Law, Politics and Economics

 
LINE 4. ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Researchers

Group

 
European Union peacekeeping operations
 
Legal mechanisms for EU intervention in international conflict resolution. Legal basis. Typology and evolution of European peacekeeping missions. New mandates for peacekeeping missions: protection of human rights, protection of cultural heritage, etc. Study and evolution of the procedures and bodies for the deployment of these peace missions.
 
Dr Maria Julià Barceló

Email: mjuliabar@uoc.edu
 
 
 

Analysis of foreing policies en East Asia

This line of research analyses the main dynamics, agents and changes that have taken place in the foreign policies of the two great powers of the region: the People's Republic of China and Japan. For the former, it studies how the change in China's status affects some state actors including the European Union, the United States, Russia and Japan, and its impact on the major international organizations (the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, etc.). It also focuses on the issue of how China views the current norms of the international system: from the perspective of a normative change, or based on clashing with those norms.

Dr Lluc Vidal López

Email: lluc.vidal@uoc.edu
GADE

International relations theory

This line of research addresses some basic aspects of Western theory and the main paradigms of international relations (realism, liberalism and constructivism); it endeavours to move away from the traditional view of these three paradigms, and addresses issues that have emerged in the discipline in recent years, including critical theory, post-structuralism, feminism and non-Western theories. 

Dr Lluc Vidal López

Email: lluc.vidal@uoc.edu
GADE

Asia-Pacific international relations

Analysis of the main dynamics in both cooperation and conflict in the Asia-Pacific region. Among other issues linked to this topic, the paradigm shift from "the rise of China" to "China risen" is analysed. This rise of the People's Republic of China has an impact on the balance of power in the international system, the norms and rules of the international system, and international institutions. 

Dr Lluc Vidal López

Email: lluc.vidal@uoc.edu
GADE
 
The political economy of governance indicators
 
This line of research explores the role of indicators and indices as instruments of governance. On the one hand, it seeks to identify the main causes of their emergence and disappearance in specific thematic areas. On the other hand, it examines the consequences of the data in two respects. First, it examines their effects on the global political economy as a source of international authority, an instrument of global governance, a tool of advocacy and self-promotion for certain political actors, and a way of reshaping international and domestic political relations. Second, it analyses in depth the determinants of states' responses to governance indicators and indices in terms of their acceptance, acceptance, pressure or contestation.
 
Dr Jordi Mas Elias

Email: jmasel@uoc.edu
 
 
Geopolitics and geoeconomics of the Near East 
 
This research line examines the current geopolitics and geoeconomics of the region, taking into account their close correlation: how the policy of access to certain resources and the management of territories has been a factor in the power of the main regional actors and in their economic and political power, both regionally and globally. 
 
 
Dr Daniel Rajmil

Email: drajmil@uoc.edu
 
GEOCONDAH
 
Middle East nuclear policy
 
This project aims to explore Middle East nuclear policy and its influence on both the current dynamics of regional diplomacy and balance of power and trends in international non-proliferation diplomacy.
 
Dr Daniel Rajmil

Email: drajmil@uoc.edu
GEOCONDAH

Economic effects of digital transformation

Analysis of the economic effects (productivity, competitiveness, development, employment, inequality and sustainability) of digital transformation (robotics, artificial intelligence, industry 4.0, date-driven economy, gig economy, MANBRIC technologies) at aggregate, sectoral and regional level.

 
Dr Joan Torrent-Sellens

Email: jtorrent@uoc.edu
  
i2TIC

Strategic litigation in the context of the impact of climate change on human rights

This research project focuses on analysing litigation against states, private or state-owned companies for their contribution to climate change and its impacts on human rights. Such litigation seeks to promote the protection of human rights beyond the parties involved in a particular legal proceeding, whether domestic or international, to bring about broader change in the international community.

Dr Miguel Ángel Elizalde

Email: melizaldec@uoc.edu
 
GEOCONDAH

New technologies and human rights

This research project analyses the impact of new technologies (AI, data protection, biotechnology, etc.) on the enjoyment of human rights, as well as the resulting normative challenges for the international community.

 
Dr Miguel Ángel Elizalde

Email: melizaldec@uoc.edu
 
 
GEOCONDAH
Economic instruments for the international protection of human rights
 
The international human rights regime lacks an effective system of sanctions to address states' failure to comply with its rules. Economic instruments such as trade sanctions are sometimes used as an option to induce international cooperation and protection of human rights.
 
Dr Miguel Ángel Elizalde

Email: melizaldec@uoc.edu
 
GEOCONDAH
Climate change, geo-economic and geopolitical risks
 
Climate change has a direct impact on global policies and severe economic consequences. As the world tries to cope with the effects and risks of climate change, opportunities for conflict and extreme consequences for sustainable economic development appear to surface. Existing international relations studies offer substantial evidence of a strong connection between business activities and political strategy that are falling into a logic of conflict within the geo-economic and political system. Furthermore, globalization and the concentration of economic activity and political power among a few players have had a significant impact on international and domestic inequalities, leading to increasing levels of instability that have materialized as adverse spillover effects on international cooperation and geopolitics. This research line intends to study and tackle climate change from a multidisciplinary perspective at the intersection of economics and politics.
 
Dr Daniel Rajmil

Email: drajmil@uoc.edu
GEOCONDAH

The relationship between development and international protection of intellectual property rights

Since the end of the 20th century, the international intellectual property regime has gained decisive momentum with the adoption of the World Trade Organisation's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. This proposal is to analyse the relationship between this regime and sustainable development goals.

Dr Miguel Ángel Elizalde

Email: melizaldec@uoc.edu
GEOCONDAH

The physical presence crisis in taxation

One of the main criteria for the exercise of taxing power of most states and jurisdictions is the primary physical presence in the territory concerned. However, the classical design was not intended to cover the absence of geographical constraints made possible by current technology which, together with the possibilities offered by today's interconnections, have given rise to increasing globalization, in turn paving the way for a new scenario that poses unprecedented problems and challenges of worldwide scope.

Dr Irene Rovira Ferrer

Email: iroviraf@uoc.edu
TAXBUSINESS