Internet use, intermediaries and international trade
This study of the relationship between internet use and international trade finds that firms in many developing countries are more likely to engage in export and/or import if they use the internet as a communication tool. An ordered probit regression indicates that internet use is positively associated with direct participation in trade, as well as with indirect participation via trade intermediaries. Data on countries’ aggregate trade do not give support for the micro-findings, however: no significant association emerges between the share of internet users in a given country and that country's openness to trade.
China’s Export Success: Due to Unfair Practices or Fair Competition?
The accusations are numerous during the US-China trade war. At this seminar, Professor Rolf J. Langhammer will review the facts of China's trade policy.
Why populism?
Who are the new populists? And how did these movements emerge?
The evolving political dynamics in Ethiopia and its implications for the Horn of Africa
In this seminar, Dr. Abdeta Beyene of the Centre for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation in Ethiopia will talk about the evolving political dynamics in Ethiopia and its implications for the greater Horn of Africa.
Norsk utenrikspolitikk i en varmere verden
Despite the fact that political leaders describe the climate crisis as the biggest challenge of our time, it plays only a marginal role in Norwegian foreign policy. We analyse how the transition to renewable energy, increased migration flows, reputational risks to Norway and challenges to international organisations such as the UN, EU and NATO will change the conditions for Norwegian foreign policy. We describe how three different climate scenarios – quick transition (A), slow transition (B), and no transition (C) – will affect Norwegian foreign policy. We show that the scope and efficacy of Norwegian foreign policy will be constrained in all three scenarios and conclude that the overall priority for Norwegian foreign policy should be to prevent dramatic climate change, as it undermines Norwegian welfare and security. We conclude by discussing the implications for foreign policy strategy, stressing the need for close integration with the EU, and for stronger cooperation with China.
Introduction: Making Liberal Internationalism Great Again
At a time when liberal internationalism and institutions of multilateral cooperation arebeing dealt almost daily blows, this special issue revisits the notion and practice ofmiddle power liberal internationalism. The introduction suggests that while liberal inter-nationalism is far from dead, the challenges are serious and multiple. Reflecting on theseven essays contained in the volume, it argues that the biggest challenge for a futureliberal internationalism is not to double-down on its normative virtues, but critically toreflect on how it can be retooled to respond to new challenges.
"Contracting development: managerialism and consultants in intergovernmental organizations"
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are now managed with an eye to managerial trends associated with transnational professionals, a view that has ramifications for how IGOs govern their policies and processes. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with staff in IGOs, we trace how managerialism in IGOs is changing how staff perceive work practices. We find that IGOs increasingly rely on consultants to enact policy scripts and to evaluate program success. This signals a subtle yet significant shift from expertise and bureaucratic impartiality, grounded in particular types of knowledge, to skills and flexibility to meet client demands and advance best practice norms according to prevailing world cultural frames. This managerial trend in IGOs is partly driven by stakeholder dynamics but is primarily a normative change in who is seen as having the authority to make claims over professional best practices. Such managerialism is contracting the development policy space. This contraction is partly driven by consultants, who defer to their peers and to donors rather than IGO staff and concerned member states. This work also depletes institutional memory for IGO operations. We trace how IGO staff perceive managerial trends and changes in work practices.