On 24 June, 2026, Johann Langenbach successfully defended his PhD thesis titled "Essays on Energy, Digital Transformation, and Development Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa" and was awarded a joint degree of a Philosophiae Doctor (Ph.D.) from University Paris 1 Sorbonne and Ruhr-University Bochum. The defence took place in Paris and the examination committee consisted of the two supervisors Prof. Mathilde Maurel (Paris 1) and Prof. Wilhelm Löwenstein (RUB) as well as Prof. Jenny Aker (Cornell University), Prof. Francois Combarnous, Prof. Laetitia Duval (Paris 1) and Dr. Elkhan Sadik-Zada (RUB, not in the picture).

Johann's PhD thesis was part of the European Joint Doctoral Network ADAPTED, that was coordinated by the IEE. His research output contributes to the work package "analysing interactions between poverty reduction and other policy areas."