Bio Sketch of Aradhna Aggarwal

Aradhna Aggarwal, Professor
Department of International Economics, Government and Business Copenhagen Business School

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Who am I?

I am Senior Advisor to the Trade, Technology, and Skill Team at National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and a freelance international consultant specializing in SEZs, international trade, and investment-related issues. My four decades of career in academia began at the University of Delhi. In 2014, I joined the Department of International Economics, Government, and Business at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark as Full Professor in Indian Business Studies. It is one of a select number of business schools with the ‘triple crown’ of accreditations and is among the top business schools in Europe. However, I resigned from my position in 2024 to work as a freelance international expert.

Teaching career:

My first teaching appointment was at Kirori Mal College (KMC), University of Delhi, as lecturer in Economics in August 1982 which I got soon after I completed my Master’s in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics.

In December 2004, I moved to the Department of Business Economics, South Campus. During my long teaching career at Delhi University, I offered various courses such as, international trade, macro economics, public finance, industrial economics, and economics of services, at under- and post-graduate levels; supervised research at both the M.Phil. and PhD. levels. From 2014 to 2024, I was at the Copenhagen Business School as full Professor where I offered courses on globalization, international business and ‘Asian Business Systems’ and served in various committees and forums of the Department.

Research career:

My long term job profile is dotted with short term employments at various premier think tanks : The Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), ICRIER and National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and the Policy Research Centre at the Wadhwani Foundation. I also collaborated with numerous international organizations, including the ADB, UNDP, UNCTAD, the World Bank, UNESCAP, ESCAP-SSWA, UNIDO, Deloitte, GIZ, the Centre for Trade and Development (OXFAM), the Policy Research Centre at the Wadhwani Foundation and the National Board of Trade, Sweden for consultancy research. also served as visiting fellow at the IMF and the Korean Institute of Economic Policy, and visiting professor at Kobe University. These affiliations and collaborations helped me groom my research skills and broadened my vision.

I have led several ambitious projects during my stint in these institutions including the Kerala Perspective Plan 2030 (at NCAER), anti-dumping  and Special economic zones in South Asia at ICRIER.  In addition to institutional and consultancy based projects, I did competitive projects funded by international organizations such as SANEI, SANDEE, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC, UK).

I had been the senior editor of the International Journal of Emerging market Economies’ an AJG ranked journal for four years.

Research interests:

I have worked in diverse research areas and dealt with wide-ranging issues: technology transfers, technology creation, national innovation systems, FDI, export competitiveness, Economics Zones, WTO related issues (Anti-dumping, countervailing duties and safeguards, NAMA), Clean Development Mechanism, health, education, employment and labour, and structural change: and published three research based monographs (two by OUP, Delhi and one by Routledge, London), reports, book chapters, newspaper articles and research articles in mostly peer reviewed international (ABS ranked) journals.

My studies have received significant recognition and I am invited to present my research on invitation in various forums and have organised local, national and international level conferences. I have travelled 40 countries in the connection with conducting and presenting research. I edited an issue of Asian Development Review, reviewed for several journals and won prestigious awards for reviews. A list of publication is attached here.

Education:

After completing graduation in Economics (H) from Lady Sri Ram College, I did my Masters, M.Phil. and PhD from Delhi School Of Economics, University of Delhi.