Globalisation
The Globalisation Team carries out research and policy work aimed at promoting sustainable economic growth to reduce poverty. Our work focuses on the dynamics of the global environment in which the private sector investment and growth necessary for poverty reduction is situated. Our starting point is an understanding that the global economy is experiencing an unprecedented shift in economic power from West to East, rapid technological transformation, increasing turbulence as a result of excessive global liquidity, and deep inequalities between and within countries. Policies for growth have to understand and respond to these challenges.
Our work highlights the magnitude of some of these changes — for example, the impact of China on global prices of manufactures and raw materials — but our analysis does not see globalisation processes as the blind operation of market forces. Our research places markets within the institutional context of rules and regulations that are established at multiple levels and through the interaction of multiple actors in the global economy. Global rules and standards not only regulate global trade and finance, but also impact upon national economies through their requirements for banking systems, macroeconomic management, competition policy, intellectual property law and so on. Furthermore, our team's research pays particular attention to the activities of powerful private sector actors at multiple points in the global economy, examining their roles in shaping global institutions and local economies.
This perspective enables us to identify new challenges in the global economy and to identify the multiple routes through which power and resource inequalities are reproduced within it. More positively, it helps to identify new opportunities and routes to challenging these inequalities.
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Team Members
Analysing the Effects from Non Tariff Measures (NTM) in the Global Agri-Food Trade
The project's objective is to collect and analyse new data on non-tariff measures, particularly on governmental standards and regulations that prescribe the conditions for importing agri-food products into the EU market and into the markets of the main competing players. More details
Global Value Chains and Standards in Horticulture and Aquaculture
An examination of the policy responses to new challenges for producers of food products in East Africa and South-East Asia. More details
Partnering for Better Food
This project aims to identify and support scalable public-private innovative partnerships in developing countries that bridge the gaps between agriculture and nutrition programmes to improve nutrition for the poor and undernourished. More details
Changing Knowledge Divide in the Global Economy
The question driving this project was how was the 'organisational decomposition of the innovation process' (ODIP) changing the global distribution of innovation activities. More details
China's Private Sector Investment and the Investment Climate in Africa
Based on extensive fieldwork interviews in China and Africa, this project examines the role of Chinese private enterprises in Africa. More details
China-Africa Development Prospects and Perspectives
The study aimed to generate knowledge on what is the best way that Africa can benefit from China's strong economic engagement with the continent. More details
DFID Country Programme Evaluation - Evaluation of DFID China Programme
An evaluation of DFID's China Country Programme, assessing the country strategy, links to poverty outcomes and DFID's corporate objectives. More details
European Development Co-operation to 2020
Multi-institutional study of the challenges for European development cooperation in the period up to 2020. IDS research will focus on new actors in international development. More details
Global Brands from China?
A comparative study of the acquisition of branding capabilities in domestic and global value chains. More details
Global Power Shift and Low Carbon Transformation
Two transformations are likely to dominate the first half of the twenty-first century. One is the shift in economic power from the West (North America and Western Europe) to the East (China and the East Asian production system). The second is the transition from a high to low carbon economy. The first shift is at an advanced stage; the second at an early stage. In this line of work we discuss how the first shift affects the second. Does the global power shift make the low carbon transformation faster and cheaper? More details
Low Carbon Innovation Paths in China, India and Europe
Mitigating climate change requires technological innovation. This project analyses the innovation paths pursued in Europe and Asia. More details
Political Economy of Low Carbon Investment in China and India
This project investigates whether and how coalitions of public, private and civic actors influence low carbon investment. More details
Strengthening the Capacity of the International Poverty Reduction Center in China for South-South Cooperation
This project, funded by the Chinese Government's Ministry Of Commerce, is aimed at addressing how IDA is given to developing countries (particularly Africa) and if there are ways of improving China's development assistance to create opportunities for independent development. More details
The Impact of Emerging Power: China-EU Cooperation and Global Governance
This three-institution network focused on three global governance areas: climate change/energy, innovation and low carbon development, and development cooperation. More details
The Impact of Trade on Employment and Income in Brazil
A contribution to an analysis of the impact of prospective changes in the multilateral and regional trade environment on employment and income in Brazil. More details
Understanding Chinese Investment and its Impacts in East Africa
China's engagement with Africa has continued to attract much attention across the world. A debate has formed about the benefits of this engagement on Africa's development. This project aims to identify and evaluate the implications of Chinese FDI on African development. More details
Who Drives Climate Policies in the Rising Powers?
