Research Center
International Development
The Research Center "International Development" explores the driving forces and diverse impacts of international development processes, focusing on the global and regional interconnections of countries, companies, and the mobility of people, goods, and capital. In our research, we use survey data, experimental data, and geodata, which we primarily analyze using microeconometric and machine learning techniques.
We study a broad range of topics, including:
Migration: Our research on international migration deals with worker mobility, issues of flight and asylum, and the developmental contributions of migration in countries of origin. In this context, we also analyze the role and effectiveness of the EU's migration policy and that of its member states.
Supply Chains: We study the role of global supply and value chains in economic development and their governance in terms of ecological and social sustainability. This latter aspect has gained significant importance due to the formulation of due diligence laws in the EU.
Macroeconomics: We focus on macroeconomic questions particularly relevant to developing and emerging countries, such as the role of exchange rate policy in stabilizing economic development and identifying infrastructure potentials in Africa.
Institutions and Attitudes: We explore how the complex interplay of institutions, people, and companies, crucial for economic development, is influenced by institutional frameworks, norms, and preferences. For example, we examine the attitudes of local populations towards Chinese employers, the design of labor market institutions, the role of meritocratic structures in public administrations, and the possibilities for rebuilding trust in post-conflict situations.
Development Cooperation: We analyze the role that development cooperation can play in supporting economic development and in relation to the aforementioned topics. The questions addressed include whether development cooperation can combat the causes of forced migration – as many policymakers hope – and which political-economic factors stand in the way of successful development cooperation.
The focus continent of our research center's work is Africa, which will gain massive economic, geopolitical, and demographic significance in the coming decades. The Research Center coordinates the Africa-related work across the entire institute as part of the Kiel Institute Africa Initiative.
Our research projects are funded by various entities including the EU's Horizon Europe program, the German Research Foundation, the Leibniz Association, various federal ministries, and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau.
