师说｜对话经济学Almuth D. Merkel博士：探索世界，搭建经济学与和平发展的桥梁
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在温肯，有一支国际化的教师队伍。他们当中，有深耕教坛几十年的资深教师，也有许多年轻面孔。这些教师“新人”带着满腔热情投身教育事业，为温肯这一集体不断增添新活力。
于欧洲长大，在美国完成博士学业，在拉丁美洲投身志愿服务工作……在年轻的Almuth D. Merkel博士眼中，世界不止一面，人生亦有多样精彩。她观察世界、触碰世界、感受世界，致力于用学术的力量解决粮食安全、资源管理、营养健康等方面存在的问题，让冰冷的数据分析有了温度和非凡的意义，在社会市场经济与和平、繁荣和可持续发展之间架起桥梁。
本期师说我们对话经济学的Almuth D. Merkel博士，从她的独特视角出发，一同寻觅经济学数据与和平之间的关系，走进她的研究故事和探索世界的别样经历。
关于Almuth D. Merkel，博士
Almuth D. Merkel于肯尼索州立大学获得冲突管理数据管理和分析以及冲突集中经济分析博士学位。她的研究重点分析经济发展不平等的原因和后果，解释社会市场经济的概念，应用于经济影响研究和公共政策模拟等领域。
用专业的力量 让世界更美好
以力所能及的方式，让世界变得更好，是Merkel博士学术生活中持之以恒的命题，而这颗小小的种子，在她的少年时期就已埋下。曾立志于从事联合国或世界卫生组织的工作的她，在开始大学生涯前，在智利圣地亚哥生活了一年，首要任务就是通过志愿服务来帮助生活在贫困地区的当地人。“在那里，人们有营养不良的问题，并且不知道如何管理他们拥有的稀缺资源。”而提升营养健康水平，管理稀缺资源，都是夯实粮食安全的重要举措。意识到这点后，她决定学习生态营养学，希望能在解决粮食安全问题上尽自己的一份力。
Merkel博士智利见闻
在Merkel博士的本科阶段，她选择在墨西哥和尼加拉瓜进行实习，这两个国家都存在不同程度的贫困问题。在尼加拉瓜，食品严重短缺，营养不足的人口比例很高。她再次认识到：“如果没有恰当的经济手段或稳固的经济基础，没有充足的食物供应，人们不能够维持健康生活状态。”由此，她决心攻读食品和商业相结合的硕士学位，关注农业生产和稀缺资源的管理。在Merkel博士看来：“许多冲突都是由粮食安全问题引起的。”以委内瑞拉为例，在2015年经济危机之前，国家依赖石油储备销售，一时非常富裕。但自石油市场遭受严重冲击以来，这个国家逐渐变得非常贫穷，发生了很多骚乱。以这一现象为出发点，她在硕士论文中讨论了委内瑞拉的粮食不安全与政权更迭之间的联系，结合食品和农业综合企业的相关知识，将重点聚焦在粮食安全问题上，从经济的角度研究了这个问题。
了解尼加拉瓜的乡村教育现状
发表了关于也门战争造成儿童死亡率的论文，关注战争冲突造成的伤害；以巴基斯坦为例，探索了冲突对援助的影响；研究了专制国家和民主国家应对食品价格上涨导致的民怨和饥饿问题……攻读博士期间，Merkel博士将目光投向冲突管理用经济分析来解释社会发展、国家稳定和世界和平等话题，使专业知识与国际社会现实融合，对世界发展进步注入更多有意义的探讨。
用体验塑造人生 “弯道”也是“捷径”
“一个世界公民，一个有国际化意识的人”一直以来是Merkel博士对自己的评价。在德国长大的她，得益于本国的教育方式和政府政策，有机会在不同的国家参与实践。在父母的支持下，她在智利、玻利维亚同中上层家庭的孩子一起上学；在政府的资助下，她在智利的圣地亚哥、墨西哥的普埃布拉和尼加拉瓜的拉巴斯森特罗接触到底层人民的工作，并在美国攻读博士……一次次的体验，叠加成了丰富的人生，塑造着她的成长与发展。
Merkel博士在温肯教授经济学
今年是Merkel博士在温肯教授经济学的第二个年头了。在两年教学中，她和她的学生一起成长，逐渐爱上了教书育人的工作，拥有了职业生涯美好的开始。在父亲的启迪下，她始终相信：“有时候走弯路就是走捷径。”而她的人生经历便是这句话最好的诠释。学习了关于粮食食品安全和农业综合企业的相关知识，并在博士阶段研究冲突管理学，正因为所学的专业都是以经济学为基础，Merkel博士最终走上了教授经济学的道路。多走些“弯道”，慢慢磨合自己，让每一步都有扎实的积累和时间的沉淀，“弯道”也可以变“捷径”。
“在各自的人生道路中央感受生活，擦亮双眼，让选择的专业为自己服务，不要试图把自己塞进一个不适合他们的框架里。”在访谈的最后，Merkel博士寄语温肯儿，希望大家找到适合自己的学习方式，热爱专业并投入热情。更重要的是，从实践汲取养分，以所学回馈社会！
Discovering the Power of Economics: A Global Journey Towards Prosperity and Sustainability
(Interview with Dr. Almuth D. Merkel, Economics, College of Business and Public Management at Wenzhou-Kean University)
In the eyes of Dr. Almuth D. Merkel, the world is multidimensional and there is always something to explore on our journey ahead. Growing up in Europe, completing her Ph.D. in the United States, and involving herself in volunteer services in Latin America, she has observed the world, experienced the world, and felt the world. She focuses on academic research to tackle the issues in food security, resource management and nutritional health and connects the social market economy with peace, prosperity, and sustainability.
