Assoc. Prof. Meltem Gürünlü serves as a faculty member and department head of the Department of International Trade and Finance (Eng.). She has conducted Erasmus teaching mobility at the University of Split, Croatia (May 2023), delivering a seminar on legislative-environment interactions and strengthening academic ties. Her research focuses on corporate finance, behavioral finance, sustainability, and emerging markets, with particular attention to digital transformation, corporate governance, and fintech innovations. Recent work explores topics like cryptocurrency ecosystems, green bonds, and the future of financial systems. Her academic contributions span over 40 publications since 2007, addressing themes such as capital structure dynamics, foreign ownership impacts, and the role of technology in finance. Key areas include analyzing business groups' financial behaviors, evaluating earnings management practices, and investigating investor perceptions of sustainability initiatives. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical evidence, often using Turkish market data (e.g., Borsa Istanbul). Notably, Prof. Gürünlü’s research highlights interdisciplinary intersections—e.g., blockchain’s governance implications, renewable energy financing challenges, and the ethical dimensions of AI in finance. Her scholarship emphasizes practical policy recommendations for regulatory frameworks and corporate strategies in evolving financial landscapes.
Jennifer A. Hillman is a senior fellow for trade and international political economy at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and a Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, where she teaches international trade and business law. She specializes in U.S. trade policy, WTO law, Brexit, climate change, and international investment. Her career blends academic scholarship, legal practice, and high-level public service. Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Professor, Georgetown University Law Center Board of Visitors, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University Her research focuses on the intersection of trade, law, and global governance. Key areas include WTO dispute settlement, digital trade, carbon border adjustments, investor-state dispute settlement reform, and the legal dimensions of Brexit. She has published extensively, including co-authoring the leading casebook International Trade Law and authoring Getting to Brexit and Legal Aspects of Brexit . Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating climate action with trade policy, exploring tools such as carbon border adjustments and green goods trade, while also addressing systemic issues like WTO reform, digital trade rules, and subsidy disciplines. She frequently analyzes the legal and economic implications of U.S. tariff policies and executive overreach in trade matters. Scientific Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award, Association of Women in International Trade (2021) Advising and Grants: While specific advisees are not listed, she led a practicum at Georgetown that enabled students to work on real-world trade issues for developing country governments and NGOs. Her work is supported through her affiliations with CFR and Georgetown, and she contributes to major policy initiatives such as RealEcon and the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies. Labs and Teams: She collaborates regularly with CFR colleagues, including Inu Manak and Helena Kopans-Johnson, on the 'Trade Tools for Climate Action' series. She is also involved in broader expert networks at CFR, including term member conferences and policy task forces.
Prabhat Barnwal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Michigan State University's College of Social Science. His research focuses on development economics, energy and environment, and public economics, with particular emphasis on improving public programs in developing countries, understanding the impact of modern agricultural technologies, and assessing environmental information's role in household decision-making. Dr. Barnwal's educational background includes: Ph.D. in Sustainable Development from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University (2010-2015) M.A. from the International University of Japan Bachelor's degree from the National Institute of Technology - Surat, India His research employs experimental and quasi-experimental methodologies to address critical questions in economic development and environmental economics. Dr. Barnwal's work spans multiple dimensions of development challenges, with a strong focus on energy transition, environmental risk mitigation, and public program efficiency in low-income settings. His research often combines field experiments with rigorous econometric analysis to provide evidence-based policy recommendations. A significant portion of his work examines energy transition challenges in developing countries, particularly India, analyzing subsidy design, electrification sustainability, and the efficiency of energy programs. His environmental research focuses on localized environmental risks, particularly water quality issues and household responses to environmental information. His development economics work investigates welfare delivery systems, bureaucratic incentives, and the impact of agricultural technologies on human welfare. Dr. Barnwal has received recognition for his research, including: Global Drinking Water Best Paper Award 2020 from TU Delft His research has been published in top economics journals including the American Economic Review, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Health Economics, and JAMA Network Open. His work often involves collaborations with researchers across multiple institutions and countries, reflecting the international scope of his research interests. Dr. Barnwal's projects frequently address pressing policy questions related to poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, and effective governance in developing contexts. Dr. Barnwal maintains active research collaborations and has several ongoing projects examining women's work and energy efficiency, ICT for environmental adaptation, household investment against environmental risks, and bureaucracy and governance issues. His research demonstrates a consistent commitment to addressing real-world development challenges through rigorous empirical analysis.
