M.A. Valerie Auer
Freie Universität Berlin
Promotionskolleg EQUALFIN
PhD Candidate
Room 402
14195 Berlin
Education
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Since 02/2025 |
PhD Student, EQUALFIN |
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04/2022 – 09/2024 |
Master of Arts in International and Development Economics, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin |
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04/2023 – 07/2024 |
Development Policy Lecture Series, Technische Universität Berlin and Society for International Developments |
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10/2019 – 09/2021 |
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf |
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10/2014 – 10/2017 |
Bachelor of Science in Economics, Freie Universität Berlin |
Work Experience
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12/2023 – 09/2024 |
Research Assistant, Chair of Political Economy and Socio-Ecological Transformation, Prof. Dr. Markus Wissen, Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin |
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12/2021 – 03/2022 |
Handelsblatt Media Group GmbH, Düsseldorf |
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04/2018 – 06/2018 |
Intern, Market Research, German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce Ljubljana, Slovenia |
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08/2016 – 08/2017 |
Tutor in “Financial Crises and Monetary Systems”, Freie Universität Berlin |
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03/2017 – 05/2017 |
Intern, Microcredit Analysis, Kilimanjaro Vicoba Network Moshi, Tanzania |
Research Project
Project Title: “Drivers and Implications of unofficial Dollarization: A comparative Analysis of selected Latin American countries"
Supervisors: Prof. Barbara Fritz and Prof. Heike Joebges
Informal dollarization - the widespread use of foreign currencies alongside or instead of local currencies - remains a persistent feature of many Latin American economies and a critical lens through which to examine inequality and development. This research explores informal dollarization as both a domestic phenomenon and a symptom of global monetary asymmetries, reflecting the structural dependencies of peripheral economies within the international monetary system. Through a comparative analysis of Latin American countries with varying degrees of informal dollarization, the study investigates the context-specific drivers and examines how these contribute to uneven access to stable currencies. The analysis highlights the unequal distributional effects of dollarization, showing how it deepens socio-economic divides by disproportionately affecting low-income households and marginalized groups, especially in the informal sector. By linking local currency practices to broader global dynamics, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the political economy of money, inequality, and dependency in the Global South.
Schoppengerd, S., Auer, V., & Wissen, M. (2025). Zwischen Vereinnahmung und Demokratisierung. Beschäftigtenbeteiligung in der Dekarbonisierung der Industrie. WSI-Mitteilungen, 78(2), 81-89.
Auer, V. (2024). What drives Dollarization in Cuba? A Qualitative Research Approach (Master Thesis, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin).