Prof. Michael Grimm (Chair of Development Economics) has been elected Chairman of the Research Group on Development Economics at the Annual Meeting of the Research Group held in Berlin June 13-14 2019. He follows Prof. Axel Dreher from the University of Heidelberg and will fill the position from October 1 onwards. The Research Group on Development Economics has currently 86 elected members, who are dominantly active in the Germanophone area. The group was founded 1957. It dedicates itself to the research as well as to critical discussion of research results and relevant questions in the area of development theory and policy. Accordingly, the Research Group aims for its members to engage in theoretical and political questions regarding both, their research and teaching activities. Moreover, special attention is paid to the promotion and building up of a new scientific generation in this area of interest. Maintaining an active exchange between the Research Group and the development practice is another important aspect. The group meets annually for a closed meeting and organizes a two-day international well-recognized conference with more than 100 presentations. This conference was already held at Passau University in 2014.