This project is concerned with the political economy analysis of climate change policies. The central question of the project is who drives/obstructs climate change policies in the rising powers, paying special attention to renewable energy policies. More details
China's Private Sector Investment and the Investment Climate in Africa
Based on extensive fieldwork interviews in China and Africa, this project examines the role of Chinese private enterprises in Africa. More details
Partnering for Better Food
This project aims to identify and support scalable public-private innovative partnerships in developing countries that bridge the gaps between agriculture and nutrition programmes to improve nutrition for the poor and undernourished. More details
Systematic Review of Private Participation in Infrastructure
The purpose of this review is to inform Development Finance Institution (DFI) policy so as to improve the development outcomes resulting from their engagement in the infrastructure sectors of low income countries. More details
Changing Knowledge Divide in the Global Economy
The question driving this project was how was the 'organisational decomposition of the innovation process' (ODIP) changing the global distribution of innovation activities. More details
China's Private Sector Investment and the Investment Climate in Africa
Based on extensive fieldwork interviews in China and Africa, this project examines the role of Chinese private enterprises in Africa. More details
China's Role in Africa: Implications for Governance and Development in Fragile States
The purpose of this project is to explain and evaluate China’s approach and contribution to governance, development and state-building in Africa's 'fragile states.' More details
Clusters in the Global Economy
While the debate on industrial clusters and local innovation systems was mainly concerned with local linkages, this work examined global linkages and how they affected local relationships. More details
Cost Benefit Analysis - Livelihoods Centred Disaster Risk Reduction
A systematic cost-benefit analysis of a community-based disaster risk management project led by Practical Action in two districts of Nepal over the period 2007 to 2010. More details
Financing Renewable Energy in Developing Countries: Mechanisms and Responsibilities
Financing Renewable Energy in Developing Countries: Mechanisms and Responsibilities is a background paper that has been prepared for the European Report on Development (ERD) 2012. More details
Foresight Project Global Food and Farming Futures: Food System Scenarios and Modelling
The Foresight project Global Food and Farming Futures explores the increasing pressures on the global food system between now and 2050. The Report highlights the decisions that policy makers need to take today, and in the years ahead, to ensure that a global population rising to nine billion or more can be fed sustainably and equitably. More details
Fossil Fuel Prices and Taxes, and Their Effects on Economic Development and Income Distribution in Viet Nam
The project aimed to explore the short and long run impacts of imposing additional fossil fuel taxes and removing respective existing subsidies on the Vietnamese economy. More details
Global Brands from China?
A comparative study of the acquisition of branding capabilities in domestic and global value chains. More details
Global Food and Farming Futures – Lead Expert Group
The Foresight Project on Global Food and Farming Futures addresses the question: ‘How can a future global population of 9 billion people all be fed healthily and sustainably?' More details
Global Power Shift and Low Carbon Transformation
Two transformations are likely to dominate the first half of the twenty-first century. One is the shift in economic power from the West (North America and Western Europe) to the East (China and the East Asian production system). The second is the transition from a high to low carbon economy. The first shift is at an advanced stage; the second at an early stage. In this line of work we discuss how the first shift affects the second. Does the global power shift make the low carbon transformation faster and cheaper? More details
Inter-Firm Linkages and Financing: The Role of Large Firms, Value Chains and Enterprise Clusters
This project explores the phenomenon of increased availability of private finance for SMEs with linkages to larger firms in both international and domestic value chains. More details
International Public Opinion Monitor
The International Public Opinion Monitor aims to understand how everyday citizens see the world in which live, and how their attitudes change (or not) over time. More details
Systematic Review of Private Participation in Infrastructure
The purpose of this review is to inform Development Finance Institution (DFI) policy so as to improve the development outcomes resulting from their engagement in the infrastructure sectors of low income countries. More details
The Impact of Emerging Power: China-EU Cooperation and Global Governance
This three-institution network focused on three global governance areas: climate change/energy, innovation and low carbon development, and development cooperation. More details
The Political Economy of the Investment Climate in Indonesia
This project examined some of the factors that contribute to better local governance and economic performance, focusing on district-level variations. More details
UK Public Opinion Monitor
The UK Public Opinion Monitor is a unique initiative aimed at understanding the UK public’s attitudes to development and what drives changes in their attitudes over time. More details
Changing Knowledge Divide in the Global Economy
The question driving this project was how was the 'organisational decomposition of the innovation process' (ODIP) changing the global distribution of innovation activities. More details
Clusters in the Global Economy
While the debate on industrial clusters and local innovation systems was mainly concerned with local linkages, this work examined global linkages and how they affected local relationships. More details
Comparison of Upgrading in Global and National Value Chains
An analysis of whether firms in the Southern Brazilian clusters of the Sinos Valley (footwear) and the Serra Gaucha (furniture) show different patterns of industrial upgrading according to the global and national value chains they feed into. More details
Global Brands from China?
A comparative study of the acquisition of branding capabilities in domestic and global value chains. More details
Global Power Shift and Low Carbon Transformation
Two transformations are likely to dominate the first half of the twenty-first century. One is the shift in economic power from the West (North America and Western Europe) to the East (China and the East Asian production system). The second is the transition from a high to low carbon economy. The first shift is at an advanced stage; the second at an early stage. In this line of work we discuss how the first shift affects the second. Does the global power shift make the low carbon transformation faster and cheaper? More details
Global Value Chains and Standards in Horticulture and Aquaculture
An examination of the policy responses to new challenges for producers of food products in East Africa and South-East Asia. More details
Inter-Firm Linkages and Financing: The Role of Large Firms, Value Chains and Enterprise Clusters
This project explores the phenomenon of increased availability of private finance for SMEs with linkages to larger firms in both international and domestic value chains. More details
Low Carbon Innovation Paths in China, India and Europe
Mitigating climate change requires technological innovation. This project analyses the innovation paths pursued in Europe and Asia. More details
Outsourcing and Innovation in the Indian Software Industry
This research investigated whether the capabilities associated with the basic 'production' of software had led to increasing 'innovation' capabilities after the turn of the millennium. More details
Rent Management: the Heart of Green Industrial Policy
At the heart of green industrial policy is rent management: government creating and withdrawing opportunities for highly profitable investment. This project asks what the key factors are for rent management to succeed. More details
SMEs, Multinational Value Chains and 'Pro-poor' Policies Review
This review examined a range of donor initiatives that adopted a value chain aproach as part of their policy package for promoting the growth of small and medium enterprises. More details
Globalisation team blog
This blog features comment and opinion on the team’s core themes: business; climate change and trade; and investment and growth.
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