About me

My name is Megan Haasbroek and I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Janeway Institute at the University of Cambridge. Furthermore, I am a PhD candidate in Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam and Tinbergen Institute under the supervision of prof. dr. Maarten Bosker and dr. Sacha Kapoor. I hold a Research Master in Macroeconomics and International Economics from the Tinbergen Institute.  

I will be joining BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo as a postdoctoral researcher in September!

I am an applied economist with primary research interests in international trade, economic geography and development economics. I use insights from international trade and micro theory to empirically study the consequences of trade and industrial policy on firms in developing countries.  I am especially interested in how market frictions act as a transmission mechanism for these policies. 

My job market paper provides novel evidence on the impact of compulsory acquisition on industrial development in the context of Indian Special Economic Zones (SEZs). I exploit an unexpected reform that prohibited compulsory acquisition, and compare the effects on SEZs across Indian states depending on their official compulsory acquisition policy. Using a novel dataset on the universe of SEZ proposals, I show that both intentions to enter and actual SEZ entry decreases for more land-intensive (manufacturing) sectors. On the other hand, I show that post-reform manufacturing zones generate higher local and aggregate employment than their older counterparts.

On this site, you can find out more about my research and my teaching experience, view my academic CV or contact me.