Dr. Susanna Berkouwer is an Assistant Professor of Business Economics & Public Policy at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She focuses on the economics of energy and environmental policy in developing countries, with a particular emphasis on energy efficiency, grid reliability, and climate adaptation strategies. Faculty Research Fellow, National Bureau for Economic Research Coase Project Fellow Penn Environmental Innovations Initiative Fellow J-PAL and BREAD Affiliate Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Economics from UC Berkeley (Energy Institute at Haas), an MA in International and Development Economics from Yale University, and a BSc in Statistics from University College London. Recent research highlights include analyzing transient air pollution exposure in clean cooking transitions, optimizing donor contracting for electrification projects, and addressing voltage quality improvements in Ghana's energy infrastructure. She explores behavioral economics in energy technology adoption and political economy dimensions of electrification in Kenya. Scientific recognition includes NBER affiliation and contributions to energy policy innovation. She previously held research roles at Harvard's EPoD and worked in international trade finance across London, Johannesburg, and Nairobi.
Kenneth Backlund is an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics within the Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics (USBE) at Umeå University. His primary affiliation is with the Economics section and he is located at Samhällsvetarhuset, Biblioteksgränd 6, A23701 in Umeå. He holds a recognized university teacher qualification and is actively involved in the Economic Policy Network research group. His research focuses on environmental policy, sustainability frameworks, and welfare economics. Key areas include tax policy design under migration pressures, hyperbolic discounting effects on paternalistic policies, and the role of technology transfers in climate policy. He has extensively studied green taxation mechanisms, public goods provision in heterogeneous economies, and the interplay between nuclear energy policy and differential game theory. Backlund's work frequently integrates quantitative methods with normative policy analysis. His publications span topics from optimal tax systems in unionized labor markets to the theoretical foundations of green accounting in imperfect markets. Notable contributions include analyses of the Clean Development Mechanism's effectiveness and the economic implications of emigration on fiscal frameworks. He has collaborated with institutions like the Edward Elgar Publishing and has contributed to edited volumes such as Handbook Of Environmental Accounting . His research demonstrates a commitment to bridging theoretical economic models with real-world policy challenges in sustainability and public finance. Backlund can be contacted via email at kenneth.backlund@umu.se or via phone at +46 90 786 78 78 for academic inquiries related to his research or teaching activities.
Christian Downie is a Professor and Director of the Governing Energy Transitions (GET) Lab at the Australian National University (ANU), School of Regulation and Global Governance. He holds an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship and has advised Australian government agencies, including the Department of Climate Change and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. His research focuses on energy politics, climate governance, and international relations. Education: PhD in International Relations (ANU), First Class Honours in Economics (University of Sydney). He has held visiting roles at MIT, LSE, and the London School of Economics. His work bridges academia and policy, emphasizing global energy transitions and climate diplomacy. Research interests include international climate negotiations, energy geopolitics, and the role of business actors in policy resistance. He leads ANU projects on renewable energy governance in Asia-Pacific and renewables-based trade frameworks. His book Business Battles in the U.S. Energy Sector explores lessons for clean energy transitions. Scientific Awards: Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship Lab/Teams: Director of GET Lab, contributor to ANU's Renewable Energy Policy programs Grants: DECRA Fellowship and multiple government advisory roles Publications span over 40 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Regulation & Governance and Global Environmental Politics , with media contributions to The Guardian and The Conversation.
Dr. Anoop Singh is a Professor at the Department of Management Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK). His work focuses on Power Sector Regulation , Renewable Energy Policy , and Energy Economics , with significant contributions to energy pricing , climate policy modeling , and cross-border energy cooperation . He founded the Centre for Energy Regulation (CER) and Energy Analytics Lab (EAL) at IITK. His research interests span power sector reforms, regulatory governance, energy pricing, renewable energy integration, project financing, and climate policy modeling. He has led initiatives in smart grid development , minigrid economics , and energy analytics , often contextualized within India's energy transition. Key Publications : 15+ works on electricity market reforms, renewable policy, and regulatory frameworks Projects : ADB-funded regional power exchange studies Scientific Awards include: Amity Academic Excellence Award (2013) Best Business Model Award, Asia Clean Energy Forum (2010) UNU/IAS and ADB Institute fellowships He served on the Planning Commission's Working Group on Power for the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans and actively participates in global regulatory dialogues . His students and mentees engage in energy policy research with applications to sustainable development and infrastructure finance .
