ROHIT TICKU

I am a Research Fellow at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (European University Institute) and a Lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Bologna. Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Society at Chapman University. I earned my Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, where my dissertation received the Institute’s Alumni Association Prize for the best thesis in Development Economics (2017–2023).

My research agenda examines the hidden externalities of globalization, with a particular focus on how trade, institutional change, and environmental pressures affect health, conflict, and long-run development. I approach these questions using novel microdata and natural experiments, with the goal of uncovering mechanisms that matter both for economic theory and for policy.

I currently serve as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Economics, Management and Religion.

For an overview of my work have a look at my CV, Google Scholar page, and a Podcast on the Ideas of India.

Email: rohit.ticku@eui.eu

Publications

Economic Shocks and Religious Conflict in Medieval India (with Anand Shrivastava and Sriya Iyer). forthcoming in, The Journal of Economic History. [Link] (Lead author)

Media: Broadstreet Blog.

Illicit animal trade and infectious diseases (with Cosimo Beverelli). World Development Volume 191, July 2025. [Link]

Media: VoxDev 1 and 2.

Value-Added in African Exports and Rules of Origin (with Bernard Hoekman, Marcelo Olarreaga, Marco Sanfilippo, and Christian Lippitsch). The World Economy, May 2025. [Link]
Economics of Majoritarian Identity Politics (with Raghul Venkatesh). Journal of Comparative Economics Volume 53, Issue 1, March 2025, Pages 56-78. [Link]
Trade, Productivity, and Services Input Intensity (with Bernard Hoekman, Marco Sanfilippo, and Filippo Santi). Review of World Economics, 2025, Volume 161, pages 309-337. [Link]
Reducing tariff evasion: The role of trade facilitation (with Cosimo Beverelli). Journal of Comparative Economics Volume 50, Issue 2, June 2022, Pages 534-554. [Link]
Shutdown policies and conflict worldwide (with Nicolas Berman, Mathieu Couttenier, and Nathalie Monnet). Journal of Comparative Economics Volume 50, Issue 1, March 2022, Pages 240–255. [Link]

Book Chapters

Riot Rewards? Religious Conflict and Electoral Outcomes. forthcoming in, Handbook of Economics, Religion and Public Policy. World Scientific, 2025. [Link]

Media: Huffington Post; Bloomberg.

Conflict in times of COVID-19 (with Nicolas Berman, Mathieu Couttenier, and Nathalie Monnet). Covid-19 in Developing Economies, CEPR Press, 2020. [Link]

Working Papers

Deforestation and Infectious Animal Diseases (with Cosimo Beverelli) [Link] (JOB MARKET PAPER)
Trading Epidemics: Evidence from Eid-al-Adha (2025) (with Cosimo Beverelli). R&R, Journal of Development Economics. [Link] (Lead author)
Government Demand and Firm Growth (2025) (with Bernard Hoekman, Marco Sanfilippo, and Filippo Santi). R&R, Journal of Development Economics. [Link]
Legalized Same-Sex Marriage and Coming Out: Evidence from Catholic Seminaries (2025) (with Avner Seror). under revision. [Link]
Votes for Sale (2025). under revision. [Link]

Selected Work in Progress

The Evolution of Religion and Political Institutions in South Asia from 200 BC to 1525 CE: Theory and Evidence (with Jared Rubin and Avner Seror)
Spillover Effects of Foreign Direct Investment through Forward-Linkages (with Bernard Hoekman, Daniel Prosi, and Marco Sanfilippo)
Cross-Border Signals: How Trade and Geopolitics Drive the Diffusion of Industrial Policy (with Bernard Hoekman and Cosimo Beverelli)