Research associate
Address  IG Farben Building IG.1311Campus Westend Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1 60323 Frankfurt Contact   jaspert@soz.uni-frankfurt.de |
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Since April 2023 I am a PhD candidate in the DFG Research Training Group “Standards of Governance”, that takes place as cooperation between Goethe-University Frankfurt and the TU Darmstadt. Prior to this work, I completed my bachelor’s degree in political science and anthropology and attained my master’s degree in economic sociology with honours at Goethe University.
From October 2018 to April 2023, I was employed as a student assistant at the department for International Relations and International Political Economy. I started with teaching assistance and literature research and from April 2021 onwards switched to data research in the DFG project “Financialization and State Capitalism: The Governance of Capital Markets in the BRICSS”. During my master studies, I was a lecturer at the Institute of Sociology at LMU Munich for several semesters. I currently lecture at the John F. Kennedy Institute at FU Berlin and the Global Political Economy and Development Programme at the University of Kassel.
Research interests
From the perspective of critical political economy, I examine social developments, focusing on the political economy of financial markets. My current research interests include South–North relations, monetary and fiscal policy, and the historical basis of political and economic power relations within the context of global capitalism. Previously, I worked on ‘sustainable’ financial products. I enjoy working in a team and combining critical theoretical approaches with descriptive statistics, econometric methods, and qualitative research, such as interviews.
Teaching
| Winter Term 2025/2026 | University of Kassel: “The Political Economy of Development Finance” M.A. seminar. |
| Summer Term 2025 | Free University of Berlin: “Colonialism, Hereditary Racial Slavery, Patriarchal Economic Organization: The Roots of Transatlantic Capitalism?” M.A. seminar. |
| Winter Term 2023/2024 | Free University of Berlin: “Colonialism, Hereditary Racial Slavery, Patriarchal Economic Organization: The Roots of Transatlatic Capitalism?” M.A. seminar. |
| Winter Term 2021/2022 | Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich: “Feminist Political Economy. Or: More than a Side Contradiction.” B.A. Seminar. |
| Summer Term 2021 | “On the Political Economy of Financial Markets. A critical introduction” – B.A. Seminar. |
| Winter Term 2020/2021 | “From Black Gold to Climate Killer – How Normative Processes Create or Destroy Economic Values. Political Economy and Economic Sociology of the Green New Deal” – M.A.Seminar – Together with Prof. Dr. Bernhard Gill. |
Publications
In addition to my academic work, I am active as a freelance journalist and writer. I regularly contribute to Jacobin and nd, and have also written for Makronom, Surplus, Der Freitag, Migazin and Analyse & Kritik, among others. My work covers topics beyond political economy. You can find these works in their eintirety on my Torial profile. Below is a list of my academic publications and a selection of my other writing.
Work in Progress
Jaspert, Robin: „Compulsion to Restrain: Unravelling the longue durée of subordinate production, finance and debt systems on global South expenditure levels “. Peer Reviewed Journal Article.
Jaspert, Robin; Koddenbrock, Kai: „The Price to Pay: The Imperialism of Monetary Policy and the Transmission of Fed and ECB Interest Rate Policies to West- and central Africa “. Peer Reviewed Journal Article.
Jaspert, Robin; Zayim, Ayca: „How Independent are Central Banks from Financial Markets? A Quantitative Approach “. Peer Reviewed Journal Article.
Petry, Johannes; Jaspert, Robin: „Global Ownership Configurations: Varieties and Patterns of Corporate Ownership across the World’s Largest Equity Markets “. Handbook Chapter.
Peer Reviewed Journal Articles:
Fichtner, Jan; Jaspert, Robin; Petry, Johannes (2023):”Mind the ESG capital allocation gap: The role of index providers, standard-setting, and ‘green’ indices for the creation of sustainability impact.” Regulation and Governance – online first.
Books
Graack, Nico; Jaspert, Robin; Wörner, Lara (2025) Wer schuldet wem etwas? Bullshit-Diskurse, Deutschland und die Schuldenstreichung des Globalen Südens. Neu-Isenburg: Westend Verlag.
Working Paper:
Fichtner, Jan; Jaspert, Robin; Petry, Johannes (2023): „Mind the ESG gaps: Transmission mechanisms and the governance of and by sustainable finance“. DIIS
Handbook Chapters:
Fichtner, Jan; Jaspert, Robin; Petry, Johannes (2024) “ESG: ‘sustainable’ investing and the risk of infrastructural lock-in“, Pre-Print, in: Westermeier, Carola; Campbell-Verduyn, Malcom; Brandl, Barbara: The Cambridge Companion to Financial Infrastructure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Working Paper.
