Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - International Agricultural Trade And Development

Writing your B.Sc./M.Sc. thesis at the IATD Group

A list of topics in which we are interested to supervise B.Sc. and M.Sc. theses is found below. Students can also suggest potential own topics and/or research questions. to one of the potential supervisors at the IATD group. Note that there are certain criteria to be fulfilled for your research work to qualify for a B.Sc. or M.Sc. Thesis. The following points are general guidelines:

 

  • Your thesis may include data collection and development, the application of methods such as simulation modeling or econometrics, and/or literature reviews on specific research fields presented in an analytical way.

 

Available thesis topics:

B.Sc.:

  • Der Deutsche Wassersektor: Probleme und Managementstrategien
    Betreuer/Kontaktperson: Jonas Luckmann (luckmann@hu-berlin.de)

 

M.Sc.:

  • Dietary trends in Europe and their alignment with the Planetary Health Diet.
    Understanding how dietary habits are evolving across different social and demographic groups is crucial for assessing the future of food systems and sustainability. This thesis will examine European dietary trends, focusing on generational and socio-economic differences in food consumption patterns. Key aspects will include what people eat (e.g., meat, sugar, plant-based foods), how they eat (e.g., home-cooked meals vs. snacks, institutional vs. private settings), and how much they consume in terms of calories and macronutrients. The first part of the thesis will consist of a literature review, identifying well-established dietary trends with strong scientific evidence and assessing how widespread these trends are in different European countries. The second part will develop scenarios based on these findings and compare them with the Planetary Health Diet proposed by the EAT-Lancet Commission. This comparison will help determine whether demographic and economic changes are naturally aligned with sustainable and healthy diets or pushing societies further away from these goals. To add depth, the thesis could explore policy interventions that influence these dietary trends, such as taxation, subsidies, or public nutrition programs. Alternatively, the identified scenarios could be implemented in the CAPRI model to analyze their implications for European agriculture. This research will provide insights into how dietary shifts affect public health and agricultural policies, providing valuable information for policymakers aiming to steer food consumption toward more sustainable patterns.
    Supervisor/Contact person: Alexander Gocht (alexander.gocht@hu-berlin.de)
  • Policy Solutions for Tackling Nutrient Pollution Hotspots in EU Agriculture: Balancing Environmental and Economic Goals with the CAPRI Model
    Nutrient pollution from agriculture remains a major environmental challenge in the EU, driving eutrophication, biodiversity loss, and water quality degradation, with concentrated "hotspots" worsening regional disparities. The European Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food highlights the need to enhance farm-level nutrient efficiency and promote circular practices, calling for targeted action in high-risk areas through collaborative strategies. This thesis evaluates how various policy instruments—such as nitrogen surplus taxes, fertilizer input taxes, subsidies for precision farming technologies and other policy options—could mitigate nutrient pollution without compromising farm livelihoods. Using the CAPRI model, the study assesses the environmental and economic impacts of these policies across EU nutrient pollution hotspots. The objective is to identify effective policy solutions that reduce pollution while ensuring agricultural viability, particularly in regions facing severe nutrient imbalances. The findings will provide evidence-based insights to inform the ongoing debate on future CAP reforms.
    Supervisor/Contact person: Alexander Gocht (alexander.gocht@hu-berlin.de)
  • Mirror clauses for food and agricultural products, positions, possible developments, and impacts?
    Description: This master's thesis investigates the concept of mirror clauses in international trade agreements, specifically focusing on food and agricultural products. Mirror clauses refer to provisions that replicate or mirror existing regulations, standards, or policies in one country to another. The research will examine the current positions of key stakeholders (e.g., governments, industries, NGOs) on mirror clauses, possible developments in their application, and potential impacts on global trade, food security, and sustainability. The thesis aims to provide insights into the benefits and drawbacks of mirror clauses, their implications for international trade relations, and recommendations for future policy-making. Based on the findings, quantitative assessments might be investigated using economic models like CAPRI.
    Supervisor/Contact person: Alexander Gocht (alexander.gocht@hu-berlin.de)
  • „New: Master theses in the field of economics and governance of agricultural and food systems at the IATD group at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in exchange with Agora Agriculture” (pdf)
  • Developing an Input-Output Table for Israel or Jordan to be submitted to the Global Trade Analysis Project (https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/databases/contribute/default.asp)
    Supervisor/Contact person: Jonas Luckmann (luckmann@hu-berlin.de)
  • Analysing and evaluating the 2019 Social Accounting Matrix for Ghana: Towards Effective Utilisation in Addressing Public Health Challenges and Policies
    Contact person: Zuhal Elnour (zuhal.elnour@hu-berlin.de)
    Supervisors: Zuhal Elnour (zuhal.elnour@hu-berlin.de) and Harald Grethe (grethe@hu-berlin.de)
    Further information (pdf)
  • Development of a 2019 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for Burkina Faso with Malaria Epidemiological Zones
    Contact person: Martial Houessou (martial.houessou@hu-berlin.de)
    Supervisors: Zuhal Elnour (zuhal.elnour@hu-berlin.de) and Harald Grethe (grethe@hu-berlin.de)
    Further information (pdf)

  • Depicting impacts of flooding and mitigation measures in economy-wide simulation-models
    Supervisor/Contact person: Jonas Luckmann (luckmann@hu-berlin.de)

 

Country-level analysis of economic and/or agricultural policies using SAM-based simulation models

This MSc topic is only suitable for students who attended our course on “Introduction to simulation models in market and policy analysis” or an equivalent course. It would also be good if the student attends our one-week blocked PhD module on “Applied general equilibrium modeling” or the MSc module on “Intermediate CGE modeling”.

Under this topic, the MSc thesis includes the following activities:

  • Develop research questions of the thesis focused on one particular country of interest. They should be suitable for being answered using a SAM-based simulation model,
  • Develop/update a SAM (social accounting matrix) for the country of interest, and
  • Implement policy simulations to answer the research questions using either a CGE or SAM-multiplier model.
  • Supervisor: Khalid Siddig (khalid.siddig@hu-berlin.de)

 

B.Sc. and M.Sc.:

Support and supervision of bachelor and master theses at the interface of Agora Agriculture and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, new topics announced: PDF.