Experts

Anna Bindler is an Associate Professor of Economics, University of Cologne. She obtained her PhD in Economics from University College London in 2015. Her research interests include economics of crime, labour economics and empirical law and economics.

Alvin Birdi is Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Education Innovation at the University of Bristol where he works on curriculum and pedagogical enhancement of the University’s education. He is also Director of the Economics Network, a UK wide institution which promotes evidence-based improvements in economics education through training and symposia. He has contributed to the education resources of the CORE and currently chairs the Education Committee of the European Economic Association.

UU 2016+. 2010-16 Chief Economist PwC in NI. 2007-10 Special Advisor. 1998-2007 MLA NI Assembly. 1989-98 Lecturer Queen’s University. Research Interests: NI economy, devolution policy, inter-regional and international productivity, and religion, ethics and economic thought. Recent article: “A critical review of competitiveness measurement in Northern Ireland”, Regional Studies, 53, 10, pp. 1494-1504.

Matt is a political economist specialising in global economic governance, the nature of globalisation, trade and development, the rising powers, and, increasingly, narcopolitics and drug policy. He previously worked at the University of the West Indies, and has regional expertise on Latin America and the Caribbean. He is based at the University of Sheffield and also co-directs the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative at the Overseas Development Institute in London.

Olivier Blanchard, senior fellow and former C. Fred Bergsten Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, is the Robert M. Solow Professor of Economics emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A citizen of France, Blanchard has spent most of his professional life in the United States. After obtaining his PhD in economics from MIT in 1977, he taught at Harvard University and returned to MIT in 1982. He was chair of the economics department from 1998 to

Esther’s research analyses how economic agents make decisions in social dilemmas, the role of incentives and how these incentives are affected by contextual factors – such as institutional change. Specifically, her research focuses on pro-social behaviour, including corporate social responsibility, provision of public goods and donations. Her research uses different methods, including behavioural game theory and experimental economics, and embraces multi-disciplinary approaches.