Know your neighbour: Senior Lecturer Dr. Michael Henry

Senior Lecturer Dr. Michael Henry
Department of Economics, Birmingham Business School

I joined the Department of Economics, University of Birmingham in January, 2010. Prior to joining the University of Birmingham, I spent 5 years in the Economics & Strategy Group at Aston Business School as a postdoctoral researcher (2004-2007) and subsequently as a Lecturer (2007-2009). I was recently (March, 2014) promoted to a Senior Lecturer in Economics.

I am primarily an applied economist whose main research interests focus on issues pertaining to trade and development. Specifically, it is concerned with the productivity, efficiency and labour market effects of trade and investment (Foreign Direct Investment) liberalisation on firms as well as countries. At the cross-country level, I have also examined the extent to which geography (specifically natural barriers) impacts on the effects of trade openness. These researches have examined both developed and developing countries.

My current research project involves an examination of the effects of trade (and other reforms), as well as large scale infrastructure provision, on firm location and firm performance in India. Two central questions the research seeks to answer are: (1) whether the provision of new/improved roads determines the location of firms (both domestic & foreign owned) in the manufacturing and service sectors respectively? And (2) what effect do new/improved roads have on firms’ productivity and wages paid to workers?

The findings of this project will be relevant to policymakers in both developed and developing countries largely because while the provision of large-scale transportation infrastructure is a catalyst for economic growth through inter alia lower transport costs; improved access to markets and labour; the stimulation of competition; and generation of agglomeration economies, these investments can have unintended effects on local districts. In fact, it has been shown in a developed country context that some districts gain while others lose in terms of economic activity with negative consequences for income inequality. This research is also relevant in the context of the present debate surrounding the HS2 project in the UK.

Additionally, another recent aspect of my research involves the utilisation of household data to investigate the effectiveness of Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) and other programmes in alleviating poverty and achieving other stated outcomes in two developing countries.

I currently supervise PhD students whose researches fall within the two broad areas of my research. Finally, I teach International Trade Theory and International Trade Policy (both at the MSc level) and is the Programme Director (including admissions) for both the MSc. Development Economics and the MSc. International Economics Programmes.