Andrea Lanteri is an Associate Professor of Economics at Duke University, affiliated with the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Economics from the London School of Economics. His research focuses on Macroeconomics, particularly fiscal policy design, capital markets, and business cycle dynamics. He is a Research Affiliate at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). Dr. Lanteri has led grants such as 'Credit Shocks and Equilibrium Dynamics in Consumer Durable Goods Markets' (NSF, 2018-2022) and 'Capital Specificity and Aggregate Productivity' (CAF Development Bank, 2016-2017). His teaching includes intermediate macroeconomics (ECON 210D) and advanced courses like Macroeconomic Analysis II (ECON 706D). His research explores topics like optimal taxation, durable goods markets, and capital reallocation. Recent work examines how credit shocks impact consumer behavior and how policy frameworks handle partial information. His studies combine theoretical models with empirical data, addressing real-world economic challenges. Lanteri’s contributions span journals such as the American Economic Review and Review of Economic Dynamics. He advises on policy-related projects and collaborates with institutions like the Inter-American Development Bank. His future research includes clean technology financing and innovation dynamics.
Pernille Holtedahl is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Climate Finance and Investment within the Business School at Imperial College London, specializing in green finance, sustainable bonds, and public-private financing mechanisms for nature-based climate solutions. She leads the Centre's research workstream on nature and actively engages industry through speaking events and advisory roles. Her academic credentials include: PhD in Environmental Economics from George Washington University BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Oslo Dr. Holtedahl's research focuses on economic models for private investment in nature, the economic case for public climate-nature funding, and optimal public-private responsibility distribution. She champions multidisciplinary approaches to climate-biodiversity crises, with emphasis on food systems transformation and Southeast Asian investment opportunities. Her publication trends (2021-2024) reveal concentrated expertise in biodiversity finance, corporate nature strategies, and food-climate nexus solutions. Earlier work established foundations in carbon markets, green bonds for forestry, and energy sector financing, demonstrating consistent application of financial mechanisms to environmental challenges across evolving policy landscapes. Through Blue Maia Ltd., she advises private sector clients on climate-nature finance instruments while maintaining collaboration with S&P Global (formerly CICERO). Her research engagements include the Food Systems Economics Commission, building on prior experience at the World Bank and Norwegian development agencies. As core faculty at the Centre for Climate Finance and Investment, she drives interdisciplinary research bridging finance, climate science, and policy to develop actionable financial solutions for global sustainability challenges.
Bentley Allan is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, affiliated with the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute. He specializes in the political economy of decarbonization, clean energy supply chains, industrial policy, and the historical theory of international order. His research bridges academia and policy, focusing on strategic collaborations between governments and industries to advance climate action. He earned his PhD from Ohio State University and holds additional roles as a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a Transition Pathway Principal at the Transition Accelerator. His work includes founding the Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab, which analyzes clean energy supply chains and global governance frameworks for industrial policy. Allan’s research interests span global environmental politics, science’s role in policy, and qualitative methods. His book Scientific Cosmology and International Orders won the APSA Don K. Price Award. He advises governments and businesses on net-zero strategies and has collaborated with entities like the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions and the Carnegie Endowment. Key areas of focus include battery metals, sustainable aviation fuels, and mass timber industries. His recent work addresses global competition in clean energy technologies and the strategic prioritization of supply chains for geopolitical advantage.
