection such that the migrants are only or mostly highly skilled managers. The (near) absence of migrant scientists has a negative effect on the productivity of the country's workforce. Under a quota: the migrants are (a) only averagely skilled managers if the productivity externality generated by the scientists is weak, or (b) only averagely skilled scientists if the productivity externality generated by the scientists is strong. In (a), a uniform entry fee is preferable to a quota. In (b), a quota is preferable to a uniform entry fee. If, however, the entry fee for scientists is sufficiently below the entry fee for managers, then migrants will be only or mostly highly skilled scientists, rendering a differentiated entry fee preferable to a quota even when the productivity externality is strong. Instituting a differentiated fee comes, though, at a cost: the fee revenue is not as high as it will be when migrants are only or mostly managers. We conclude that if maximizing the revenue from the entry fee is not the primary objective of the developed country, then a differentiated entry fee is the preferred policy.

This thesis contributes to the literature on economic beliefs and support for public policy in two parts. The first part of the thesis examines the relationship between individual beliefs about the macroeconomic outlook, framing of economic information by the media, and public support for policies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second part of the thesis concentrates on the interplay between beliefs about immigrants, the provision of statistical information about the immigrant population, and attitudes towards immigration as well as policy preferences in the host society. The findings of the first part of this thesis show that media and news outlets are of high relevance for the dissemination of economic information to consumers in times of crisis. In particular, the results show that framing of economic information by news outlets affects the public's support for policy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the second part of the thesis reveal that biases in beliefs about the immigrant population are very prevalent in host societies. More specifically, it provides evidence that many individuals tend to overestimate key aggregate statistics on immigration such as the share and unemployment rate of immigrants. While providing the public with official statistical information about the immigrant population reduces economic concerns about immigration and increases support for further immigration to the country, the findings also highlight that such information campaigns have to be carefully designed in order to remain effective.

This dissertation studies the effect of information provision on beliefs, perceptions, and policy preferences, specifically in the contexts of pensions and gender inequality. It uses data from quota-representative telephone and online surveys conducted in Germany and the United States. All chapters use information provision experiments to test whether providing a random subset of respondents with information about either demographic change or gender differences in earnings and pensions affects respondents' preferences for policies aimed at coping with demographic change on the one hand and gender inequality on the other. The results suggest that the provision of information not only affects perceptions but also has some impact on policy preferences.

This thesis contributes to the literature on economic beliefs and support for public policy in two parts. The first part of the thesis examines the relationship between individual beliefs about the macroeconomic outlook, framing of economic information by the media, and public support for policies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second part of the thesis concentrates on the interplay between beliefs about immigrants, the provision of statistical information about the immigrant population, and attitudes towards immigration as well as policy preferences in the host society. The findings of the first part of this thesis show that media and news outlets are of high relevance for the dissemination of economic information to consumers in times of crisis. In particular, the results show that framing of economic information by news outlets affects the public's support for policy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the second part of the thesis reveal that biases in beliefs about the immigrant population are very prevalent in host societies. More specifically, it provides evidence that many individuals tend to overestimate key aggregate statistics on immigration such as the share and unemployment rate of immigrants. While providing the public with official statistical information about the immigrant population reduces economic concerns about immigration and increases support for further immigration to the country, the findings also highlight that such information campaigns have to be carefully designed in order to remain effective.

This dissertation studies the effect of information provision on beliefs, perceptions, and policy preferences, specifically in the contexts of pensions and gender inequality. It uses data from quota-representative telephone and online surveys conducted in Germany and the United States. All chapters use information provision experiments to test whether providing a random subset of respondents with information about either demographic change or gender differences in earnings and pensions affects respondents' preferences for policies aimed at coping with demographic change on the one hand and gender inequality on the other. The results suggest that the provision of information not only affects perceptions but also has some impact on policy preferences.

Language learning is a fundamental skill taught in schools all across the World. In the European Union1, e.g. almost 93% of the pupils in 2019 learn a foreign language already in primary education (Eurostat, 2021). Language learning in schools is usually compulsory, it is likely to come with few or no costs and the acquired skills might affect later decisions in live, e.g. migration decisions. On the contrary, many adults decide to acquire foreign language skills voluntarily. In that case the direction of causality can be the opposite to that with language learning during childhood or adolescence. The determinants of foreign language skills and their benets can be approached from two perspectives, the aggregated macro-perspective and the individual micro-perspective. While Part I focusses on adult language learning on the macro-level, Part II uses a micro perspective on language learning. Part III remains on the individual perspective, but concentrates more generally on migration intentions and aspirations, very important aspects of adult language learning.