Research Institute for Sustainability Helmholtz Centre Potsdam

David Löw Beer

Dr. David Löw-Beer

Research Group Leader

David Löw Beer joined the RIFS in Jan. 2017 and is currently heading the project Regional Sustainability Transformations. His research group investigates, which political, social, economic, and cultural factors foster sustainability transformations at the regional level, with a particular focus on previously carbon-intensive regions.

He studied international economics and political science in Tubingen, Germany and Niteroi, Brazil. Then, David Löw Beer worked in a comprehensive school for two years. He received his PhD in 2015 from the University of Koblenz-Landau after being a Visiting Scholar at the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont. His PhD focused on teacher education in economics from the perspective of ecological and environmental economics.

David Löw Beer's research focuses on the connections between democratic structures and sustainability transformations, youth participation, economic and political education, and education for sustainable development. His scientific interest lies in particular in the integration of educational sciences with other research in sustainability science. He is also chairman of the association Fair Rubber e.V., gives seminars on various topics in the fields of sustainability, economics and education and works as a reviewer for various journals.

  • Since 2022: Scientific Project Leader at RIFS Potsdam in the project "Regional Sustainability Transformations"
  • 2021-2022: Scientific Project Leader at RIFS Potsdam in the project "Social Transformation in Lusatia"
  • 2017-2020: Research Associate at RIFS Potsdam in the projects "Social structural change and responsive policy advice in Lusatia" and "Futurisation of Politics"
  • 2015-2016 Freelance Author of teaching material on topics related to gender and sustainability, i. a. for German Federal Association for Civic Education, State Institute for Teacher Training and School Development, Hamburg
  • 2011-2016 Lecturer at the Universities of Luneburg, Hamburg, Koblenz-Landau, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and various non-state entities on economic, political, and educational science topics
  • 2011-2016 PhD, Department of Economics, University of Koblenz-Landau: Economics Education for a Sustainable Development
  • 2014: Visiting scholar at the GUND Institute for Ecological Economics, University of Burlington, Vermont, USA
  • 2012-2013: Research Associate, Leuphana University Luneburg, Institute for integrative studies
  • 2009-2011: Fellow of Teach First Germany at a Comprehensive School in Dortmund, Germany
  • 2003-2009 : Student of International Economics (Diploma), Eberhard Karls University, Tubingen
  • 2005-2006: Student abroad, Universidade Federal Fluminese, Niterói, Brazil

  • Citizen participation, particularly youth participation
  • Sustainability governance and finance
  • Democratic sustainability transformations
  • Political and socio-economic education
  • Education for sustainable development

Publications at the RIFS

Publications prior to joining the RIFS

  • Löw Beer, David (2018): Teaching and Learning Ecosystem Assessment and Valuation. Ecological Economics, 146
  • (How) should prices be adjusted to reflect the environmental harm of products? Teacher trainees' understanding of an eco-economic phenomenon. Zeitschrift für ökonomische Bildung Heft Nr. 05, 12/2016
  • Ökonomische Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. Eine phänomenographische Untersuchung in der Lehrerinnenbildung [Economics Education for Sustainable Development. A Phenomenographic Inquiry into Teacher Training]. Barbara Budrich: Opladen, Berlin, Toronto, 10/2016
  • Die absurden Grenzen der Wirtschaftswissenschaften [The absurd Borders of Economics]. In: Böckmann, Laura et al. (Ed.): Per Absurdum. Das Absurde als Lebensentwurf und Denkmodell: 11 Versuche. LIT: Berlin, Münster, 08/2016, p. 168-179
  • Historische Finanzkrisen als Anlässe für ökonomische Bildungsprozesse. Konkretisiert am Beispiel des Tulpenfiebers im Holland des 17. Jahrhunderts. [Historic Speculations as occasions for processes in economic education. Specified by the example of the Dutch Tulipmania in the 17th century] Zeitschrift für ökonomische Bildung, 04/2016, p. 87-109 (with Sören Asmussen)
  • Kritische Aspekte der ökonomischen Bewertung und des Managements von Ökosystemdienstleistungen [Critical aspects of the economic valuation and the management of ecosystem services]. In: Arndt, Holger (Ed.): Das Theorie-Praxis-Verhältnis in der Ökonomischen Bildung. Jahresband der deutschen Gesellschaft für ökonomische Bildung. Schwalbach/Ts., 02/2016, p. 226-240
  • Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Qualifikation von Primarschullehrkräften - Ergebnisse einer hochschuldidaktischen Interventionsstudie [Economic qualification of elementary school teachers - results of an university intervention study] . In: Retzmann, Thomas (Ed.): Ökonomische Bildung in der Primarstufe und Sekundarstufe 1. Jahresband der deutschen Gesellschaft für ökonomische Bildung. Schwalbach/Ts, 02/2014, p. 387-402 (with Sören Asmussen)
  • Partizipation am Beispiel von Preisbildung [Participation by the example of the price setting mechanism]. In: Stoltenberg, Ute (Ed.): Weltorientierung durch Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung. Theoretische Grundlagen und Praxis des Sachunterrichts in der Grundschule. Bad Homburg, 08/2013, p. 65-79
  • Teilhabe durch Fachlichkeit. Erste Grundzüge einer Konzeption ökonomischer Bildung im Sachunterricht [Participation through technical competence. First elements of a conception of economic education in basic social sciences]. In: Widerstreit Sachunterricht, Nr. 18, 10/2012, p. 1-10 (with Sören Asmussen)
  • Change from Below: Student Initiatives for Universities in Sustainable Development in: Leal Filho, W. (Ed.): Sustainable Development at Universities: New Horizons. Peter Lang: Frankfurt/Main, 10/2012, , 10/2012, p. 733-743 (with Moritz Drupp, Alejandro Esguerra, Lena Keul, Simon Meisch and Felix Roosen-Runge)

  • 2018 „Limited Perspectives on an Open Field - Coal in Lusatia", Presentation at the Coal Day of the Max-Planck-Institute for the History of Science
  • 2018 "Stiftung Fonds zur Finanzierung der kerntechnischen Entsorgung" (Foundation Fund for Financing the Nuclear Disposal), presentation at the IASS-Workshop on the transformational sovereign wealth fund
  • 2018 „Der Transformationsfonds" (The Transformative Sovereign Wealth Fund), presentation at the IASS-Workshop on the transformational sovereign wealth fund
  • 2018 „An Inter-Institutional Transformation? Conflicts and synergies between market- and democracy oriented regional development in Lusatia", presentation at the conference Breaking the Rules! Energy Transitions as Social Innovations at the Wissenschaftszentrum, Berlin
  • 2018 "Futurization of Politics", presentation at the conference Nature, Time and Responsibility 3 at Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich
  • 2017: Deutsche Gesellschaft für ökonomische Bildung, Annual meeting, Flensburg: Paper presentation on: Integration des Lernens in informellen und formellen Kontexten am Beispiel ökonomischer Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung
  • 2015: Deutsche Gesellschaft für ökonomische Bildung, Annual meeting, Vienna: Paper presentation on: Kritische Aspekte der ökonomischen Bewertung und des Managements von Ökosystemdienstleistungen
  • 2014: EARLI Special Interest Group 9 - Phenomenography and Variation Theory, Oxford: Paper presentation on Teacher trainees' understanding of key concepts in ecological economics: A phenomenographic analysis

  • 2011-2015: PhD scholarship, Hans Boeckler Foundation
  • 2005 -2009: Scholarship, Hans Boeckler Foundation