Ilaria Espa is Associate Professor of International Economic Law at the Institute of Law, Faculty of Economics, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI). She is also Senior Research Fellow at the World Trade Institute (University of Bern), Adjunct Professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan), and Lead Counsel for the Natural Resources Program at the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL). She is affiliated with USI research centers including the Center for Climate Finance and Sustainability (CCFS), Center for Federalism (CF), and the Research Group on Public Integrity (GRIP). Her education includes a PhD in International Economic Law from Bocconi University (2013) and a Visiting Scholar position at Columbia Law School (2012). She was awarded a Marie Curie Fellowship (2013–2015) and the Premio SIDI in 2013. Ilaria Espa's research lies at the intersection of international economic law, environmental law, energy regulation, and sustainable development. She focuses on the governance of critical minerals, international trade in sustainable electricity, climate change mitigation, and the legal frameworks supporting green transitions. Her work emphasizes the interconnections between trade, environment, and development policies at both global and regional levels. The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward analyzing regulatory challenges in sustainable energy trade, critical raw materials, carbon pricing, and green infrastructure. Her scholarship consistently bridges legal doctrine with policy relevance, contributing to debates on climate governance, trade reform, and sustainable investment. Marie Curie Fellowship (European Commission, 2013–2015) Premio SIDI 2013 She has supervised doctoral students as a member of the doctoral faculty in Legal Studies (International and EU Law track) at Bocconi University and has taught at the University of Milan (2015–2020). She regularly provides expert consultation to governmental agencies, international organizations, and NGOs on legal and policy matters related to trade, environment, and sustainable development. Her research has been supported by competitive grants, including the Marie Curie program. Ilaria Espa is actively involved in several research groups and platforms, including the Cambridge University C-EENRG Platform on Global Energy Governance, and leads research initiatives on natural resources and sustainable development law.
Dr. Jenny Chanfreau is an Assistant Professor in Sociology (Sociology and Criminology) at the School of Law, Politics and Sociology, University of Sussex . She holds a PhD in Gender Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and has previously held research positions at University College London (UCL) and NatCen Social Research. Assistant Professor, University of Sussex (2023–present) Senior Research Fellow in Demography, UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies (2022–2023) Research Fellow in Demography, UCL (2019–2022) Research Director and Senior Researcher, NatCen Social Research (2008–2015) Her research lies at the intersection of family sociology, demography, and social policy , with a strong emphasis on gender and socioeconomic inequalities . She is particularly known for her work on only children, fertility, assisted reproductive technologies (ART), and work-care dynamics , using feminist and critical approaches to quantitative data. She is a founding member of FemQuant , a network advancing feminist quantitative research methods. Her recent publications span high-impact journals such as Population and Development Review , Feminist Economics , and International Journal of Epidemiology , focusing on fertility trends, reproductive justice, health inequalities, and methodological innovation in demographic research. Scientific Awards and Recognition: No formal awards listed in the provided text. Advising and Grants: Dr. Chanfreau supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students and welcomes PhD candidates interested in families, reproduction, work and care, and feminist quantitative methods. While specific grants are not mentioned, her research using large cohort datasets suggests involvement in funded longitudinal studies. She actively contributes to academic discourse through FemQuant and public scholarship. Labs and Teams: She is a core member of the FemQuant Network , where she co-organizes webinars, workshops, and conferences to promote reflexivity and inclusivity in quantitative social science.
Meng Yuan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sustainability and Planning at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Aalborg University, Denmark. With a strong focus on sustainable energy systems, Dr. Yuan contributes significantly to the university's research profile in green energy solutions and climate change mitigation. Dr. Yuan's research interests center on Smart Energy Systems, with particular expertise in renewable energy integration, district heating systems, and the development of advanced energy system models. Their work spans techno-economic and environmental analysis of low-carbon technologies at local, regional, and national scales, contributing directly to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to affordable and clean energy, industry innovation, and climate action. The publication record shows a strong focus on renewable energy transition pathways, with particular emphasis on hydrogen technologies, district heating optimization, and energy storage solutions. Dr. Yuan's research demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward increasingly complex energy system modeling and analysis, with recent work exploring sector coupling and cross-border energy solutions. "Best Paper Award" at the 1st African Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES), May 2025 "Best Presenter" at the 10th International Conference on Low Carbon Asia (ICLCA), September 2024 Beijing Outstanding Graduates Award, June 2022 China National Scholarship at PhD level, 2020 Top 10 Outstanding Student Award at CUPB, 2020 As an active researcher, Dr. Yuan serves as an Ethics editor for Energy (Elsevier) and Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments (Elsevier), and has participated in numerous peer review activities. Current research projects include CARMA-Green Fuels Cross Mission Carbon Management, INNO-CCUS INFRASTRUCTURES, and ActRes: Agency for resilience – Making people and energy systems fit for climate change and crises, demonstrating significant engagement with both European and international research initiatives.
