Prof. Dr. Christoph M. Schmidt, born in 1962, studied economics at the University of Mannheim, Germany, where he received his degree as Diplom-Volkswirt in 1987, at Princeton University, where he received his M.A. in 1989 and his Ph.D. in 1991, and at the University of Munich, where he received the degree of Dr. rer. pol. habil. in 1995.