This time, we sit down with Dr. Almuth D. Merkel to discuss the connections between economic studies and peacebuilding as well as how her experience exploring the world has led her to conduct research in this field.
About Almuth D. Merkel, Ph.D
Almuth D. Merkel received her PhD in Data Management and Analytics and Economic Analysis of Conflict Concentration in Intl. Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University. Her dissertation focused on the social market economy as a formula for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. She has developed a web-based application that allows a user to assess and compare social market economic performance across countries and to simulate the effects of changes in social market economic policies concerning indicators of peace, ecological sustainability, and income.
Her research focuses on analyzing the causes and consequences of unequal economic development and the concept of the social market economy. Her research is applied in nature and data-driven studies, including economic impact studies and public policy simulations. She has a particular interest in the use of information technology to bridge the gap between academic research and informed public policy and debate.
Use professional power to make the world a better place
Returning to the real world, allowing observation and research to be deeply integrated, and making the world better in ways within her power is what Dr. Merkel has insisted on in her academic life. This thinking, in fact, has been developed already since her teenage years. Having had aspired to work for the United Nations or the World Health Organization, she has spent a year in Santiago, Chile, before starting university. Her first task was to help local people living in poor areas by volunteering. She noticed that people were malnourished and did not know how to manage the scarce resources they had. Improving nutrition and managing scarce resources are the basics of strengthening food security. Therefore, she decided to study Ecotrophology, hoping to do her part in tackling food insecurity.
As an undergraduate, Dr. Merkel chose to do internships in Mexico and Nicaragua, developing countries where many people still live in poverty. “In Nicaragua, people just eat rice with beans, there is no meat to fill the stomach. Milk is also considered a rare commodity, and only young children who need it most can have the opportunity to drink it”, she said. Once again, she realized that "without proper financial means or a solid economic foundation, people cannot maintain a healthy lifestyle because it depends on the supply of food." Afterwards, she has been determined to pursue a combined master's degree in Food and Agribusiness, focusing on agricultural production and the management of scarce resources. In Dr. Merkel's view, "many conflicts are caused by food insecurity." Venezuela, for example, was rich before the 2015 economic crisis, relying on oil-reserve sales. However, a severe oil crisis due to politics and a drop in oil production led to significant slowdowns in economic growth and contributed to unrest across the country. Observing this phenomenon, she discussed the link between food insecurity and regime change in Venezuela in her master's thesis, combining her knowledge of food and agribusiness and studying the food security issue from an economic perspective.
During her doctoral study, Dr. Merkel focused on conflict management to explain social development, national stability, and world peace using economic analysis, integrating professional knowledge with the reality of the international society and contributing meaningful discussions to world development. She published a paper on child mortality caused by the war in Yemen, focusing on the harm caused by the conflict. Using Palestine as an example, she explored the impact of conflict on aid. Additionally, she studied the response of authoritarian and democratic countries to widespread discontent and hunger caused by rising food prices.
Use experience to shape life: "Detours" are also "shortcuts"
"A citizen of the world, a woman of international consciousness" has always been Dr. Merkel's assessment of herself. Growing up in Germany, she had the opportunity to practice in different countries thanks to the educational methods and government policies of Germany. "At the end of high school, young adults are encouraged to go abroad to participate in volunteer activities, and the government provides funds for their overseas practice." With the support of her parents, she went to school with the children of upper-middle-class families in Chile and Bolivia. With the support of governmentally funded programs and stipends, she worked with the underprivileged in Santiago in Chile, Puebla in Mexico, and La Paz Centro in Nicaragua. Furthermore, she studied for a doctorate in the United States. These experiences enriched her life and shaped her growth and development.
Dr. Merkel is currently in her second year teaching economics at WKU. During her two years of teaching, she was fortunate to observe her students grow throughout multiple consecutive courses, gradually fall in love with teaching, and had a fantastic start to her career. Inspired by her father, she always believed that "sometimes a detour is also a shortcut" and her career path also shows this. After learning about food security and agribusiness and studying conflict management as a Ph.D. student, Dr. Merkel ended up teaching economics since her major was based on economics. What seemed like a detour turned out to be a shortcut to her career.
"Experience life in the center of your path, sharpen your eyes, let your chosen profession serve you, and don't try to fit yourself into a frame that is uncomfortable and makes you unhappy." At the end of the interview, Dr. Merkel sent a message to WKUers, hoping that she would encourage them to find a suitable way of learning, develop professional skills and activate their learning passion. More importantly, take your life into your own hands!
图片｜受访者提供
制作 | 项温蔚
一审 | 尚蕊 卢素洁
二审 | 王智耀
三审 | 吕卓环
责编 | 媒体中心▼
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与真菌“交朋友”，17年来他始终坚持这件事……
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