Beatriz Martínez Romera is Associate Professor of Environmental and Climate Change Law at the University of Copenhagen’s Faculty of Law, Centre for Climate Change Law and Governance. She is also founder of the Transatlantic Maritime Emissions Research Network (TRAMEREN) and the Arctic Environmental and Climate Change Governance Research Network (ArcEnGov). Education PhD in Law, University of Copenhagen, 2015 MSc Political Science & Government (European Studies), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2008 LLM Law, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2005 Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Universidad Camilo José Cela, 2007 Member of the Madrid Bar Association, 2010 Research Interests Her scholarship centres on the intersection of international environmental law and climate governance, with particular emphasis on the regulation of greenhouse-gas emissions from international aviation and maritime transport. She investigates regime interaction and fragmentation within the international climate regime (UNFCCC/Paris Agreement), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Additional foci include EU climate and energy law, Arctic environmental governance, carbon pricing and environmental taxation, renewable energy law, and corporate environmental responsibility. Research Output Trends Across 81 outputs and 144 scholarly activities since 2010, Martínez Romera’s work displays a clear trajectory from doctoral study on aviation and maritime emissions to multi-year comparative and interdisciplinary projects. Recent publications (2018-2025) concentrate on regime interaction theory, EU Green Deal governance, Arctic legal frameworks, and innovation in green-hydrogen regulation. Her monograph Regime Interaction and Climate Change (Routledge, 2019) has become a key reference, while forthcoming 2025 volumes on Arctic law-making and shipping governance evidence sustained thought-leadership. Scientific Awards & Distinctions MIT Climate CoLab Judges’ Choice Award (2015) MIT Climate CoLab Popular Choice Award (2015) MIT Climate CoLab Overall Contest Honorable Mention (2015) Grants & Projects She has secured over a dozen competitive grants totalling more than €1.5 million since 2015. Notable examples include the 2020-2024 Carlsberg Foundation InterAct project on actors in shipping and climate change law-making (DKK 4.8 m), the 2021-2023 Independent Research Fund Denmark EnAct project on enhancing climate action through international law (DKK 2.9 m), and the 2018 Jean Monnet Network grant (€395 k) for a transatlantic climate & energy law course. She currently serves as Principal Investigator on two active projects funding two post-docs and one PhD fellow. Teaching, Supervision & Academic Service Martínez Romera has designed and taught eight distinct courses at bachelor, master and professional-LLM levels since 2010. She supervises master and bachelor theses, internship reports, and has acted as PhD supervisor since 2018. She is a referee for the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and the Research Council of Norway, and sits on the management committees of several EU COST Actions and Nordic research networks.
Dr. Inge van den Bijgaart is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University School of Economics, specializing in environmental economics with a focus on climate policy. She is affiliated with the Department of Economics within the Law, Economics and Governance faculty at Utrecht University. Her research examines the economic repercussions of climate policy, how policy design affects outcomes, economic justifications for climate policy choices, and appropriate policy mixes for different contexts. Her research interests span environmental economics, climate policy, green innovation, carbon taxation, sustainable development, industrial decarbonization, and firm heterogeneity. Van den Bijgaart has published extensively on climate policy for emission mitigation, green innovation, the economics of meat taxation, health considerations justifying higher fuel taxes, and green industrial policies for basic materials industries. Her recent work includes analyzing how adapting fuel taxes could benefit health by reducing diabetes, dementia, and depression risks, and examining whether wealthier households disproportionately benefit from fuel excise duty reductions. Her publications reveal a strong focus on policy-relevant economic analysis that bridges environmental concerns with economic efficiency and social equity. Key trends include examining consumption-based versus production-based emissions accounting, analyzing distributional effects of climate policies, and exploring the intersection of health and environmental benefits in policy design. NWO Vidi grant (2025-2030) to study firm heterogeneity and climate policy FORMAS grant (Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development, Dnr: 2020-00174) for research on green industrial policies Van den Bijgaart actively engages with policy debates through media commentary in outlets like Trouw, Nu.nl, RTL News, and international platforms like the Potsdam Institute. She teaches courses on sustainable growth in Intermediate Macroeconomics, economics of climate change in the Climate and Society course, Advanced Macroeconomics for Research Masters, and Environmental Economics and Policy at the MSc level. Prior to joining Utrecht University, she served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2016-2021) and earned her PhD from Tilburg University in 2016.