Book Reviews:
Jaspert, Robin (2024): „Debating continuity and rupture in the sovereign lending nexus – Quentin Bruneau, States and the Masters of Capital: Sovereign lending, Old and New“ Finance and Society – online first.
Essays et cetera (Selection):
Jaspert, Robin (2025): „Nicht unsere Deglobalisierung“ Jacobin DE.
Jaspert, Robin (2025): „Globaler Süden: Warum es keine automatische Entschuldung gibt“ Surplus.
Jaspert, Robin (2025): “Die verschobene Inflation“ Surplus.
Roumer, Aïda, Jaspert, Robin (2025): “Zukunft immer ungewisser“ nd die Woche.
Jaspert, Robin (2024): “Beten für den Schuldenschnitt“. Jacobin.
Jaspert, Robin; Kullick, Niklas (2024): “Geldpolitik in ungleichen Zeiten“. Makronom.
Jaspert, Robin (2024): “Kolonialismus, US-Hegemonie und Krisen sind keine gute Weltordnung“. Makronom.
Jaspert, Robin; Graack, Nico (2024): “Geschichte der G7: Das Imperium schlägt zurück“. nd die Woche.
Jaspert, Robin (2024): “Klimakiller IWF” nd die Woche.
Graack, Nico; Jaspert, Robin; Wörner, Lara (2024): “Antikolonial-global, sozialistisch-lokal – so wird’s was mit Degrowth”. Widerspruch 82.
Jaspert, Robin (2024): „Schuldenschnitt für BRD: Das „Wirtschaftswunder“, das keines war“. nd die Woche.
Jaspert, Robin (2024): „How Europe Made Indebted African States Into Its Border Police” Jacobin DE & US.
Jaspert, Robin; Kullick, Niklas (2023): „Klimapolitischer Teufelskreis: Wie die herrschende Wirtschaftspolitik die Energiewende blockiert“. Emanzipation 7.2.
Petry, Johannes; Fichtner, Jan; Jaspert, Robin (2023): „Who decides what ESG is and how to make investments greener – new research“. The Conversation.
Jaspert, Robin (2023): „Mit Unsinn tiefer in die Klimakrise“. nd-aktuell, 7. August.
Jaspert, Robin; Kullick, Niklas (2023): „Die Verwobenen Pfade der Inflation“. In: LuXemburg-Magazin.
Jaspert, Robin (2023): “EZB-Leitzinserhöhung verringert Inflation nicht”. nd-aktuell, 15. März 2023.
Jaspert Robin; Graack, Nico; Wagner, Louise (2023): „Germany Had Ist Debts Written Off. Today, We Should Do the Same for the Global South“. Jacobin DE & US.
Jaspert, Robin (2022):“Central Bank Capitalism is Forcing the Global South Into a Debt Crisis“. Jacobin DE & US & The Wire.
Reports for NGOs & Policy Briefs:
Fichtner, Jan; Jaspert, Robin; Petry, Johannes (2023): „What needs to change for green funds to be truly green”. DIIS Policy Brief.
Jaspert, Robin (2021): „Dividenden und Kurzarbeit in Deutschland. Der Staat springt ein – Shareholder profitieren?“. (Für Facing Finance)
Jaspert, Robin (2021): „Koloniale Kontinuität und Ungleichheit. Die Auswirkungen eines asymmetrischen Finanzsystems auf den Globalen Süden während Covid-19“. (Für Facing Finance)
Jaspert, Robin (2020): „Green Fake: ESG Investments während Covid-19“. (Für Facing Finance)
Jaspert, Robin (2020): „We are the Bomb – Opake Finanzströme und unwissentliche Beteiligung an Nuklearer Rüstung“. In: Ethik und Militär 1 (2020).
Media appearances:
My work with Jan Fichtner and Johannes Petry was featured in the Financial Times and Bloomberg.
Interview in junge Welt: „Missbrauch von Staatshilfe“. Dax-Konzerne kassieren Geld von der Regierung und schütten es an Aktionäre aus. Ein Gespräch mit Robin Jaspert
Publication of report leads to motion in the Bundestag: Covered by Handelsblatt.