Dr Christian Winkler
I am a postdoctoral researcher currently based at the University of Oxford.
I study the political economy of trade and industrial politics. My current research project, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), investigates how the interaction between firms and governments shapes trade and industrial policies against the backdrop of climate change and rising geopolitical tensions. The project is hosted by the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford.
Methodologically, I rely both on qualitative and quantitative methods, including advanced econometrics and large language models. My research has been published in the Review of International Political Economy, the World Trade Review and Cambridge University Press and received multiple awards, including the L. Alan Winters Prize by the World Trade Review Editorial Board.
I obtained my PhD with summa cum laude and félicitations du jury from the Geneva Graduate Institute in 2025. I spent 6 months as a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University in 2024/25. I hold a MA in International Political Economy from King’s College London and a BA in Politics and Public Administration from the University of Konstanz. Prior to pursuing my PhD, I worked for the European Central Bank, the German Ministry for Economic Affairs, and private consultancies.
Beyond my research, I am interested in political theory and philosophy, especially, the relationship between capitalism and democracy, justice, and the history of economic ideas.
My Research
Making Trade Agreements Work in the Service of Society
Trade agreements typically increase aggregate welfare. However, they also generate negative social and environmental spill-overs. In this research project, my colleagues and I explore how trade agreements could become politically realistic and socially effective vehicles to address these spill-overs more directly. Learn more here!
Firm Lobbying on Non-Tariff Measures
In this research project, I am investigating the political economy dynamics behind non-tariff measures (NTMs). As NTMs increase production and compliance costs, one would expect firms to oppose NTMs. However, little is known about firm' preferences and lobbying behavior with respect to NTMs. Which firms lobby on NTMs? Which type of NTMs do firms support? How do firms shape NTMs to their advantage?
Uncertainty and International Cooperation
In times of crisis and shocks, do countries loosen or strengthen their international commitments? Conventional wisdom holds that rising uncertainty leads countries to retreat into protectionism. However, uncertainty might actually push countries toward more, not less, cooperation. Learn more here!
