Biography
Since September 2023, Olena Besedina has been the Academic Director of the Master’s in Economics Programs at the Kyiv School of Economics.
Olena received her Ph.D. degree from Bocconi University in 2008 and her Master’s degree in Public Administration and International Development from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 2003. She received a Joint Japan-World Bank Scholarship, which was used to fund her studies at the J. Kennedy School of Government.
Olena focuses on research in international trade, political economy, and the economics of developing countries. Elena Besedina is a member of the Baltic Journal of Economics editorial board and the Center for International Trade Analysis Trade+ KSE.
Academic publications and preprints:
“A Multicommodity Spatial Price Equilibrium Model with Exchange Rates and Non-Tariff Measures for Agri-Food International Trade” (Anna Nagurnay and Elena Besedina), Operations Research Forum, 2023
“Going beyond the first child: analysis of Russian mothers’ desired and actual fertility Patterns,” (joint with Victoria Levin and Tami Aritomi). Policy Research Working Paper Series 7643, The World Bank.
“Technical barriers to trade and SPS measures and exports dynamics”, NUPI Working paper 842
“Beggar Thy Neighbor? Application of SPS measures by the Russian Federation and Case Study: The Impact of the Russian Import Ban on Ukrainian Confectionary Producers”, (Joint with Tom Coupe), NUPI Working Paper: 840.
“The Political Economy of Labor Reform in Ukraine: Does Accountability Matter?” (joint with Tom Coupe) Final report for the project
“Exporting, Productivity and Government Interventions: Is There a Link?”, KSE/KEI Discussion paper #28
“Exploring International Trade from Below: A Survey of Firm Heterogeneity and Productivity Dynamics”, (joint with Carlo Altomonte) Micro-Dyn Working paper No 01/07.
Transactions in Transition: To Barter or Not To Barter? (joint with Janusz Szyrmer) in Ukraine: Monetizing a Transition Economy, Kyiv, 2000
Current courses at KSE:
Statistics and Econometrics I. Seminar on business research, Research seminar
Previous courses at KSE:
International Trade and Trade Policy, Macroeconomics IV,
Microeconomics I and II, Economic Policy Analysis
Previous projects:
“Supporting Transparent Land Governance in Ukraine,” Supporting Transparent Land Governance in Ukraine (World Bank)
Leadership in Economic Governance, LEV (USAID)
Increasing transparency and efficiency of public procurement in Ukraine through cooperation with civil society (EBRD/PPF)
Non-tariff barriers, food safety, and international food trade (Research Council of Norway, Researcher)
Public-Private Partnership Development Program in Ukraine (USAID)
The Political Economy of Labor Market Reform in Transition and Emerging Economies (Volkswagen Foundation)
Projects
