About me

My name is Megan Haasbroek and I am a Research Assistant (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 am on the 2024/2025 academic job market.

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 policy on firms in developing countries. More specifically, I derive testable hypotheses on the impact of market frictions on economic policy outcomes, and then verify the role of these transmission mechanisms empirically using novel data and quasi-experimental methods.

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 more local employment than their older counterparts. Together, these findings suggest that while compulsory acquisition induce participation of large-scale industries in industrial policies, these are less effective at generating local employment.

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