European economic integration

Image of EU flag against parliament in Brussels, Belgium, to represent the EURECON project

Professor Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol is the principal investigator on the EURECON project, which is financed by a €1.5 million Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The goal of the EURECON project is to explore the historical views of European policymakers on how to make the organisation of the European Economic Community (EEC) fit for the creation of a single currency. The project will examine the origins of the issues that are currently plaguing the European Union (EU) by investigating the period between the creation of the EEC in 1957 and the decision to create a European single currency in 1992. 

Internationalisation and poverty reduction: Mexican SMEs

Industry factory to demonstrate the Internationalisation and poverty reduction: Mexican SMEs research project

Internationalisation is considered a significant mechanism for creating jobs and alleviating poverty. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are very important to the Mexican economy as they generate more than 7 out of 10 jobs and contribute more than 50% of the country’s GDP. Dr Rose Narooz is working with partners in Mexico on a Newton Fund Institutional Links/British Council-funded project which aims to gain new insights into the barriers to internationalisation for SMEs in the country.

Globalisation: Chinese professional service firms

Image of businesswoman in the office to represent the Chinese professional service firms research project

Professor Mehdi Boussebaa is the principal investigator on a British Academy-funded project examining the internationalisation strategies and practices of Chinese professional service firms. The research seeks to understand why, where and how these firms are expanding internationally. It will inform ongoing academic and policy debates about professional service firms as outcomes and agents of globalisation and will be equally useful for regulators of the business professions.

Combating energy poverty

Solar panel, photovoltaic, alternative electricity source

Dr Yee Kwan Tang is a co-investigator on a £299,701 Innovate UK-funded project which aims to provide clean, affordable and secure electricity to a remote village in Bangladesh. This innovative collaboration between industry and academia involves Dr Chong Li (PI) from the James Watt School of Engineering, UK technology company SEMWaves Ltd and local partners in Bangladesh. The team will test build a solar-hydraulic power generation system and its distribution in the region. The project aims to support Bangladesh in meeting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on universal access to affordable clean energy.