Our Faculty Research Seminars at the Department of Public Policy showcase the ongoing work of our current faculty and PhD Candidates. Coffee and sweet treats are offered!
During this session, two PhD students will present their research:
- Ihor Moshenets
- Clara Du Bled
Ihor Moshenets
Title: Interest groups advocacy on the role of natural gas, hydrogen and nuclear energy in EU decarbonization pathways
Summary:
The global society nowadays is facing the need to decarbonize the economy in order to limit carbon emissions in the atmosphere. The elaboration of technical requirements and rules for channeling financial resources are the most politically contested issues in this regard. Different types of interest groups (IGs) are convincing policymakers to follow their vision of the energy transition, directly stemming from the group preferences of these stakeholders. The research question of the proposed mixed-method project is: What influence have lobbying activities of Interest Groups had on defining the role of natural gas, hydrogen and nuclear energy under the policies of the EU Green Deal policy course of von der Leyen's Commission? The last four years have been characterized by a unique coincidence of different geopolitical, financial and technological factors, creating the preconditions for very different policy outcomes regarding the trajectory of development of these industries. Exploring the agency of different advocacy coalitions in the processes of making these policy choices should contribute to both the literature on different aspects of EU IGs’ activities and the broader research on the political economy of global energy transition.
Clara Du Bled
Title: EU evidence-based migration policymaking: what evidence?
Summary:
When reference is made to evidence-based (or evidence-informed) policies (EBPM) in the context of European Union (EU) migration policies, what exactly is meant by ‘evidence’? While it has proven positive outcomes, the use of EBPM, and particularly in social policies, has also been the object of several criticisms. One of them being the question of the ‘evidence’ deemed relevant to be incorporated and taken into consideration in the policymaking process. It is particularly a question of importance in the case of migration policies, a topic with a high level of polarisation and a strong humanitarian component. Where does the ‘evidence’ come from? Who are the actors consulted to generate it? How is the ‘evidence’ incorporated into the policymaking process? These are among the questions that my research ambitions to explore.