Tristan Kohl receives NWO grant for project on how lobbying determines the rules on international trade
Associate Professor of International Economics Tristan Kohl has received a grant of € 400,000 from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) for a project on how lobbying by firms and non-governmental organizations shape the rules on international trade.
The rules governing international trade are contained in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). However, the political decision-making processes behind FTAs often lack transparency, allowing lobby groups to exert undue influence for their own gain. Existing research has predominantly focused on corporate lobbying, leaving a significant gap in understanding how private firms and non-governmental organizations, such as labor unions and environmental groups, lobby on tariffs, labor standards and environmental regulations in trade agreements.
Kohl’s research proposal aims to bridge that gap by investigating how various interest groups, both corporate and non-corporate, lobby on trade policy within FTAs and the extent to which politicians align their votes with the lobbyists' objectives. The study will also assesses the economic merits of lobbying, considering the costs and benefits associated with these activities.
The associate professor looks forward to working on his new project. “I am delighted that NWO has granted this project, which aims to inform public discussions on how lobbyists shape the rules of globalization, and highlights the need for transparent and balanced decision-making processes.”
The NWO Open Competition
With the NWO Open Competition SSH-M grants, NWO offers researchers the opportunity to conduct research into a subject of their own choosing without any thematic constraints. The aim of the Open Competition SSH is to facilitate excellent, non-programmed, curiosity-driven research that primarily addresses a social sciences or humanities research question and research problem.
For more information, please contact Tristan Kohl.
Last modified: | 19 May 2023 10.29 a.m. |
More news
-
29 April 2024
Royal Decoration awarded to Gerard van den Berg
The Faculty of Economics and Business is very proud to announce that Professor Gerard van den Berg has been appointed Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. The decoration was presented to him by Mayor Koen Schuiling of the Municipality of...
-
29 April 2024
Guido Berends and Hylke Dijkstra win FEB Research Awards 2023
The awards for best PhD thesis and best graduate of the research master were presented at the annual PhD conference held on April 18. Guido Berends won the Best PhD Thesis Award 2023 and Hylke Dijkstra won the Research Master Graduate Award 2023.
-
25 April 2024
Lineke Sneller appointed as Professor of Practice of Digitalization & AI in Accounting and Auditing
The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) is pleased to announce that as of 1 May, professor Lineke Sneller will be appointed as Professor Practice of Digitalization & AI in Accounting and Auditing. The chair is situated within the department of...